INFO
CELTIC XI 1-1 AIRDRIE UNITED XI
FRIENDLY
DATE � TUESDAY 17 MARCH 2009
STARTING 11:
1 � LEE HOLLIS � MAN OF THE MATCH, 12 � CALLUM BRADY, 3 � PAUL LOVERING (CAPTAIN), 4 � BOBBY DONNELLY,
5 � DAVID NIXON, 6 � KEVIN MCDONALD, 7 � FRASER KEAST, 8 � MICHAEL BROWN, 9 � STEPHEN MAGUIRE,
10 � KEVIN WATT, 11 � MATTHEW HAZLEY
SUBS � USED:
14 � WILLIAM MCLACHLAN FOR 7 � FRASER KEAST, 15 � STEPHEN MCKENNA FOR 4 � BOBBY DONNELLY
BACK ON:
7 � FRASER KEAST FOR 11 � MATTHEW HAZLEY
SUB � NOT USED:
17 � STEPHEN ROBERTSON
MAN OF THE MATCH
1 - LEE HOLLIS
MATCH REPORT
AN AIRDRIE UNITED XI TOOK ON A CELTIC XI AT THERE TRAINING GROUND IN A FRIENDLY AND DREW 1-1 THANKS TO A GOAL FROM KEVIN WATT.
FOR THE GAME TEN OF THE FIRST TEAM SQUAD AND UNDER 17S PLAYER FRASER KEAST WERE IN THE STARTING 11 AND ON THE SUBSTITUTE�S BENCH WERE ANOTHER THREE MEMBERS OF THE FIRST TEAM SQUAD. MEANWHILE CELTIC INCLUDED MARK WILSON, JEAN-JOEL PERRIER-DOUMBE, WILLO FLOOD, MASSIMO DONATI, BEN HUTCHISON AND CHRIS KILLEN IN THERE STARTING ELEVEN.
FIRST HALF
SCOTTISH PREMIER LEAGUE LEADERS CELTIC HAD THE OPENING CHANCE OF THE GAME ON THE 3RD MINUTE WHEN SIMON FERRY HIT A SHOT BUT LEE HOLLIS MADE THE SAVE. NINE MINUTES LATER CELTIC WON A FREE KICK OUT ON THERE LEFT WING AND FROM IT BEN HUTCHISON HIT A SHOT BUT AGAIN LEE HOLLIS MADE THE SAVE. CELTIC CONTINUED SEARCHING FOR THE OPENING GOAL OF THE GAME AND ON THE 18TH MINUTE FROM A CROSS INTO THE BOX #4 GOT ONTO THE END OF IT WITH A SHOT BUT IT WENT WIDE. A FEW MINUTES LATER CELTIC�S #11 HAD A GO FROM THE TOP OF THE BOX BUT IT WENT OVER THE BAR.
DESPITE CELTIC HAVING ALL THE CHANCES IN THE GAME UNTIL NOW IT WAS AIRDRIE WHO CAME CLOSEST TO OPENING THE SCORING ON THE 23RD MINUTE WHEN THEY WON A CORNER AS FROM IT MATTHEW HAZLEY CROSSED THE BALL INTO THE BOX AND IT TOOK A DEFLECTION AND WENT GOALWARDS BUT SCOTT FOX WAS QUICK TO REACT AND PUNCH THE BALL AWAY AND THE BALL FELL TO BOBBY DONNELLY AND HE HIT A SHOT BUT SCOTT FOX GOT DOWN LOW TO MAKE ANOTHER SAVE. SHORTLY AFTER THIS CHRIS KILLEN WAS PLAYED IN ON GOAL FOR CELTIC AND FROM INSIDE THE BOX HE HIT A SHOT BUT IT WENT WIDE. ON THE 28TH MINUTE WILLO FLOOD DROVE FORWARD FOR CELTIC AND HAD A GO FROM INSIDE THE BOX BUT IT WENT JUST WIDE.
CELTIC WERE HAVING THE MAJORITY OF CHANCES IN THE GAME BUT WERE NOT CAUSING LEE HOLLIS A LOT OF PROBLEMS AND ON THE 35TH MINUTE THEY HAD ANOTHER ONE AS #3 HAD A GO FROM THE TOP OF THE BOX BUT IT WENT FLYING OVER THE BAR. A MINUTE LATER STEPHEN MAGUIRE SENT FRASER KEAST IN ON GOAL WITH A FANTASTIC THROUGH BALL AND FROM INSIDE THE BOX FRASER HIT A SHOT BUT IT WENT INTO THE SIDE NETTING. CELTIC WAS TO HAVE THE FINAL TWO CHANCES OF THE HALF THROUGH ITALIAN MASSIMO DONATI BUT BOTH HIS CHANCES WENT FLYING OVER THE BAR AND THE TEAMS HEADED INTO HALF TIME LEVEL.
SECOND HALF
BEFORE EITHER TEAM HAD THE FIRST CHANCE OF THE HALF ON THE 66TH MINUTE AIRDRIE HAD MADE TWO SUBSTITUTIONS AS WILLIAM MCLACHLAN AND STEPHEN MCKENNA HAD COME ON FOR FRASER KEAST AND BOBBY DONNELLY. WHEN IT CAME THOUGH IT WAS FOR CELTIC AS THEY WON A FREE KICK ABOUT 20 YARDS FROM GOAL AND FROM IT THE BALL WAS CROSSED INTO THE BOX AND A HEADER SENT GOALWARDS BUT IT WENT OVER THE BAR. FIVE MINUTES LATER THE DIAMONDS TOOK THE LEAD AS FROM INSIDE THE BOX KEVIN WATT DRILLED THE BALL BY SCOTT FOX AND INTO THE NET TO MAKE IT 1-0. CELTICS RESPONSE WAS QUICK AS A MINUTE LATER LEE HOLLIS HAD TO FINGERTIP A NIALL MCGINN SHOT FROM ABOUT 20 YARDS OUT AROUND THE POST AND FROM THE RESULTING CORNER A HEADER WAS SENT GOALWARDS BUT LEE HOLLIS MADE THE SAVE. ON THE 73RD MINUTE CELTIC WAS LEVEL AS FROM A LOW CROSS BY NIALL MCGINN INTO THE BOX THE BALL WAS TURNED INTO THE NET FROM ABOUT SIX YARDS OUT BY MICHAEL MCGLINCHEY FOR THE EQUALIZER. A FEW MINUTES LATER CELTIC WERE AWARDED A CONTROVERSIAL PENALTY AS THE REFEREE DECIDED CALLUM BRADY HAD DELIBERATELY HANDLED THE BALL IN THE BOX BUT FROM IT JUSTICE WAS DONE AS LEE HOLLIS GUESSED THE CORRECT WAY TO PARRY MICHAEL MCGLINCHEY PENALTY AWAY AND FROM THE REBOUND LEE MADE ANOTHER SAVE FROM A MICHAEL MCGLINCHEY SHOT.
CELTIC CONTINUED THERE SEARCH FOR A WINNER AND ON THE 78TH MINUTE THEY WON A FREE KICK ABOUT 25 YARDS FROM GOAL AND FROM IT NIALL MCGINN HIT A SHOT BUT THE IMPRESSIVE LEE HOLLIS WAS ABLE TO TURN THE BALL OVER THE BAR AND FROM THE CORNER THE DANGER WAS CLEARED. A MINUTE LATER CELTIC HAD ANOTHER CHANCE WHEN THEY HIT A SHOT FROM ABOUT SIX YARDS OUT BUT LEE HOLLIS FANTASTICALLY PARRIED THE BALL AWAY AND FROM THE REBOUND THEY NIALL MCGINN HIT A SHOT BUT CAPTAIN PAUL LOVERING WAS ON THE LINE TO CLEAR THE DANGER. AIRDRIE HAD A FANTASTIC CHANCE TO WIN THE GAME ON THE 81ST MINUTE AS MICHAEL BROWN WAS PLAYED THROUGH ON GOAL AND HE HIT A SHOT BUT SCOTT FOX EXCELLENTLY TURNED THE BALL AROUND THE POST AND FROM THE CORNER THE BALL WAS CROSSED INTO THE BOX AND KEVIN WATT GOT UP HIGH TO SENT A HEADER GOALWARDS BUT AGAIN SCOTT FOX MADE THE SAVE. SHORTLY AFTER THIS CELTIC HAD THEIR FINAL CHANCE OF THE GAME AS THEY HAD A GO FROM ABOUT 20 YARDS OUT BUT LEE HOLLIS MADE THE SAVE. AIRDRIE BROUGHT UNDER 17S PLAYER FRASER KEAST BACK ON FOR MATTHEW HAZLEY ON THE 84TH MINUTE AS THEY TRIED TO SEARCH FOR A WINNER BUT THERE WAS TO BE NO MORE CHANCES AND THE GAME FINISHED 1-1.