Next Gen Bhoys too strong for Marseilles

CELTIC completed their first ever Next Gen series campaign in style with a well deserved 3-0 home win over Marseilles.

Goals either side of half time from Filip Twardzik and Lewis Toshney gave John Kennedy’s side a well deserved win to finish the campaign on nine points from a tough group that also included Barcelona and Manchester City. An 80th minute strike from Paul George gave Celtic the winning margin that their play deserved. 

Unfortunately with Manchester City failing to take a single point from their six matches it’s Marseilles and Barcelona that will move on to the knock out stages of the competition.

Although there was nothing officially at stake in tonight’s match the game was far from a dead rubber with both teams going all out for a win and two Marseilles players sent off in the last five minutes.

Celtic created a few early openings but the well drilled French defence was giving nothing away.

Marseilles started to create some chances of their own towards the half hour mark but Twardzik twice came close to opening the scoring before his stoppage time header gave Celtic the lead.

picture from Rhebel Rhebel

Ten minutes from the break the Czech youngster volleyed home a cushioned header from Marcus Fraser from 15 yards only to be denied by the linesman’s flag. Two minutes later he came even closer to breaking the deadlock when he headed a high cross from Callum McGregor back across goal only to see the ball strike the post.

Shortly after the fourth official had indicated for one additional minute Paul George, switching over to the right flank, sent in a pacy cross which Twardzik headed home from 8 yards out.

Celtic started the second half on the front foot with the hoops five man midfield taking control of the match whilst Tony Watt battled for everything in attack.

After forcing two early corners in the second half Celtic doubled their lead in the 56th minute through Toshney. A high cross to the back cross was headed across goal with the man from Lochee sticking his head out to net from six yards range.

Celtic were in full control of the match with Dylan McGeough coming close to a third goal in the 66th minute when he reached a tempting cross from Twardzik only to see his volley turned around the post for a corner.

With ten minutes left to play George stretched Celtic’s lead to three when he reacted first to a half cleared free-kick from McGregor to drive a low left foot shot into the net.

With the points secured Darnell Fisher, Denny Johnstone and Patrik Twardzik replaced Watt, McGeough and George whilst Marseilles’ Wesley Jobello was red carded with five minutes left to play and joined for an ‘early bath’ by substitute Oumar Diop in the 90th minute.

CELTIC: Thomson; Miller, Fraser, Toshney, Chalmers; Herron, McGregor, McGeough (Fisher 78), F Twardzik, George (P Twardzik 85); Watt (Johnstone 78)

SUBS; Daniels, Kidd, Alabi, McNally

GOALS F Twardzik, Toshney, George

MARSEILLES: Julien Fabri, Ricardo Charls, Kevin Pommier, Batiste Aloe, Christian Lowinski, Momar, Bangoura, Achille Anani, Florian Moulet, Gumar Enukidze, Jonathan Santiago, Wesley Jobello

SUBS: Laurent Abergel, Gael Andonian, Brice Bonelli, Oumar Diop, Tommy Rey, Thomas Savino

REF John Beaton

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