Challenge Match
PPG Canalside, Huddersfield
Tuesday, January 28, 2020

HUDDERSFIELD TOWN… 1
(Phillips 63pen)

CELTIC RESERVES… 3
(Karamoko 8, McGrath 24, Harper 76

CELTIC reserves recorded another impressive win over English opposition with a 3-1 victory against Huddersfield Town today (Tuesday). It follows their recent 1-0 success over Chelsea.

It was a thoroughly-deserved win for Tommy McIntyre’s side who dominated for much of the match, and they led from as early as the eighth minute when Karamoko Dembele slammed the ball home from 15 yards after Liam Burt’s cross was only half-cleared.

Both sides were doing well to cope with the wind and rain, and Barry Coffey came close to doubling Celtic’s lead on 15 minutes with a curling effort that was blocked.

On 24 minutes, the Hoops doubled their lead and Kieran McGrath, who scored twice last week in a 4-1 City of Glasgow Cup victory over Clyde, was on target again.
The Celtic forward anticipated a misplaced pass and found the bottom corner of the Huddersfield net.

Coffey thought he’d made it 3-0 just before the half-hour mark but his effort was ruled out for offside, and then Ewan Henderson, back at Celtic following his loan spell with Ross County, saw his 30-yard strike well saved by the Huddersfield goalkeeper.

Burt fired in a shot on 37 minutes which went narrowly wide while, at the other end, Brody Paterson cleared the danger when the home side made a rare foray into the Celtic box.

Two minutes into the second-half, and this time it was the woodwork which denied Coffey, the Irish midfielder’s volley pushed on to the post by the Huddersfield keeper.

But just after the hour mark, the English side were given a lift when Kieran Phillips converted from the spot after he had been fouled inside the area.

The goal galvanised Huddersfield, and Celtic goalkeeper, Ryan Mullen, had to be alert to deal with some dangerous deliveries into the box.

However, with 14 minutes of the match remaining, Celtic restored their two-lead. After a fantastic solo run by Henderson, Cameron Harper, on as a substitute for McGrath, spun and smashed home the ball to make it 3-1.

Mullen produced a great save in 81 minutes, while Henderson was denied a goal in the last minute when the home keeper produced another superb save. But it was another impressive performance and result from Tommy McIntyre’s reserve side.

CELTIC: Mullen, Church, Paterson, Hjelde, Deas, Connell, Karamoko (Savoury 78), Coffey, McGrath (Harper 64), Henderson, Burt (Oko-Flex 73).
Subs: Hughes, Wylie, Murray

Karamoko sets Celtic on their way to victory over Huddersfield