Henri following in Henrik's footsteps

Celtic 3 Dunfermline 0

Henri Camara again illustrated why Martin O’Neill made him Britain’s most expensive loan signing with a classy double as Celtic warmed up for their crucial Champions League clash with AC Milan with a comfortable victory over David Hay’s Dunfermline.

The Wolves striker is rapidly becoming a cult figure among the Parkhead supporters, who must have feared the worst after a slow start following the departure of hero Henrik Larsson.

But the Senegalese international took his Hoops tally to five goals with a well-taken brace after Stanislav Varga had put the Glasgow giants into the driving seat.

O’Neill stayed true to his word and brought back the big guns for the Bank of Scotland Premier encounter after the CIS Insurance Cup and that gamble seemed to pay off with everyone appearing to come through their latest success unscathed and full of confidence for the San Siro test.

The visitors were buoyed by two consecutive victories but, as expected they found themselves under sustained pressure from the first whistle, and Celtic went close to breaking the deadlock after just three minutes.

Alan Thompson picked out Stilian Petrov brilliantly in the box and the Bulgarian flashed a right-foot volley just past the upright from eight yards.

Juninho was somehow still looking for his first Celtic goal and he went close again moments later when he whistled a right-foot shot past the post from 22 yards.

Dunfermline continued to frustrate the champions and they too threatened in the 17th minute when the ball broke to Darren Young on the edge of the box but he fired well wide.

Celtic made the breakthrough in the 20th minute after John Hartson had won a corner for them.

Sylla flicked on Thompson’s cross and Varga stooped to crash the ball into the back of the net from close range.

But the Glasgow outfit needed the former Sunderland man to save them at the other end in the 25th minute after a rare Dunfermline counter-attack.

Barry Nicholson swung an inviting cross to the back post but the big Slovakian eased their concerns by heading the ball behind with Craig Brewster lurking.

Dunfermline had the temerity to threaten again in the 31st minute when Greg Shields picked out Brewster in the area and he volleyed agonisingly past the upright from nine yards.

At the other end, Camara sprung to life with great control, from Varga’s pass, to turn Scott Wilson but he pulled his shot wide with just Derek Stillie to beat.

The Senegalese striker and Stillie again came face-to-face with each other in the 37th minute but the keeper came out on top by pushing his shot around the post.

Camara was all smiles a minute later, however, when he had the ball in the net after the keeper had again kept out his point-blank header from Thompson’s corner.

Stillie was rightly furious though as the on-loan Wolves hitman was left unmarked to force the ball home from close range.

The Dunfermline defence were again all over the place in the 40th minute as Sylla picked out Hartson at the far post but the Welshman’s header came back off the crossbar.

At half-time the fear was that the game would die like the atmosphere inside Parkhead but Thompson blasted a powerful left-foot shot past the post from Petrov’s pass.

The Bulgarian seemed certain to score in the 53rd minute when he took the ball around Stillie but he pulled the ball back to nobody and Dunfermline cleared the danger.

But that was short-lived as a minute later, Camara seized on the ball after a goalmouth scramble and fired low into the net for his second goal of the afternoon.

Juninho got even closer to that elusive goal in the 56th minute when he and the striker exchanged passes but Stillie blocked his right-foot effort.

The Celtic defence went to sleep in the 62nd minute to allow Brewster a shot on goal but, fortunately for them, David Marshall was wide awake to block it with his legs.

O’Neill responded by taking off Petrov and bringing on midweek hat-trick hero Ross Wallace to give the Bulgarian some richly-deserved rest time.

Stillie kept the scoreline down in the 72nd minute by pushing Thompson’s ferocious free-kick away.

Wallace could have scored again in the 76th minute but he pulled his low right-foot shot just past the upright.

O’Neill also decided to take off Hartson and Juninho with Wednesday and the San Siro in mind and Wallace again had the chance to hit the net late on but he blasted straight at Stillie.

Camara should have also notched his hat-trick in the dying seconds but Stillie and the woodwork frustrated him after Thompson had picked his out in the centre.

But all the early signs are good for Celtic and Camara as they now look towards Milan.