BBC Sport - Football - Celtic 1-1 Falkirk (original) (raw)

Carl Finnigan

Carl Finnigan opened the scoring for Falkirk at Celtic Park

Falkirk took an early lead and held on to earn a well-deserved point against Celtic in the Scottish Premier League.

Carl Finnigan gave the visitors an early lead after shaking off a strong challenge from Darren O'Dea to shoot past Boruc on 19 minutes.

Celtic replied five minutes before the interval when Georgios Samaras thundered in a low drive.

The home side piled on the pressure in the second-half but failed to find a much-needed winner.

South Korea midfielder Ki Sung Yueng made his Celtic debut along side Zheng Zhi, with Danny Fox injured and Glenn Loovens ruled out with a stomach bug, while Stephen McManus, Darren O'Dea and Lee Naylor made up the back line.

Falkirk boss Eddie May handed debuts to Enoch Showunmi and former Celtic midfielder Colin Healy following his loan move from Ipswich.

With just four minutes played, some early pressure from Falkirk almost resulted in an opener from a corner when Pele headed for goal, but Andreas Hinkel saved the home side's blushes.

China captain Zhi replied immediately for Celtic from a McGeady cross after Samaras had nodded down, but the big midfielder's shot sailed over the bar.

McGeady powered forward into the Falkirk penalty area and fired in a cannonball effort that edged past Robert Olejnik's right-hand post.

Moments later, Marc-Antoine Fortune sent in a driving header that skimmed past from a Ki free-kick.

Falkirk opened the scoring against the run of play in the 19th minute from the boot of Finnigan after the Englishman fought off a challenge from O'Dea to fire past Artur Boruc.

Ryan Flynn almost made it two for Falkirk eight minutes later with a curling effort from just inside the Celtic box that Boruc managed to parry wide.

Celtic had plenty of first-half opportunities to level the scores, but failed to hit the target, with Marc Crosas firing wide as the half-hour mark approached.

Five minutes from the interval, the scores were level when Samaras latched on to a searching Crosas pass and steamed down the left-hand side of the Falkirk penalty to blast in an angled drive past Olejnik.

On the stroke of half-time, Lee Naylor swung in a curling free-kick that inched over the bar.

After the restart, Healy worked a neat one-two and fired for goal from the edge of the D but his effort sailed wide and Borc.

Zhi out-jumped the Falkirk defence to nod down a Hinkel cross from the right, but failed to trouble Olejnik.

Falkirk's Portuguese midfielder Vitor Lima struck a vicious right-footed shot from 25 yards out that went marginally off target as the Bairns maintained composure and kept their hosts under pressure.

Celtic had an anxious moment when a goalmouth scramble led to a Showunmi shot that sailed over the bar, but the referee had already blown for offside.

Olejnik was at full stretch to keep out a superb Ki free-kick from 25-yards out as Celtic piled on the pressure in search of a winner.

Celtic continued to pile on the pressure as the minutes ticked away, with Paddy McCourt coming off the bench to provide some support for McGeady.

Fortune worked the ball into the Falkirk penalty area with five minutes left to play, but the visitors thwarted the Frenchman's final ball.

Falkirk earned an unlikely free-kick on the edge of the Celtic penalty area when Boruc was judged to have stepped over the line taking a kick-out.

However, Jack Compton sent the set-piece over the bar, and Celtic went on the counter-attack where Fortune appeared to be denied a penalty kick following a challenge from Brian McLean.

Olejnik scrambled to reach a low Fortune drive in the dying minutes, but the ball bobbled harmlessly past his right-hand post.

McCourt almost snatched the win with a curling shot from the edge of the box that Olejnik unnecessarily tipped wide for a corner, but Celtic failed to capitalise on the advantage.

Celtic manager Tony Mowbray:

"There was a few changes to the team, some enforced and some by choice, but the balance of the team wasn't particularly great.

"Ultimately, we're left a bit frustrated, but I can't question the desire to go and get the victory. The way the team drove on to get the victory against a Falkirk side who are hard to break down.

"Great credit to Falkirk for the way they defended, but obviously we're disappointed not to have taken all three points.

"I'm not here to make excuses, we get judged by the results.

"If the team wasn't performing, I would be more concerned, but we move the ball about and get it into fantastic areas, but we need to work on improving that final ball in the box."

Falkirk manager Eddie May:

"I'm delighted to come to Celtic Park and take the lead and to play in the manner that we did.

"Make no mistake, Celtic are a very good team, especially at home and we made some chances and got a few breaks.

"It's almost a whole new team since the start of the season - there's not too many players left who were here at the start of the season, but the ones who are do a fantastic job and we're slowly trying to adjust the club in a different direction.

"I think we look a half-decent team and physically, we'll stand up to people. We can pass the ball and I think we have good quality.

"When you come here, Celtic are keen to win the league or come in second, so it's a fantastic point for us."

Live text and stats

Saturday, 16 January 2010

Scottish Premier

Home Team Score Away Team Time
Celtic 1-1 Falkirk FT
(HT 1-1)
Samaras 40 Finnigan 19

CELTIC

FALKIRK

Possession

Attempts on target

Attempts off target

Corners

Fouls

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