Celtic’s youth side showed no sign of title nerves as they moved ahead of Hearts at the top of the SPL table following their 4-0 demolition of Dunfermline.
Hearts must take at least a point from Saturday’s match away to Hibs to keep the title alive. Celtic face St Mirren on Sunday in the SFA Youth Cup semi-final then complete their league campaign with two matches against Rangers and a visit from Hibs.
After yesterday’s match I spoke to John Kennedy about the attitude and form of the players have shown in the run in to the title.
VIDEO CELTS: So much for squeaky bum time, this lot look pretty nerveless!
JOHN KENNEDY: They were, yes. We knew that it would be tough coming here, they are a physical side that plays some decent stuff and obviously had a great result against Hearts but we had the bit between the teeth which is pleasing for the coaches.
We can stand aside and enjoy it when they score goals like that and play the way they did. Our work rate as a team was excellent.
VC: I don’t think that I’ve seen a team going for a title like this, there’s usually a squeak somewhere along the line. Dundee United away was tight but they played well and haven’t seemed nervous.
JK It seems that way. Even at Dundee United it was 1-0 but convincing enough, we had the chances and the majority of the play in the game. Credit to them that they kept playing, Dundee United and St Mirren could have made a big difference in the push for the title.
It’s pleasing that they are now getting their rewards and the fact that they are adding goals and playing so well. They are getting credit for it and it’s deserved.
VC: Is it almost the case that you can stick them on the park without too much coaching, they seem to know what they are about?
JK I think it’s important that we keep them on their toes, we don’t want any complacency. The players have their standards but as coaches and as a club we have standards and if at any point we feel that it’s slipping we’ll bring them back into line. But in all honesty there’s not too many times that we need to do that.
They seem to drive each other on and have a real willingness to win games and play for each other, that’s a big, big factor of the team spirit if you want to go and win titles and cups.
VC: You were hoping for a start similar to the last match at Motherwell, it wasn’t far off that?
JK We spoke about the Motherwell game, that was our last match, we wanted the same mentality, the same urgency to win the ball back, the same pressure and tempo.
To be fair we got that, the pitch was really fiery, it bobbled about at times, it wasn’t a game for pretty football in your own half. We had to get it more into advanced areas then play quicker passes between Paul George, Callum McGregor, Herron all playing it a bit in advanced areas than picking the ball off the back four.
That’s part and parcel of winning things, you have to go to different grounds, different venues when the elements aren’t always perfect, how you deal with that makes the character of the players
VC: You have a great spread of goals in the team, in previous seasons Keats was on fire and before that Greig Spence had a great run but now you can more or less guarantee that there will be a few different players on the scoresheet, Callum McGregor almost has a standing order just now
JK He has! I said to him it’s amazing that when players are in a rich vein of form a bit of luck can go their way. As much as he got his shot on target it took a deflection to get it over the goalkeeper, when things are going your way that happens.
He deserves it, he’s worked so hard all season, he’s been so consistent. Callum is one of these players that you know what you are going to get from him every week. He never lets you down and I’m really pleased that he’s adding these goals to his game
VC: It’s still one game at a time but you must be fairly relaxed and confident now about the title having won 10 games on the trot with 3 games left to play
JK: I’ll not be relaxed till the title is won. We’ll approach every game as it comes, if we do win it great but we need to take care of ourselves and that’s all that we’ll do and look forward to the next game. If we win that we win the title but until then I’ll not be counting on anything.
2011/12 Youth team roll of honour
Hibs 4-3 Watt 3, F Twardzik
Marseilles NGS 0-1
Dunfermline 2-0 Atajic, Gormley
Aberdeen 1-1 George
Barcelona NGS 1-3 Watt
Dundee Utd 5-0 Williamson F Twardzik, og, Watt, Gormley
Motherwell 1-1 F Twardzik
Hearts 2-0 Herron, Williamson
St Johnstone 3-1Herron, McGeough McGregor
Man City NGS 4-2 Herron, George 2, Watt
Kilmarnock 5-1 P Twardzik 3, F Twardzik, Watt
Aberdeen 4-2 George Bogle 2, Watt
Man City NGS 2-1 McGeough, Fraser
Kilmarnock YC 5-0 Irvine 2 George, McGregor, Herron
St Johnstone 2-1 Bogle 2
Barcelona NGS 1-5 Watt
Hearts 1-2 George
Marseilles NGS 3-0 F Twardzik, Toshney George
Dunfermline YC 5-0 Irvine, Atajic, Chalmers, Twardzik, Watt
St Mirren 2-1 Watt, Herron
Inverness CT 6-1 Jones 3, Atajic, Watt, Fisher
Aberdeen 4-1 YC, F Twardzik 2, Watt, Herron
Dundee Utd 1-0 Watt
St Mirren 1-0 F Twardzik
Inverness CT 5-0 Gormley 2, McGregor 2, Fraser
Kilmarnock 4-1 F Twardzik, P Twardzik, Gormley, McGregor
Motherwell 5-2 Watt 4, McGregor
Dunfermline 4-0 Herron, George, Watt, McGregor.
SCORING LIST: Watt 19, F Twardzik 9, George 7, Herron 7, McGregor 7, Gormley 6, P Twardzik 5, Bogle 4, Atajic 3, Irvine 3, Jones 3, Williamson 2, McGeough 2, Fraser 2, Toshney 1, Chalmers 1, Fisher 1, OG 1
Young lad Herron played really well , went to the game was very impressed with him and the winger George, they linked up very well and were standouts In my eyes.