|
Match Report - Football 365
Henrik Larsson missed a penalty but scored a hat-trick, as Celtic beat Dunfermline 5-0. John Hartson and Didier Agathe also scored, as Celtic moved 16 points clear of Rangers with just 10 games remaining. After three minutes, referee John Rowbotham adjudged Youssef Rossi to have pushed Hartson and pointed to the spot. Larsson stepped up, but Scott Thomson dived superbly to his right to turn his effort away. The Dunfermline keeper again did well just a minute later when the ball broke to the Swede in the penalty box, but Thomson dived bravely at the feet of Larsson to deny him. But Celtic poured on the pressure and Larsson made amends with an opportunistic opener in the 13th minute. Bobo Balde rose at the far post to divert Alan Thompson's corner back across the face of goal and the Swede dived to head home from close range. Hartson went agonisingly close to increasing Celtic's lead in the 19th minute when Agathe whipped in a dangerous cross and the Welshman blazed a header just past the post. Under-pressure Thomson again denied Celtic on the half hour as Larsson found Hartson, but the agile keeper got down well to his right to divert the ball wide. The visitors retaliated moments later with a good move as Mike Panopoulos' cross from the right was caught on the volley by Crawford, but Douglas got down well to save by his post. Dunfermline, however, were unable to hold out for much longer as Celtic doubled their advantage through Larsson, although Hartson deserved credit for his part in the goal. Moravcik found the Welshman and his chip to the back post was bundled over the line by the Swede for his 22nd goal of the season. The heads of the Dunfermline players dropped and Hartson deservedly got his reward with a goal of his own a minute later. Thompson's free-kick broke off the wall and sat up nicely for him to stroke the ball past Thomson and into the corner. Hartson again was the provider for Larsson's third goal as he slid the ball to his team-mate, but it still needed an exquisite finish as he drew Thomson before chipping the ball over him and into the empty net. Hartson tried an audacious chip from inside the box in the 75th minute which bounced just wide before the home side completed the rout through Agathe three minutes later. Hartson played the ball through to Thompson and his cut-back was fired emphatically into the roof of the net by the winger. Man of the match: 3 goal Henrik Larsson CELTIC (3-5-2): Douglas; Mjallby (Crainey 74), Sutton, Balde; Thompson, Lambert, Moravcik (Maloney 74), Lennon (Smith 60), Agathe; Hartson, Sutton. DUNFERMLINE (5-3-2): Scott Y Thomson; McPherson, Rossi (Bullen 46), Scott M Thomson, Skerla, Dair; Panopoulos, Nicholson, Mason; Crawford, N’Diaye (Nish 60). |