sport
  • Scottish Premier League
  • 4 August 2012, 12:45pm
  • Celtic Park
CelticCelticvAberdeenAberdeen
1
  • Commons, 79
0

live commentary

Match ends, Celtic 1, Aberdeen 0.

90+3 mins:Second Half ends, Celtic 1, Aberdeen 0.

90+2 mins:Russell Anderson (Aberdeen) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

90+2 mins:Foul by Russell Anderson (Aberdeen).

90+2 mins:Gary Hooper (Celtic) wins a free kick.

89 mins:Substitution, Aberdeen. Josh Magennis replaces Niall McGinn.

84 mins:Corner, Celtic.

79 mins:Substitution, Aberdeen. Ryan Fraser replaces Jonathan Hayes.

79 mins:Goal! Celtic 1, Aberdeen 0. Kris Commons (Celtic) right footed shot from long range on the right to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Adam Matthews.

78 mins:Corner, Celtic.

77 mins:Substitution, Celtic. Daryl Murphy replaces Anthony Stokes.

75 mins:Corner, Aberdeen.

72 mins:Substitution, Aberdeen. Chris Clark replaces Gary Naysmith.

70 mins:Substitution, Celtic. Patrick McCourt replaces Biram Kayal.

69 mins:Offside, Celtic. Joe Ledley tries a through ball, but Joe Ledley is caught offside.

68 mins:Foul by Isaac Osbourne (Aberdeen).

68 mins:Victor Wanyama (Celtic) wins a free kick.

68 mins:Foul by Niall McGinn (Aberdeen).

68 mins:Kelvin Wilson (Celtic) wins a free kick.

66 mins:Attempt missed. Anthony Stokes (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box is too high.

65 mins:Attempt blocked. Isaac Osbourne (Aberdeen) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked.

63 mins:Attempt saved. Kris Commons (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box is saved.

61 mins:Offside, Aberdeen. Scott Vernon tries a through ball, but Scott Vernon is caught offside.

60 mins:Corner, Celtic.

59 mins:Attempt missed. Victor Wanyama (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.

57 mins:Foul by Stephen Hughes (Aberdeen).

57 mins:Kris Commons (Celtic) wins a free kick.

56 mins:Foul by Emilio Izaguirre (Celtic).

56 mins:Jonathan Hayes (Aberdeen) wins a free kick.

55 mins:Substitution, Celtic. Kelvin Wilson replaces Georgios Samaras.

54 mins:Attempt missed. Ryan Jack (Aberdeen) right footed shot from outside the box is too high.

52 mins:Corner, Aberdeen.

51 mins:Attempt missed. Scott Vernon (Aberdeen) right footed shot from the right side of the box is too high.

50 mins:Corner, Aberdeen.

50 mins:Foul by Emilio Izaguirre (Celtic).

50 mins:Jonathan Hayes (Aberdeen) wins a free kick.

48 mins:Foul by Gavin Rae (Aberdeen).

48 mins:Biram Kayal (Celtic) wins a free kick.

47 mins:Offside, Aberdeen. Niall McGinn tries a through ball, but Niall McGinn is caught offside.

Second Half begins Celtic 0, Aberdeen 0.

45+3 mins:First Half ends, Celtic 0, Aberdeen 0.

45+1 mins:Hand ball by Ryan Jack (Aberdeen).

45 mins:Attempt missed. Niall McGinn (Aberdeen) right footed shot from outside the box is too high from a direct free kick.

44 mins:Foul by Thomas Rogne (Celtic).

44 mins:Scott Vernon (Aberdeen) wins a free kick.

44 mins:Offside, Celtic. Anthony Stokes tries a through ball, but Anthony Stokes is caught offside.

44 mins:Attempt blocked. Kris Commons (Celtic) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked.

39 mins:Corner, Aberdeen.

36 mins:Attempt missed. Gary Hooper (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box is too high.

35 mins:Corner, Celtic.

34 mins:Corner, Celtic.

33 mins:Foul by Georgios Samaras (Celtic).

33 mins:Isaac Osbourne (Aberdeen) wins a free kick.

31 mins:Foul by Joe Ledley (Celtic).

31 mins:Stephen Hughes (Aberdeen) wins a free kick.

24 mins:Attempt missed. Georgios Samaras (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right.

22 mins:Attempt saved. Kris Commons (Celtic) left footed shot from outside the box is saved.

18 mins:Foul by Gavin Rae (Aberdeen).

18 mins:Georgios Samaras (Celtic) wins a free kick.

17 mins:Attempt blocked. Jonathan Hayes (Aberdeen) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.

10 mins:Foul by Ryan Jack (Aberdeen).

10 mins:Georgios Samaras (Celtic) wins a free kick.

10 mins:Attempt saved. Joe Ledley (Celtic) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved.

5 mins:Corner, Celtic.

3 mins:Foul by Scott Vernon (Aberdeen).

3 mins:Kris Commons (Celtic) wins a free kick.

2 mins:Foul by Stephen Hughes (Aberdeen).

2 mins:Victor Wanyama (Celtic) wins a free kick.

First Half begins.

Lineups are announced and players are warming up.

  • Scottish Premier League
  • 4 August 2012, 12:45pm
  • Celtic Park
CelticCelticvAberdeenAberdeen
1
  • Commons, 79
0

match report

Scottish Premier League champions Celtic got their title defence off to a winning start with a stuttering 1-0 defeat of Aberdeen at Parkhead.

A howler from Dons keeper Jamie Langfield 11 minutes from time, in allowing Kris Commons' tame effort to squirm through his grasp, proved the difference between the sides.

The Pittodrie side looked comfortable enough as the champions struggled until Langfield made an horrendous mess of Commons' shot from distance at his near post after the Hoops midfielder had played a short corner with Joe Ledley.

Langfield, nicknamed Clangers, will not want to see his aberration again but Celtic will certainly have to do better in Finland on Wednesday night if they are to build on their 2-1 first-leg lead against HJK Helsinki in their Champions League third qualifying round tie.

It was a lacklustre display by Celtic, although goalkeeper Fraser Forster had little to do.

Celtic legend Sean Fallon, the 90-year-old former player and assistant manager, unfurled the championship flag before kick-off along with Hoops chairman Ian Bankier, but after that it all went flat.

Celtic skipper Scott Brown and James Forrest failed fitness tests and with defender Charlie Mulgrew suspended after being sent off in a pre-season game against Ajax, manager Neil Lennon was forced to reshuffle his pack.

In came stopper Thomas Rogne, midfielder Beram Kayal and striker Anthony Stokes.

Dons boss Craig Brown gave competitive debuts to former Celtic wide man Niall McGinn, Jonny Hayes and Gary Naysmith, the latter being lucky to escape an early booking for a lunge at Kayal.

In the 10th minute Celtic's stand-in skipper Georgios Samaras was caught with a flying boot from Aberdeen defender Ryan Jack but resumed after treatment to his bloodied face and with a new shirt.

The experienced visitors looked composed and confident for the most part, and capable of striking on the break.

However in the 21st minute Langfield was forced into a decent save from Commons' 25-yard drive, after the Scotland midfielder had combined with Kayal.

Moments later, Samaras curled a shot from the left-hand side of the box which went just wide of the far post.

There was little more of note until 10 minutes from the break when Commons set up Gary Hooper but the former Scunthorpe striker ballooned his effort from the edge of the box over the crossbar.

Celtic defender Victor Wanyama had to move sharply at the other end to stop an Aberdeen counter-attack which involved McGinn and ended with the Northern Irishman racing desperately to get on to a Jack pass inside the box.

Aberdeen had a half-chance soon after the restart when Hayes' corner from the right was punched only as far as Dons striker Scott Vernon, but from 12 yards he drove the ball high and wide.

Samaras, perhaps struggling from his early knock, was replaced by Kelvin Wilson in the 55th minute with Wanyama moving into midfield, but Celtic could not shrug off their sluggishness.

Commons again took it upon himself to inject some excitement into the match in the 63rd minute, firing in a low 25-yard drive which Langfield saved down at his left-hand post.

The home fans became increasingly exasperated as the out-of-sorts champions huffed and puffed with decreasing success.

Fans' favourite Paddy McCourt replaced Kayal with 20 minutes remaining, with the Dons bringing on Chris Clark for Naysmith minutes later.

Lennon's last throw of the dice came when he threw on striker Daryl Murphy for Stokes, and two minutes later the Hoops were in front when Langfield allowed Commons' speculative shot to squirm through his hands at the near post.

The relief among the home fans was palpable and they, like the Celtic players, were happy to see the game out before they start preparing for their Champions League encounter in Finland.

It will be a worrying tie for Celtic but it will be Langfield who will have trouble sleeping tonight.

team line-up

1Fraser Forster
3Emilio Izaguirre
2Adam Matthews
25Thomas Rogne
67Victor Wanyama
15Kris Commons
16Joe Ledley
33Biram Kayal70
88Gary Hooper
10Anthony Stokes77
9Georgios Samaras55

substitutes

56Filip Twardzik
27Daryl Murphy77
23Mikael Lustig
24Lukasz Zaluska
6Kelvin Wilson55
46Dylan McGeouch
20Patrick McCourt70

referee

Calum Murray

team line-up

1Jamie Langfield
6Andrew Considine
4Russell Anderson
17Gary Naysmith72
10Niall McGinn89
5Gavin Rae
18Stephen Hughes
2Ryan Jack
11Jonathan Hayes79
16Isaac Osbourne
9Scott Vernon

substitutes

8Robert Milsom
32Jason Brown
7Chris Clark72
14Rory Fallon
15Peter Pawlett
21Josh Magennis89
20Ryan Fraser79

referee

Calum Murray

match stats

possession %5445
shots on target40
shots off target43
corners64
tackles won00
offsides22