season opens with goalless draw

Gregor Kyle
CELTIC failed to find the net as the new season kicked off with a goalless draw against Kilmarnock at Celtic Park.

With the Championship flag being raised by chairman, Brian Quinn and newly appointed captain, Stephen McManus before the game, this should have been a day of celebration for Celtic.

But the steady rainfall and a solid performance from Kilmarnock, built on a strong and well-organised defence, ensured that it was instead a disappointing start to the new campaign.

The conditions hardly helped two sides who were still attempting to get into their stride in this opening game of the season and during the opening 45 minutes several passes would go awry on this slick surface.

That said, Celtic did succeed in enjoying the better of the opening exchanges, with new midfielders Scott Brown and Massimo Donati causing the visitors a number of problems.

Both players enjoyed a couple of early chances, with Donati fizzing one 25-yard attempt wide of the target and Brown coming close with two similar efforts, and their qualities were well-complimented by the tireless running of Paul Hartley.

Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink also looked a far more mobile and potent figure than that which featured in the pre-season encounters, though he was certainly guilty of squandering a glorious chance to break the deadlock in the 10th minute of the game.

Rather than power his shot at goal from the back post, the Dutchman attempted the cut back to Maciej Zurawski and watched the ball sail harmlessly wide of the target.

The striker was also cursing his luck at the end of the half, but for very different reasons, as he was denied what looked to be a fair shout for a penalty.

Defender Frazer Wright certainly appeared to have handled the ball as he held off Vennegoor of Hesselink inside the box, but referee Craig Thomson waved away his appeals, maintaining the status quo as the half-time whistle sounded.

However, much of the momentum that had been built-up during the opening 45 minutes seemed to fade during a disappointing second half for Gordon Strachan’s men.

Kilmarnock’s own plans for the game had certainly been hampered by the injury to influential holding midfielder James Fowler and the second half kicked off with another blow as Garry Hay was also withdrawn after a heavy knock.

But after this substitution the game initially began to open up, with Hartley testing Alan Combe with a header and an almost immediate counter-attack by Kilmarnock seeing Simon Ford inexplicably send a free header from five yards over the crossbar.

For a 10-minute spell it was end-to-end stuff, with both sides threatening, but eventually the pace began to dip and in an attempt to inject fresh urgency to Celtic’s play, Gordon Strachan made a double substitution, with Chris Killen on for Zurawski and Shunsuke Nakamura replacing Donati.

It was perhaps a gamble to bring on Nakamura, with last year’s Player of the Year having only yesterday returned from Asian Cup duty, but in the remaining half hour of the match the Japanese midfielder was at the heart of much of Celtic’s good work.

One early free-kick attempt flashed narrowly over the bar, while another came close to finding John Kennedy at the back post and as the final whistle approach, Celtic attempted to bombard their opponents.

In time added on, Kennedy again came close, while Combe was at his best to deny a Scott Brown header that was bound for the top corner, but Kilmarnock held on, claiming a well-earned point.

It was certainly not the start to the season that Celtic had hoped for, while a late injury to former Celt David Fernandez casting another cloud over an already gloomy afternoon.

Scottish Premier League
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Celtic Park, Glasgow

CELTIC… 0
KILMARNOCK… 0

CELTIC (4-4-2) M Brown; Wilson, Kennedy, McManus, Naylor; S Brown, Hartley, Donati (Nakamura 63), McGeady; Vennegoor of Hesselink, Zurawski (Killen 63).
Subs: McGovern, Miller, Caldwell, Sno, O’Dea.

KILMARNOCK (4-4-2) Combe; Lilley, Ford, Wright, O’Leary; Naismith, Hamill, Fowler (Dodds 31), Hay (Gibson 50); Johnson (Fernandez 83), Nish.
Subs: Harpur, Di Giacomo, Skora, Koudou.