Second half goals from Leigh Griffiths and Stefan Scepovic earned Celtic’s development team a hard fought win over an impressive Hamilton Accies side.
After a slow start the new look Celtic side began to find their passes with the first team duo coming up with goals at either end of the second half.
With the u-19 league making way for an u-20 version before evolving into the Development League, allowing five players over 20 to be selected, Celtic made use of the opportunity to play Griffiths and Scepovic.
Neither player has enjoyed 90 minutes at first team level in the last two months with a run out at Cappielow exactly what the striking duo required. Eoghan O’Connell and Filip Twardzik were also in the starting XI alongside Paul McMullan who featured in three matches in five days for Scotland’s u-19 side in Lithuania.
John Collins and John Kennedy were watching from the stand but it was Hamilton that started brightest forcing a couple of early corners with Celtic short of numbers in midfield where Jack Breslin and Jamie Lindsay looked isolated with McMullan and Twardzik pinned to the wings to support the front two.
After a flurry of Hamilton corners Celtic’s first chance arrived in the 18th minute. Griffiths’ persistence saw him latch onto a short pass back from Craig Watson but keeper Blair Currie was quick to react and spread himself well to block the strikers shot.
Three minutes later Leo Fasan pulled off a great save pushing away a 15 yard drive from Greg Docherty after former Celt Jaioson McGrath pulled the ball back from the bye-line. On the half hour mark Scepovic had the chance to impress but after taking a cross from the left on his chest a defender cleared the ball away as the ball hit the deck.
In the 34th minute Scepovic did put the ball in the net but the assistant referee had already flagged for offside. As the half drew to a close Celtic were pushing Hamilton further back but there was little in the way of possession or chances for Scepovic or Griffiths to work on.
Five minutes from the interval Currie pulled of a great instinctive save pushing a close range Scepovic header over for a corner. Three minutes into the second half Celtic took the lead from a Griffiths free kick. Twardzik was fouled 20 yards from goal but rather than try and curl the ball around the wall the former Hibs striker struck a firm low drive into the net.
With that unconvincing first half hour out of the way there was much more purpose to Celtic’s play with Griffiths and Scepovic both getting some space to work in. Scepovic had a couple of half chances to find the net but although he failed to convert there were signs of the striking instinct that convinced the club to pay Sporting Gijon £2.2m on the final day of the transfer window.
Eight minutes from time Scepovic put the game beyond Hamilton with a good strike at the end of a well constructed move. A Twardzik ball set Griffiths racind through the centre, when the strikers’ shot was parried by Currie Scepovic was perfectly placed to drive the rebound into the net.
CELTIC: Fasan; Wardrop, O’Connell, Findlay, Tierney; McMullan (Hendry 89), Breslin, Lindsay, Twardzik (Thomson 83); Griffiths, Scepovic.
Subs:Â Hart, McCart, Kelleher, Miller, Hill.