Celtic survive early scare

Celtic 3 Partick Thistle 1

Martin O’Neill’s men survived an early scare and a touch of the European blues to foil Gerry Collins’ courageous cavaliers at Parkhead today.

Celtic were expected to comfortably stretch their unbeaten home record to 64 matches after their midweek Champions League draw with German giants Bayern Munich.

O’Neill drafted in young Celts Ross Wallace, Liam Miller and John Kennedy among five changes in a bid to avoid complacency from his side and supporters.

But he had not bargained on a shock early goal from James Grady and a performance from Collins’ side which made a mockery of their bottom place position.

For long periods, Celtic did not look like a side who were about to go eight points clear of Rangers at the top of the Bank of Scotland Premier League and Partick did not look like a side searching for their first league win of the season.

Fortunately O’Neill has Chris Sutton and Henrik Larsson battling to be the club’s top scorer this season with the Englishman now just two adrift on 15 goals after his double today with Larsson still favourite to take that honour with the equaliser being his 17th.

The rain lashed down throughout making conditions hazardous for both sets of players but Partick soaked up the early pressure.

They even had the audacity to open the scoring with their very first attempt on goal in the 12th minute which stunned the home crowd into silence.

Derek Fleming swung an inviting cross into the box and Grady was given far too much room to head past Magnus Hedman and off the underside of the crossbar.

Larsson should have equalised four minutes later when Ross Wallace made room for himself and picked the Swede out in the centre but he headed over the bar.

Partick needed a vital block from former Celtic star Derek Whyte in the 21st-minute to prevent Sutton from testing Kenny Arthur as the ball dropped to him in the area.

The Englishman again threatened moments later when he sprinted to the near post for Wallace’s corner but flicked his header over the bar.

There were signs, though, that Celtic were set to go up the gears as Arthur made a comfortable save from Larsson’s low shot.

And it was no surprise that with their next attack they hit back to level the score.

At the second attempt, Sutton squeezed the ball through to the Swede and he poked the ball past the Partick goalkeeper from close range.

That sparked an inevitable charge from Celtic and John Hartson could only watch as his header from Larsson’s cross flew just past the post.

The home side did not have to wait too long to go ahead but their 35th-minute goal still came about a little fortuitously.

Larsson drilled a right-foot free-kick towards goal and Sutton’s wicked deflection wrong-footed Arthur and the ball spun into the opposite corner of the net.

Celtic looked as uneasy in defence as they had for quite some time which was testament to the heart and pressure from the Firhill side.

Strangely Collins was out-doing his opposite number for animation on the touchline as he gestured wildly for his men to continue surging forward in search of the equaliser.

But they paid the ultimate price for that bravery as Celtic increased their lead on the hour and killed the visitors off.

Partick were stretched as Larsson exchanged passes with Miller and played the ball across goal into the path of Sutton to steer the ball past Arthur.

Collins’ side were fortunate to avoid another goal as heroics from Arthur denied Hartson a deserved strike after the Welshman burst past a number of challenges.

Partick were understandably frustrated and Fleming was the next man booked for hacking down Sylla.

The Jags’ day went from bad to worse as Adrian Madaschi was stretchered off in the 67th minute and was replaced by Emmanuel Panther.

Hartson almost compounded their misery when he got on the end of Wallace’s cross but his header was cleared off the line.

Miller could also have twisted the knife even further when Sutton’s cross found its way to him but he drilled his effort just past the upright.

Whyte almost headed into his own net in the dying seconds but that would have been far too harsh on the former Parkhead defender and his team-mates.