youths back to winning ways
Mark Henderson
CELTIC Under-19s fought back from a goal down to beat Falkirk 3-1 at Barrowfield on Tuesday afternoon and extend their lead at the top of the league.
After Lewis Bonar put the visitors in front on 14 minutes, a brace from Greig Spence gave the young Hoops 1 2-1 lead before substitute Patrik Twardzik secured the three points with a header in the second half.
There were two changes from the team which played Rangers, with Michael Ordish and Greig Spence coming into the starting XI.
Celtic’s weekend exertions in the Glasgow derby seemed to have taken their toll in the opening quarter and Falkirk took advantage in the 14th minute.
Ally Graham’s delivery from the right fell kindly for former Celtic youngster, Lewis Bonar and he had the simplest of tasks in slotting the ball past Daniele Giordano from six yards.
That sparked Stevie Frail and Tommy McIntyre’s side into action. Filip Twardzik released Richie Towell on the right from a quickly taken free-kick and his ball across goal picked out Ordish at the far post, but the winger could only find the side-netting.
On 21 minutes they were level. A series of passes through the midfield saw Spence latch onto a through ball and his shot crept into the corner despite the best efforts of Bairns stopper Kevin Walker.
Sean Fitzharris then drifted inside and fired over, before Matty Hughes nodded a header inches wide of the near post as the home side went in search of a second.
It arrived five minutes before the break. Falkirk’s Jonathan Cooper slipped and Towell was onto it in a flash. He drove forward from midfield and picked out Spence’s run in the area, and the forward showed good composure, finishing expertly into the far corner.
Just before half-time, James Keatings stung Walker’s hands with a powerful drive, and Hughes made an important block from the visitors’ Blair Young.
After the restart, Celtic continued to press forward. Spence was unable to get any real purchase on a Jordan Lowdon cross, while Filip Twardzik saw his free-kick go straight into the wall.
Patrik Twardzik was introduced for Ordish and he quickly came close to adding to the lead in a move made in the Czech Republic. Filip Twardzik cleverly picked out his brother at the back-post. He struck the ball on target but Walker pulled off a good stop in the Falkirk goal.
He had to busy again four minutes later, blocking Declan Gallagher’s volley wide for a corner.
The home side looked comfortable now and had another opportunity to extend the lead. Following a corner, Patrik Twardzik lobbed the ball back into the danger area, but Spence put the first-time effort wide of the far post.
The third goal finally came in the 69th minute. Sean Fitzharris swung in a deep corner, Filip Twardzik won a header at the back post and Patrik Twardzik got the slightest of touches to ensure it found the net.
Falkirk had not been much of a threat in the second period, but were handed a lifeline with just under a quarter or the match remaining. Declan Gallagher was penalised for a foul in the box, but Giordano dived low to his left to produce a great save from Scott Davidson’s penalty.
Keatings was agonisgly close to putting more gloss on the scoreline when he chested down a Lowdon cross, but his effort cracked off the far post.
As the clock ticked down Giordano had one final save to make, showing good athleticism to tip over Bonar’s dipping volley. But it was the young Hoops who deservedly took all three points to stay clear at the top of the table.
SPL Under-19 League
Barrowfield
March 9, 2010
CELTIC…3
(Spence 21, 40 P. Twardzik 69)
FALKIRK…1
(Bonar 15)
CELTIC (4-3-3) Giordano; Towell, Hughes, D. Gallagher, Lowdon; G. Gallagher, F. Twardzik, Keatings; Fitzharris, Spence (Jones 70), Ordish (Twardzik 56)
Not used: Marsden, McGregor, Hutchison, Feruz
Booked: D. Gallagher 90
FALKIRK (4-4-2) Walker; Alston, Duffie, Grant, Bloom; Bonar, Cooper, Fulton, Graham (J. Fulton 45); Davdison, Young (Kelly 71)
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