Celtic’s u-17 side continued on their winning ways with a 5-0 win over Partick Thistle at the Lochinch Complex at Haggs Castle today.
The young hoops were 4-0 up at half-time with their opponents looking very uncomfortable in their garish strip which included washed out pink socks!
Centre half Wallace Duffy deserted his defensive duties to score twice with the other goals coming from Mikey Johnston, Daniel Higgins and Ross McLaughlin.
With Jack Aitchison, Daniel Church and Stevie Welsh on international duty Broque Watson, Grant Thornton and Ross McLaughlin came into the side with Ross Doohan taking over from Aidan McAdams in goal.
Celtic took just five minutes to open the scoring with Johnston drifting in from the right flank before burying his shot past the keeper.
Ten minutes later Duffy showed an impressive eye for goal as he latched onto a half chance 15 yards from goal to fire the ball into the net.
Just past the half hour mark Duffy took things a stage further with a surging run out of defence that showed all the hallmarks of Roy Aitken as he forced his way into the penalty box before confidently smashing the ball home from 16 yards out.
Celtic were powering through the Thistle midfield with little resistance while Sean Bowers and Keiran Campbell combined well on the right with Thorburn and Watson performing similarly on the opposite flank.
Five minutes from half-time overage skipper Higgins put Celtic four in front when he met a Thorburn corner from the right at the back post to force the ball home.
Euan Henderson and Kyle Barr replaced Bowers and Campbell during the second half with Thistle forcing a couple of saves out of Doohan.
At the other end Celtic continued to create chances but tended to take a touch too many around the penalty box as they pushed for further goals.
The fifth goal arrived midway through the second half with McLaughlin squeezing a low shot into the far corner from the edge of the box after being teed up by Watson from a surging run out of midfield by Higgins.
CELTIC: Doohan; Bowers (Henderson 53), Potter, Duffy, Thorburn (Dave McKay 75); Campbell (Barr 62), Bell, Higgins, Watson; Johnston (Mearns 80), McLaughlin.
League scorers so far (17 matches): Johnston 15, Aitchison 12, McLaughlin 6, Bell 5, Duffy 3, Watson 2, Campbell 2, Higgins 2, McAllister 2, Antonazzi 1, Payne 1, McInroy, Thorburn, Diver, Church, Potter, Barr
Glasgow Cup (4 matches): Johnston 5, Aitchison 5, Diver 1, Antonazzi 1, Campbell 1.
