win caps off a happy easter

Gregor Kyle
CELTIC returned to winning ways on Easter Sunday, with strikes from Scott McDonald, Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and Georgios Samaras earning a 3-0 win over Gretna.

With the players fighting to keep up the pace in the SPL title race and next week’s meeting with leaders Rangers looming large on the horizon, nothing less than a win would do against the league’s bottom club.

And after McDonald settled the nerves just before half time, Vennegoor of Hesselink and Samaras wrapped up the points with their late finishes.

Almondvale Stadium provided the venue for this afternoon’s game, with Gretna embarking on a nomadic existence as they attempt to keep their heads above water.

With their recent financial crisis in mind, the ‘home’ side’s priority today was perhaps not the game in hand, but rather the number of supporters they could draw to West Lothian as they desperately scrape for funding.

As it transpired, Livingston’s ground was not even half full and was largely made up of Celtic supporters. Whether this disappointing turn out of 3151 will be enough to avert extinction remains to be seen, but having lost momentum in recent weeks in their no-score draw with Dundee United and defeat to Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup, Celtic could afford no room for sentiment.

The Hoops initially started brightly and attempted to break through the Gretna ranks, but the 'home side's response was admirable as they fought and scrapped for every ball and it wasn’t until the 20th minute that Celtic began to create clear-cut chances, with Paul Murray blocking a shot on the line and heading another to safety before Aiden McGeady forced a great save from Greg Fleming.

This 20-yard effort did not spark the beginning of an onslaught though and Gretna had their moments on the counter but were largely stopped dead in their tracks by the outstanding Stephen McManus.

Barry Robson was the next to test Fleming from long-range, stinging the palms of the keeper with a left-foot drive, before Scott McDonald opened the scoring with his 26th goal of the season.

The goal was simple, route-one football, a long ball forward from Artur Boruc which was flicked into the path of McDonald by the head of Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink inside the box. The little striker then simply slotted the ball past the keeper from around five yards out.

With three minutes to go until the interval it was a sickening blow for Gretna and one that Celtic sought to capitalise on after the restart.

But in one quick counter, Gretna sent a ripple of concern through the travelling support with Brendan McGill’s shot flashing inches past of the post.

The nerves would remain fraught for as long as Celtic maintained their slender one-goal advantage and Nick Deverdics missed another chance to pull Gretna level after a cross from the right by McGill in the 60th minute.

This attempt gave Celtic a jolt and Scott McDonald then brought out another good save from Fleming before he was replaced by Georgios Samaras.

Within seconds of his introduction the Greek sent a shot flashing past the far post, but it was his Dutch strike partner who grabbed the second, heading home McGeady’s pinpoint cross from the left.

The goal alleviated Celtic’s concerns completely and then in the 88th minute, Samaras added a third when he got ahead of front of his marker and diverted a McGeady cross into the net.

Scottish Premier League
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Almondvale Stadium, Livingston
GRETNA… 0
CELTIC… 3
(McDonald 42, Vennegoor of Hesselink 70, Samaras 88)
WEBSITE MAN OF THE MATCH: Stephen McManus
GRETNA (4-4-2) Fleming; Naughton, Hall, Meynell, Skelton; McGill (Griffiths 82), Osman, Murray, Baldacchino; Wilkinson (Makinwa 73), Deverdics (Barr 66).
Subs: Krysiak, Hogg, Shultz-Eklund, Taylor.
CELTIC (4-4-2) Boruc; Hinkel, Caldwell, McManus, Naylor; Nakamura, Brown (Hartley 73), Robson (Sno 81), Nakamura; McDonald (Samaras 63), Vennegoor of Hesselink.
Subs: Brown, Riordan, O’Dea, Killen.