Karamoko Dembele scored his first top team goal yesterday as a Celtic XI hammered St Gallen’s u-21 side 9-1.
The 16-year-old made a big impression on his competitive debut against Hearts in May and has played a full part in this season’s pre-season training.
Neil Lennon wanted to give as many players as possible game time as the hoops moved into Switzerland with St Gallen agreeing to a Tuesday morning bounce match at their training ground.
Go to 1 minute 10 seconds for Dembele goal
Celtic were already leading 6-1 when the teenager picked up the ball wide on the right 40 yards from goal.
After beating his marker he raced towards goal, went outside another defender then clipped a left footed shot from a tight angle around the advancing keeper.
There were two further goals to come as the ‘reserve side’ completed their morning’s work, in the evening Dembele got a five minute run out as Celtic drew 0-0 with St Gallen in a match marked by the introduction of VAR which saw the hoops awarded a penalty but also resulted in Jozo Simunovic being sent off.
CELTIC: Gordon (Doohan 41); Morrison, Hendry (Oko Flex 60), Welsh, Gutman; Bitton, Henderson; Morgan, Christie (Dembele 60), Sinclair; Griffiths