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Langley Rangers 0 Langley Celtic 6

George Dodds
25/ 9/2008

CELTIC got their title defence off to a flying start with a dominant performance at sun-drenched Bowlee.

They were clinical in front of goal in the first-half, forcing and pouncing on numerous mistakes.

The game was wrapped up by half-time, with Celtic four goals to the good. With Dave Neville playing a pivotal role in their first outing of the season they showed they are once again the team to beat in the race for the title.

It could have been a different story if Rangers’ James Kay had not screwed a shot horribly wide in the second minute after being released by a long ball from Billy McCartney.

Within seconds Celtic had won a freekick at the other end of the field. Rangers only partially cleared the danger and Lee Neville drove the ball home from the edge of the penalty area for the opening goal.

Kay was equally wasteful with another good chance, while Celtic keeper Reece Fleming saved well at the feet of Anthony Whitehouse as Rangers enjoyed their early share of possession.

But Rangers were given a ruthless lesson in how to take their chances when a poor clearance from goalkeeper Mark Murray was pounced on by Kev Beattie for Celtic’s second goal.

That goal seemed to knock a lot of the stuffing out of Rangers, and Dave Neville made them suffer even more when he turned another defensive mistake into a goal after 29 minutes.

He also had a huge penalty appeal turned down as he hit the deck under the challenge of Rangers’ overworked fullback Lee Tomlinson.

At the other end Fleming was having a fairly quiet morning, at least until an amazing 30 seconds with half-time approaching. He saved at the feet of Chris Roach, recovered to block Kay’s follow-up, then made it a triple save as Roach sent another shot goalwards.

Again Celtic showed how to make the chances count when Matthew Landrigan completed the first-half scoring with another well struck goal.

McCartney limped off early in the second-half forcing Rangers to reshuffle at the back, and it was largely damage limitation by Rangers as Celtic started to play some very good football.

Matthew Hall, Craig Matthews and substitute Aaron Hughes were all heavily involved in Celtic’s attacking play, but they lost a little of their cutting edge as they went for the spectacular rather than the clinical with the game well won.

Hall did add a fifth 10 minutes into the second half when the Rangers’ wall proved totally ineffective against his freekick.

Dave Neville was inches away from adding to the score with an acrobatic overhead volley, and when the final goal of the game came it was stunning in its simplicity.

A long freekick was knocked down at the back post by the unmarked Kenny Tudor, and Ste Morris’s volley into the ground looped up and over the head of Murray.

Substitute Reece Jones and Roach had a couple of half chances for the home side, but Celtic generally coped very comfortably with all that was thrown at them.

Rangers have now lost all three of their games so far this season, including a Manchester FA Sunday Cup tie, and will need to show more ruthlessness in front of goal if they are to turn it around.

Celtic, as always in recent years, will be the team to beat in all competitions.

RANGERS: Mark Murray, Dean Amos, Lee Tomlinson, David Jackson, Bill McCartney, Chris Roach jnr, Jon Zenzuk, Paul Cannon, Anthony Whitehouse, Nick Strowger, James Kay, subs Chris Roach, Reece Jones, Mark Finn, Danny Roach.

CELTIC: Reece Fleming, Stephen Galvin, Ste Morris, Kenny Tudor, Carl Galvin, Matthew Hall, Matthew Landrigan, Craig Matthews, Kev Beattie, Dave Neville, Lee Neville, subs Aaron Hughes, Jake Cottrell.

REFEREE: Peter Cuncarr.