Celtic’s Development side enjoyed a 3-0 win over Cliftonville tonight in a testimonial for Solitude favourite George McMullan.
Fiacre Kelleher put Celtic in front in the first half with Calvin Miller and Jack Breslin netting after the break as the superior fitness of Tommy McIntyre’s side paid off against the part-timers from Belfast.
Conor McManus, Michael Duffy and Paul McMullan were back in Celtic colours despite being out on loan to Championship clubs while there were places on the bench for Breslin and Colin McCabe who are out on loan at Annan and Stenhousemuir.
Former Celt Paul George was among the substitutes for Cliftonville who are managed by another former Celt, Gerry Lyttle.
After McMullan was clapped onto the park by both side’s the visitors went about the match in the same manner as they clinched the Development League with 25 wins and two draws in 27 matches.
Paul McMullan and Calvin Miller both had chances in the opening 10 minutes but it was just past the half hour mark when the hoops took the lead with Kelleher scoring from close range after a slip from home keeper Peter Burke.
McIntyre made two changes at the interval with Colin McCabe replacing Conor Hazard while Breslin came in for Sam Wardrop while George McMullan was given a great ovation when he was substituted on the hour mark.
In the 73rd minute Celtic doubled their lead with Miller striking with a low shot from 20 yards out, with seven minutes left to play substitute Breslin scored Celtic’s third goal with a near post header.
CELTIC: Hazard (McCabe 46); Wardrop (Breslin 46), Kelleher (Kerr 76), McCart, McIlduff (Higgins 76); Hendry, McManus, Thomson (Hill 64), Miller (Aitchison 76); McMullan (Kidd 76), Duffy
