Scottish Premiership
Saturday, September 14, 2019
New Douglas Park

CELTIC…1
(Forrest 4)

HAMILTON…0

CELTIC continued their 100 percent winning start in the league with a 1-0 win away to Hamilton. Neil Lennon’s side dominated possession but a well-organised Accies defence limited Celtic’s chances in front of goal.

James Forrest scored his seventh goal of the season when he knocked in the only goal of the game early in the first half.

Celtic started with a good tempo that Hamilton struggled to deal with and it wasn’t long before they found themselves pinned inside their own box.

Elyounoussi almost scored with his first touch when a headed clearance fell kindly to the Norwegian just inside the box. He struck it well on the volley but his effort was blocked.

A minute later the Celtic winger crafted the opening goal after getting beyond his marker on the left flank and drilling a low cross into the six-yard box for Forrest to tap in.

Celtic were firmly in control after the goal and worked to maintain the pressure on the home side in the final third but Brian Rice’s side worked diligently to close any space which Celtic could use to punish them.

Midway through the first-half Hamilton found their footing and managed to hold on to possession for short spells but they were quickly brushed aside whenever they tried to break into Celtic’s half and Fraser Forster remained untested.

It was the wide areas that Celtic utilised to create the majority of chances in the first half but there were few. Forrest nearly picked out Odsonne Edouard with a cross from the right but it was just out of reach for the Frenchman who came into the game having scored four in his first two appearances for the French Under-21 side.

Celtic started the second half in a similar fashion to the first with quick tempo to their play and an urgency in attack.

Elyounoussi fired off a shot from the edge of the penalty area only to see it blocked. Hamilton were unable to clear and Forrest managed to squeeze off an attempt inside a packed penalty area. The winger’s rocket of a left-footed shot flew past the keeper but came off the underside of the crossbar.

Hamilton’s stubborn defence continued to frustrate Celtic for much of the second period and the Hoops’ dominance in possession did not yield many opportunities in front of goal.

The flanks continued to be the main source of attack for Celtic and Neil Lennon switched James Forrest to the left wing in the hope of creating more. The moved yield a good chance when Forrest darted past Shaun Want and played a low pass into the box for Edouard but it was intercepted.

As the game drew on Hamilton looked to snatch a goal on the counter-attack and they had a couple of opportunities to do so. Blair Alston got on the end of a long ball from deep inside Hamilton’s half and shot from around 20-yards but the midfielder’s effort flew over the crossbar.

The only other real chance came from substitute Marios Ogkmpoe whose shot across the face of goal was wide of the far post.

Ryan Christie tried to double Celtic’s lead with a curling left-footed shot form the edge of the area but the Celtic midfielder couldn’t keep his effort down.

Celtic pilled the pressure on Hamilton in the closing stages of the game with Vakoun Bayo managing to get on the end of a cross with a header that was comfortably saved by the keeper.

CELTIC: Forster; Bolingoli, Jullien, Ajer, Elhamed; Brown, McGregor, Elyounoussi (Rogic 67), Forrest, Christie; Edouard (Bayo 77)
Subs: Gordon, Bauer, Hayes, Ntcham, Griffiths,

HAMILTON: Williams; McMann, Fjortoft (Beck 69), Collar, Oakley (Ogkmpoe 53), Alston, Gogic, Want (McKenna 77), Easton, Stubbs, Smith
Subs: Southwood, Cunningham, MacKinnon, Mayo

Celtic return to action with win against Hamilton