One group of Celtic players won’t be concentrating on events in Helsingborg tonight.
While their senior counterparts attempt to take a massive step towards reaching the Champions League Celtic’s u-20 side will be in action against Hamilton Accies at Firhill, kick-off 7pm.
John Kennedy’s side have started the season with impressive back-to-back wins over St Mirren and Motherwell but can expect a tough test from the First Division side.
The Accies have drawn with Falkirk and beaten Dundee 4-0 to justify their place in the new look set up with Kennedy looking for his side to build on their 100% start to the season.
“We’re on a decent run of form and looking forward to this match,” the coach explained. “We played really well against Motherwell and want to carry that into the Hamilton match.
“You’ll be tested at different times in matches and we reacted well to that against Motherwell. It was disappointing to lose a goal but there was lots of positives to come from the performance.
“The players have started well but know they have to hit those standards week in week out.
“Hamilton have a good Academy and produce a lot of first team players and I’d expect a few players with that experience to feature tonight and that’s a bonus for us.
“They’ll be tough opponents, they play good football as I saw against Dundee last week and that’ll make for a good match.”
The highlight of last week’s win at Motherwell was the decisive third goal from Denny Johnstone.
Watching it on Celtic tv during the week the strike looked even better as he took out a defender on the touchline with a Cruyff turn, arrowed in on goal from a tight angle then curved a great shot around the keeper into the net.
It looked like the work of a time-served marksman rather than the first goal at that level with Kennedy hoping for more of the same from Denny.
The hoops coach added: “Denny is a bit of a confidence player at times, sometimes you need a run of games and that goal will help his confidence.
“We’re asking him to play in a wide position which he hasn’t really done in the past but he’s adapted well and learning the game in that area.
“That will only enhance his development as a player. Sometimes we ask him to play as a striker and other times we need him wide and it’s good to have those aspects in his locker.
“He’s progressed in every game, hopefully he keeps that up and can bring more goals to his game.”
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