SPL Saturday November 8th 2003

Celtic 5

Dunfermline 0

1:0 Hartson 23
2:0 Hartson 77
3:0 Wallace 81
4:0 Varga 83
5:0 Larsson 87

Att: 58,328

MIB: Michael McCurry

Celtic: Douglas Varga Balde McNamara Agathe Sutton Petrov Lennon Thompson Hartson Larsson
subs
Wallace for Maloney 72
Sylla for Petrov 84
Mjallby for Balde 84

Hmm, I thought the Pars only knew one way to play - open, attacking, score as many you want type football. At least that's what Calderwood was saying at the end of last season. Wonder what would have happened if they had shown even half the endeavour they've shown in the two games against us. Never mind - dustbin of history and all that.

A good victory and a good margin of victory that helps ensure that the nonsense of last season doesn't get a re-run. With a seriously re-jigged team Celtic weren't as fluent as usual, but the players still kept at it. Our only first half goal was another that we might not get next year, sans Henrik. He picked up the ball in our half after one of theirs had trod on it. 50 yards later Henrik played Agathe in, and his cross was put in by Hartson.

The second half wasn't really going anywhere. Celtic couldn't get going, and Dunfermline were content to camp in their own half, until they made a rare foray into our box. A snap shot from the edge of the box saw the recalled Rab (hurrah) pull off a wonder save, and save all our nerves.

That seemed to act as a wake up call. Soon after, Hartson bagged his second and then the floodgates opened. Ross Wallace replaced Maloney, who had never looked happy out on the left. As with his previous entrance at Killie he wasted little time letting everyone know he was there. After turning his defender this way and that he cracked a superb shot through a crowd of players and in to the far corner. He then crossed for Varga to add his name to the sheet, and in the last minute Larsson scored one of those 'Goal from an impossible angle' thingies. Nothing but a show off that boy.