CELTIC’S PREPARATIONS FOR their crunch midweek Champions League qualifier against Midtjylland took a knock with a 6-2 friendly defeat by West Ham at Parkhead.
Hoops skipper Callum McGregor curled in an early opener before Hammers striker Michail Antonio scored a quick-fire double and captain Mark Noble netted from the penalty spot.
Ryan Christie pulled a goal back for Ange Postecoglou’s side five minutes after the break but Said Benrahma replied for West Ham and Celtic then made 10 substitutions before Jarrod Bowen and substitute Armstrong Okoflex, signed from Celtic this summer, added two more.
Postecoglou now has to get his players ready for the second leg of their second qualifier on Wednesday night after a 1-1 draw against the Danish side during the week, and the tightening of defence will be a priority.
West Ham, managed by former Hoops defender David Moyes, looked sharp, particularly on the counter, and will carry on preparing for their Premier League opener away to Newcastle next month.
It was not a positive start to the game for the Londoners.
Issa Diop replaced Angelo Ogbonna, who limped off injured just before McGregor easily brushed Manuel Lanzini off the ball and guided a shot from the edge of the box past goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski.
Shortly afterwards at the other end, Celtic keeper Vasilis Barkas foiled Bowen when one-on-one.
West Ham levelled when Dane Murray’s pass out from the back was intercepted by Noble who quickly moved the ball on to Antonio and he skilfully side-stepped defender Stephen Welsh and Barkas and rolled the ball into an empty net.
Pablo Fornals then sent the striker clear for a breakaway second when he split the Celtic defence with a pass and Antonio steered his shot from 12 yards past Barkas at the near post.
Noble scored a third from the spot in the 38th minute after referee John Beaton felt Antonio had been barged in the box by Celtic midfielder Ismaila Soro.
Both teams changed their goalkeepers at the start of the second half, Scott Bain replacing Barkas and Darren Randolph on for Fabianski, and the former Motherwell keeper failed to keep out Christie’s close-range prod from a Liel Abada cross.
He did tip a Christie effort over the crossbar moments later before the visitors countered again and restored their two-goal lead through a composed Benrahma finish.
Postecoglou changed all of his outfield players and one of them, Leigh Griffiths, recently cleared by police over allegations of sending inappropriate messages to two schoolgirls, was initially booed by a section of the home support.
Some fans then cheered Griffiths but attention soon turned back to the game and how easily Bowen was able to flick a cross past Bain before Okoflex wrapped up the scoring with a low drive into the corner of the net.
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Like a story from Roy of the Rovers
Well done Clare.you won it honestly and without any help
Who was Roy and what Rovers?
His name was Roy and he played for a team called rovers
I think, Nelly, that you have been reading too many English comics.
Yeah stick with Spraoi and Siamsa Nelly.
Brilliant guy heard him interviewed very articulate and mature for 19……..not to mention an awesome hurler. Well done clare n davy
All Irelands Won – 1
Cows Milked – 0
A game like that yesterday makes you proud to be Irish, What a sport,Delighted for Davy and his team!
He gave a very good post match interview with rte girl. A good lad.
Rte girl sounds like the name of a really crap superhero
He blinded Nash with dem big white teeth lol
Probably the complete game – Hurling!
To even compare it with other sports is not even a contest. But I will anyway – just for pig iron sake – Gaelic Football is its nearest comparable for fitness , pace and the fact that players do it for the love of it – not the money.
I love rugby union too – but watching professionals playing in the Munster game last night was positively pedestrian after the skill and pace of the hurling game.
As for soccer – where a huge bunch of overpaid egotists shuffle a ball around a 100m long field for ninety minutes and then might just about generate an average of two scores ?
I couldn’t even tolerate Match of the Day last night on the Beeb , it was so positively boring and pedestrian and they were the highlights of the top games of the weekend, over the pond!
Give credit where credit is due – GAA and hurling lit up our lives this season and most of all the finalists in the Hurling Finals – They were awesome !
To my Clare and Cork neighbours – you both have set the standard for sport far and wide this year & young O’Donnell is but that hugely healthy beacon for it !
Comhgardachais to everyone concerned.
Why do people feel the need to compare it to other sports?? Just enjoy it for what it is!
If you look closely, he is not comparing it to other sports. He is just taking an oppurtunity to run down other sports.
Sluascanal – I am the “he” – please take the time to READ my little contribution.
Nowhere in it did I try to denigrate any other sport ?
I only compared – pace, fitness levels and genuine endeavour, against all other sports.
As a genuine sports lover , I also admire so much , the truly amateur ethic of all GAA people – be they players , management, or the person that lines the pitch and washes the kit.
It’s so reflected too in the numbers and quality of the GAA facilities, throughout our small Island of Ireland .
Interestingly too , currently Hurling is the fastest growing field sport in the USA , with Clubs and Leagues springing up in all 50 States, often started by persons with no Irish background .
Your soccer comparison was little biased to be fair.
What a day for this young fella, deservedly man of the match. What a joy to be there and watch the skill and speed of game. Hurling is without a doubt the finest sport in the world. Well done Shane O Donnell, Well done Clare!
The greatest field game bar none . Shane o,Donnell v Ronaldo-no contest
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Ridiculous comparison
His not the only one waking up thinking it was like a dream what a match what a night well done lads ye done us proud
Head on me like a burst sliotar today, its starting to properly sink in. Incredible day and night in Dublin, the banter was 90 and you better believe there won’t be a cow milked in Clare this week. Hon the Banner.
Did anyone notice Liam O’Neill reading the name of the Pat Donnellan off the back of his hand before he gave him The Liam McCarthy cup yesterday?!
Yep, but he had no problem remembering the names of the sponsors!
There were only two captains, should have rolled off his tongue
Why is there always someone who will find something negative about a great occasion Shane O Donnell Man of the match sportsmad ! nitpicker of the year
Thanks for all the support lads
Martin, Jesus, still bitter even when ye win. Fair play to Clare, great win. Delighted for Shane, what a dream for him. Cork weren’t good enough on the day but we’ll be back.
Master stroke by Davy Fitzgerald. Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant! Shane O Donnell, the George Best of hurling. A very mature young man.
Lol George best eat your heart out wise up ppl
No sympathy whatsoever for Cork as they have had it over us for many years.it was nice to finally get revenge on them on the biggest stage of all.Up The Banner!
No need for this.
Not very gracious in victory there.
As a Corkman I have to say well done to Clare. Undoubtedly the better team over both matches.
And what a final. Great match. 2 great matches in fact.
Fair dues, credit to cork for the game they put to us and jbm for being so humble. Very proud clare woman, the banner boys were outstanding
He definitely got the ride last night and fair play to him
As a Clare woman who was at yesterday’s game, I do not agree with Martin O Briens comments. Not the view of many Clare fans.
Just wakeing up in us its great feeling to be from clare
Well done to shane and Clare on a fantastic win. Also hard luck to cork who played their part in a brilliant game. A a mayo fan, it gives me hope to see so many young players on that Clare team, time to bring in a few of our minor winning team.
Up da banner
Whats it say about waterford thst davy could not get them all the way
A journalist just used the word got in their opening sentence. Tut tut! There’s no such word as got.
You got a few red thumbs there. Maybe people have gotten tired of pedantic corrections.