Glasgow Cup

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Celtic FC Training Centre, Lennoxtown

CELTIC 2

(Summers 37, Letsosa 89)

QUEEN’S PARK 0

Celtic FC B continued their strong start to the 2022/23 Glasgow Cup campaign picking up their second victory in a 2-0 win over Queen’s Park.

A first-half goal from Ben Summers gave the Hoops a deserved lead, before Tsoanelo Letsosa secured the victory in the final moments of the game.

The young Hoops made a fast start to proceedings, keeping the ball very well and putting the Spiders under early pressure.

Summers was the first player to try and test the away side’s goal. But the visitors did well to get bodies in front of his powerful strike.

After returning to the side this afternoon, Adam Brooks look in the mood as he aimed to cause trouble to the visitors’ backline down the right-hand side.

Despite the early pressure in possession, the game settled into a more end-to-end rhythm as the half-hour mark approach.

Both sides started to enjoy strong spells on the ball, as they attempted to build each attack from defence.

With half-time approaching, the game seemed to spring into life as the two teams came within inches of opening the scoring.

Queen’s Park were first to strike the post, as a deflected effort lopped on to the inside of the post, before falling into the hands of the grateful Josh Clarke.

Just moments later, Celtic retaliated by striking the Queen’s Park woodwork, as Mackenzie Carse attempted to tuck the ball into the far corner of the net.

That was a warning sign the visitors should have been wary of, and around seven minutes from the break, as Summers opened the scoring for the Celts.

Some brilliant footwork from on the edge of the penalty area gave the midfielder enough room to strike a low effort into the bottom corner.

The young Hoops weren’t looking to just settle into the break, and came desperately close to adding a second.

A dangerous ball in from the right by Brooks was headed on to the post by a defender, who was fortunate not to turn the ball home past his own goalkeeper.

The second 45 minutes of action maintained the same impressive match speed, as the two teams battled it out for the three points.

Celtic made a rapid start to the half, going close to adding a second goal on two occasions through Tsoanelo Letsosa and Joey Dawson.

But, once again, Queen’s Park roared back into the proceedings, and their best chance of the game came just past the hour mark.

Scott Williamson raced through on the left, rounding Clarke, before laying the ball off to his team-mate, who attempted to finish the move off.

But Bosun Lawal showed great determination to clear the ball off the line and to safety.

After moving further up field, taking the place of Dawson as the leading striker, Letsosa had a number of opportunities to finish off the game.

Despite missing several chances, the midfielder’s hard work was rewarded with a goal in the closing moments of the game.

His half-volleyed strike was one of the final actions of the fixture, as Celtic made it two wins in a row to kick-off their Glasgow Cup campaign.

CELTIC: Clarke, McPherson, Anderson (MacKenzie 87), Lawal, Robertson (Kelly 80’), Brooks (Quinn 61), Carse, Dawson (Murphy 61), Summers, Letsosa.

Subs: Morrison, Murphy, Thomson.

Young Celts deliver another Glasgow Cup win as Queen’s Park visit