MATCH REPORT | YOUNG TERRORS GO DOWN FIGHTING AT LENNOXTOWN

CELTIC 4-1 DUNDEE UNITED
CAS UNDER-18S ELITE LEAGUE
7PM FRIDAY 2ND DECEMBER
LENNOXTOWN

After progressing to the last eight of the Scottish FA Youth Cup with a comfortable victory over Highland League outfit Clachnacuddin, the Young Terrors returned to league duty at Lennoxtown, looking to avenge the heavy defeat they suffered in the reverse fixture.

Line-Up

Ollie Simpson returned to his spot at left-back as Ryan Moon made three alterations to the side which overcame Clachnacuddin, whilst Sean Borland and Conor May also returned to the XI. Owen Stirton, who scored on his full debut last week, dropped out of the squad entirely, as did Arron Donald and Rory MacLeod.
 
After six minutes, Jamie McCabe was forced into a strong save after Aidan Borland picked out Lewis Dobbie in the middle with a low ball across the face of goal.
 
The United stopper was called back into action soon after as he raced off his line to sweep a 50/50 with Dobbie to relative safety.
 
Dobbie’s tactic of removing himself from the first phase of play by standing offside in the build-up posed a different style of attacking threat for the United defence to deal with. After the ball was worked into the final third, he would spring into life, either arriving into the box for a cutback or dropping into the space between the visitor’s defence and midfield.
 
The Young Terrors could feel slightly aggrieved with 11 minutes down, with the linesman dubiously flagging Stuart Heenan offside after he swept the ball into the bottom corner from just outside the area.

 
United’s initial 4-2-3-1 quickly became a 6-3-1 as they looked to combat the Celtic midfielder’s piercing runs into the half-spaces. Scott Constable and Sean Borland were tasked with a tireless shift to track the seemingly never-ending darts forward from Aiden Haddow and Borland, brother of the United number eight.

Dobbie Opens Scoring

Frustratingly, an unforced error would be the source of Celtic’s opener. A misplaced pass from Keir Bertie was intercepted by Borland who immediately fed Dobbie making a run on the blindside of Moore, and he made no mistake from 12 yards, drilling across the keeper into the far corner.
 
McCabe continued to impress, this time producing an outstanding double-save to deny both Dobbie and Borland in quick succession after an inch-perfect slide rule ball from Haddow in behind the United backline had unlocked the door.
 
However, Haddow produced an almost identical piece of brilliance merely 60 seconds later to find Jude Bonnar down the left whose drilled cross was steered home by Thomas Hatton at the back stick.

Back In It

United looked down and out with less than 25% of the match played but they remained resilient and hauled themselves off the canvas after 22 minutes. Craig Moore launched a free-kick from his own half down the field, with Heenan leading the chase. The diminutive frontman forced Justin Osagie, almost double his size, into a mistake and pickpocketed the Celtic man just outside the box.

With the keeper staring him down, he nonchalantly squared to Carnwath who side-footed home off the post from 20 yards, despite the best efforts of Lenny Agbaire on the goal line.
 
The hosts retaliated on the half-hour mark through talisman Dobbie after he collected Bonnar’s whipped pass through the lines and entered the 18-yard box, but the danger was smothered sharply by McCabe.
 
Then Benny Jackson-Luyeye missed the target by millimetres on a trademark charge up the pitch from full-back.

McCabe's Heroics Continue

There was still time for a final piece of McCabe magic before the conclusion of the first half, denying Borland from point-blank range with some help from Simpson.
 
Celtic’s waves of attack continued after the interval, and it took them less than seven minutes to reinstate their two-goal lead. Bertie looked to play a risky pass out of defence rather than opt for a clearance up the pitch and was punished by the ruthless Hatton who combined with Dobbie inside the box before tucking the ball home at the second time of asking.

Celtic Put The Game To Bed

Dobbie added a fourth on the hour mark with a stunning, 25-yard free-kick after Borland tripped substitute Tyrece McDonnell on the counter.
 
Moon introduced Josh Holt, 14,  and Owen Emslie, 15, from the bench as the pair continue to cut their teeth at U18s level.
 
United remained resolute with the result now all but decided, staying compact and disciplined to limit their opponents’ chance creation. They also managed a couple of forays into the attacking half on the break through Heenan and Bryan Mwangi.

 
Dobbie had an opportunity to wrap up his hat trick after a few half-hearted challenges allowed him to dance his way into the box but he lost composure at the crucial moment and blasted wastefully over the bar.
 
The last action of note came in stoppage time when Hatton ran across the box and rattled the underside of the bar with McCabe rooted to the spot.

Celtic's physicality and relentless attacking fluidity the difference at Lennoxtown as a youthful and inexperienced Young Terrors side did all they could to compete. 

Teamlines

Celtic: Rice, Jackson-Luyeye, Frame, Agbaire, Osagie, Easton, Hatton, Borland, Dobbie, Haddow, Bonnar (Goldie, Meikle, Cannon, Davidson, McDonnell, Rachwal, Donovan)

United: McCabe, Trotter, Simpson, Moore, Bertie, Constable, Carnwath, Borland, May, Mwangi, Heenan (Domeracki, Haldane, Emslie, Holt)