Celtic staged a trademark late rally to come from behind to defeat Sligo Rovers 3-2 tonight in a friendly at The Showgrounds.
Luis Palma had opened the scoring in the ninth minute but left it late with goals in the 89th and 92nd minutes to deny the League of Ireland side a famous victory.
Palma, Yang Hyun-jun, Luke McCowan, Stephen Welsh and Maik Nawrocki provided the experience in the Celtic side but Scott Bain was the fall guy with two badly conceded goals to give Sligo a half-time lead.
90+2′ – Another Goal for Celtic!
Palma grabs his hat-trick late on! ?
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Watch live on https://t.co/vE604pqJ5z ?#SLICEL | #CelticFC? pic.twitter.com/EgGUFw3cCk
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) October 9, 2024
The home side dominated the first half after going behind to Palma’s back post opener- a move that he would repeat in the closing stages.
Kailin Barlow equalised in the 13th minute with a high effort that Bain flapped at as it fell over his head into the net.
Four minutes later Simon Power tried his luck with a low 25 yard shot that Bain lost low to his right hand post.
After the break Celtic dominated the match, substitute Sean McArdle caught the eye with neat touches and vision in the centre of the park but it was Honduran internationalist Palma that snatched the win in front of a relaxed and appreciative crowd.
Sligo Rovers: McGinty, Morahan, Denham, Wiggett, Hutchinson, Henry-Francis, Malley, Barlow, Fitzgerald, Pearce, Power.
Subs: Brush, Mooney, McElroy, Mahon, Radosaljevic, Malone, Muldoon, McDonagh, Reynolds.
Celtic: Bain, Agbaire (Bonetig 61), Welsh, Nawrocki, Valle (Robertson 45), McCowan, Turley, Bonnar (McArdle 61), Yang, Palma, Dobbie (Isiguzo 61).
Subs: Morrison, Rice, Dargie, Davidson, Cannon, Haddow.
