Aussie bhoy Tom Rogic took just nine minutes to make an impression on his Celtic debut with the opening goal in a 3-1 win over Hamilton Accies.
Rogic was joined by Rami Gershon and Anthony Stokes in a Celtic side without half a dozen regulars due to international commitments.
The former Central Coast Mariners’ man played in an advanced midfield role close to Stokes and showed up well in a fixture that is probably far removed from the type of match he’d be involved with in the Australian A’League.
Celtic took the lead in the ninth minute with their first attack of the game. Bahrudin Atajic switched the ball from the right to Patrik Twardzik on the opposite flank with his pass met first time by the Australian who swept a low shot into the net.
Three minutes later the lead was almost doubled when Stokes combined with Rogic but this time his shot ended in the side net.
Midway through the first half Accies almost levelled the scores but Leo Fasan reacted brilliantly to touch a deflected 25 yard shot from Gary Fisher onto the post.
The home side were giving Celtic a good test mixing some impressive short passing with some fierce tackling. Eoghan O’Connell took a head knock on the stroke of half time and was replaced by Liam Henderson at the interval with Mikey Miller dropping into defence to partner Gershon.
Accies wasted no time levelling the scores after the break with Andy Ryan drilling a near post header low into the net although Fasan did manage to get a hand to the ball.
Just before the hour mark Celtic regained the lead. Atajic and Rogic combined to set up Stokes who stuck the ball into the net as the home side claimed for offside. Straight after scoring Stokes was replaced by Glenn Eadie who moved into right midfield with Atajic taking over Stokes’ role as striker.
In the final minute Eadie put his name on the scoresheet when he slipped the ball under goalkeeper Scott Christie from an Atajic pass.
CELTIC: Fasan; Fisher, O’Connell (Henderson), Gershon, Waters; Atajic, Kidd, Miller, P. Twardzik; Rogic (McManus); Stokes (Eadie)
SUBS: Cullen, , McMullen, Kelleher
first with news again – fair play…..looking forward to him in the first team
Hope Rogic plays a part at weekend. It sounds as if everything we created he was part of. Welcome to Paradise son.
Hail Hail
Can anyone tell me what number he is. Cheers
He’s number 18.
Hopefully we do see him at the weekend, I was disappointed he was registered for the Champions League.
I am disappointed he wasn’t registered for the Champions League.
I wouldn’t expect to see him involved v Juventus. A young lad, moving from Australia to Scotland, completely different environment, style of football. It will take him a little time to settle in and adapt both to new team mates and the system we play. To then ask him to jump from ‘A’ league level to CL is asking way too much.
It’s one thing to play against Hamilton U20s but a different world to perform v Juventus. Give him a chance to get a few games under his belt at 20s level then we can see him introduced gradually into the first team.
agreed! thats like asking Ki to play against inverness when he first arrived! hehe… hopefully another gem to be polished! hh!
Registering him for the squad wouldn’t have meant he could only play the next match.
Non registration means he can’t play in europe for the rest if the campaign. Once he has settled.
Bad choice.
Were talking about the same guy that has played 20 odd A-League games?!
Ridiculous to say its a bad choice and it would be a bad coaching decision by NL to expect to throw him into this stage of the CL without any real european experience…. even if it was to run down the clock!
Not to mention how unfair it would be to the other unfortunate squad member that would have to give up his spot!
If Rogic was a proven talent rather than a potential and NL had seen more of him and agreed to that, then it would have been a bad decision if he was left out in place of a player that was not as good as him!
I’d have brought him on to run down the clock against Madrid in the semi final