'Bhoys strike late to break Gretna hearts

Gretna 1 Celtic 2

Another late strike by Scott McDonald gave Celtic three points against Gretna at Fir Park and took the champions back top of the Premier League.

Fabian Yantorno’s 30-yard free-kick after 36 minutes gave the Border side a shock half-time lead.

Chris Killen headed Celtic level with five minutes remaining with his first goal for the club and a point looked secure for the Parkhead side.

But as the match edged towards three minutes of injury time, McDonald, who had fired in a late winner against AC Milan in the Champions League in midweek, drove home from 12 yards out after a wayward Aiden McGeady shot had landed at his feet.

It was another dramatic end to a Celtic match which looked to be slipping away from them as it entered the latter stages and they move a point ahead of Hibernian.

The shattered Gretna players sloped off knowing an historic victory had been taken from their grasp and realising that for all their efforts, they were still bottom of the table.

The first half began with Celtic dominating, as most people expected, but ending with Gretna going in at the interval one goal to the good.

In the fourth minute, following a Paul Hartley free-kick from deep, Killen latched on to a Gary Caldwell header at the back post and guided the ball back across goal but found no takers.

Gretna withstood the early pressure from Celtic but with James Grady on his own in attack, and the ball being returned time and again, it looked like being a long afternoon for the home side.

When stopper Aurelien Collin was replaced by Danny Grainger after he came off second-best in a challenge on McGeady, Gretna’s task appeared to even more difficult.

McGeady missed a decent chance after running from his own half before Hartley was replaced by John Kennedy, the Celtic player walking down the tunnel with no obvious injury although the substitution did not appear to be tactical.

The two substitutions seemed to disrupt the flow of the game to Gretna’s advantage and gradually they began to make occasional inroads towards Artur Boruc’s goal.

In the 31st minute Yantorno finished off a decent run by flashing his right-footed shot over the bar from distance leaving the match awaiting its first clear-cut chance.

Five minutes later he made a more significant contribution, giving the home side a remarkable lead when he outfoxed Boruc with a 30-yard free-kick.

The Gretna midfielder was fouled by Scott Brown and with the Poland international rooted to the spot, the 25-year-old Uruguayan simply curled the ball past the wall and in to the corner.

Celtic’s shock lasted all the way to the half-time whistle which brought a cheer from the home fans.

Shunsuke Nakamura and McGeady swapped positions for the start of the second half, and there was a definite edge to the way the visitors began their task of avoiding an unlikely defeat.

However, buoyant Gretna showed their desire to add to their lead and an entertaining second half was promised.

Celtic midfielder Massimo Donati blasted a 25-yard drive high over the crossbar in the 52nd minute then drove over from 12 yards moments later when a shot on target was the least the Hoops fans behind the goal could have expected.

Gretna’s defending had become desperate and fortunately for the SPL new boys, Killen headed over from six yards out to end another heavy spell of pressure on the Gretna goal.

Colin McMenamin replaced the tiring Grady and he was charged with the thankless task of occupying the whole Celtic defence himself for the half-hour or so that was remaining.

Gretna defender Evan Horwood made a remarkable clearance under his bar from McDonald as the Australian striker latched on to a Kennedy header with Fleming out of his goal and headed towards the empty net.

There seemed to be little respite for the Border club as Celtic came forward time and again but they would sporadically threaten on the break.

But in the 85th minute the visitors were level after Gretna failed to clear a throw-in from substitute James O’Brien, who had replaced Kennedy.

The ball was initially flicked on by Killen at the near post and when it was knocked back out to him, he looped his header from a tight angle in at the far post.

And in the 90th minute McDonald, as he did against Milan in midweek, scored a dramatic winner to give Celtic all three points.

Gretna were crestfallen but the Celtic fans celebrated another late, late show.