MATCH REPORT | CELTIC U18S LEAVE TAYSIDE WITH THREE POINTS

DUNDEE UNITED 1-7 CELTIC
CAS UNDER-18S ELITE LEAGUE
7PM TUESDAY 8TH NOVEMBER 2022
GUSSIE PARK

The Young Terrors’ CAS Under-18s Elite League campaign continued as they hosted the other half of the Old Firm at Gussie Park less than two weeks after clashing with Rangers.

Comeback Kids

The hosts were buoyed by the return of two integral parts of their squad, with Rory MacLeod and Lewis O’Donnell back in the fold after their respective injuries.
 
MacLeod and O’Donnell both featured in a midfield three alongside 15-year-old Scott Constable, whilst 2008-born Ollie Simpson reclaimed his left-back spot from Nairn Lowe.
 
Celtic enjoyed more of the ball than their opponents in the opening exchanges as expected, but United managed to limit their sightings of goal with steely aggression in the defensive third.
 
Keir Bertie managed to divert Aidan Cannon’s menacing, low delivery away from awaiting Lewis Dobbie in the middle on 12 minutes before the United man threw himself in front of Colby Donovan’s net-bound effort from 15 yards soon after.
 
Just two minutes later, a wonderful daisy-cutter from MacLeod neutralised the Celtic defence and set Adam Carnwath free down the left. The winger found Stuart Heenan unmarked on the penalty spot but his snapshot was easily held by Aidan Rice.

Pressing From The Front
 
However, as the visitors looked to build from the back from that very Heenan opportunity, United pressed from the front intensely to great effect. MacLeod sprinted at stopper Rice who sent a wayward clearance straight to the feet of Bryan Mwangi who made no mistake and buried into the unguarded net.

 
Celtic’s response came from a set-piece as Evan Easton met a looping delivery inside the six-yard box but somehow failed to find the target.

Hoops Response
 
The next corner for the Glasgow side brought their equaliser though. Simpson’s half-clearance dropped to Aiden Haddow inside the D and he attempted an audacious trivela finish which Lewis Haldane was equal to, but Dobbie was alert to tuck the rebound home from close range.
 
Celtic’s style of play mirrored their first-team counterparts almost identically – the wing-backs staying on either touchline always looking for the switch, supported by underlapping runs from central midfielders who then fired dangerous balls across the area.
 
This exact pattern of play saw Francis Turley pick out Donovan at the back-post and his well-struck volley crashed into Simpson just before it nestled into the bottom corner.
 
Dobbie looked to turn provider when he teed up Easton on the burst from midfield who pulled the trigger first-time but a smart stop from Haldane prevented the away side taking the lead.

Slipping Behind

 
An unfortunate slip from youngster Scott Constable after United were working the ball nicely around the press was the source of Celtic’s second of the evening, Donovan pouncing on the loose ball outside the area and stroking underneath the keeper into the far left corner.
 
The Young Terrors’ second-half mountain grew taller with four minutes to go until the break, another unforced error, this time a throw-in which lacked the requisite power to reach Craig Moore, allowing Dobbie to race away down the right before squaring for Donovan to bury into the top corner. Then, a cruel deflection on Easton’s long-range strike bamboozled Haldane as United headed into the second period with a three-goal deficit to overturn.

Flashes Of Positivity
 
The hosts' first foray forward after the break took less than 60 seconds, Scotland U17 captain MacLeod wriggling through no fewer than three challenges before testing Rice with a low drive from the left of the box.

However, a ruthless Celtic made sure of the points through Aidan Borland after 51 minutes. Thomas Hatton showed Simpson a clean pair of heels after collecting an inch-perfect switch from Tyrece McDonnell, then found Borland in the area whose scuffed shot sneaked home as three substitutes combined to put the game beyond the Young Terrors.
 
Carnwath teed up Heenan once more but the latter found himself crowded out in the visitors’ area, then Turley’s 35-yard strike missed the top corner by millimetres at the other end.

Hat-Trick Hero
 
The East-End outfit added a sixth through Borland, brother of United full-back Sean, as he finished high into the near-post after being fed by Dobbie from deep, before the 15-year-old wrapped up his hat-trick in style when he picked out the corner from inside the D after following interplay with his number nine Dobbie again.

 
There looked to be a consolation for United when Carnwath was clumsily felled by Caleb Goldie in the box and the referee awarded a penalty, but MacLeod failed to convert as Rice guessed the right way, easily claiming his side-footed spot-kick.
 
An evening to forget for the Young Terrors who, after an encouraging start, found themselves overran in midfield and unable to cope with Celtic’s intensity.
 
Teamlines
 
United: Haldane, Borland, Simpson, Moore, Bertie, Mwangi, O’Donnell, Carnwath, MacLeod, Heenan (Lowe, May, Stirton, Emslie, McGuire)
 
Celtic: Rice, Goldie, Cannon, Agbaire, Davidson, Easton, Donovan, Haddow, Dobbie, Turley, Bonnar (Borland, Meikle, Hatton, Ure, McDonnell, Frame, Cummings)