Celtic 3 - 1 St Mirren: Samaras hits form at the right time to ease pressure on Mowbray

Published on Sunday 29 November 2009 21:48

GEORGIOS Samaras says he did not feel any extra pressure in this match. Fair play to him, but if he couldn't sense the nerves and anxiety in Celtic Park, then he was one of the few. This was a game the home side had to win, not just to move back to the top of the league table but to appease the fans and stem the criticism.

But while there was tension in the air as play began, by the final whistle that had long since been dispelled.

"It was about the three points, regardless of what happened anywhere else," admitted manager Tony Mowbray.

Twice in the past two league games Celtic have conceded late goals to snatch a draw and a defeat from the jaws of apparent victory, but that never looked likely this time.

Having made life easier for themselves by getting the first two goals this game had to offer, as the clocked ticked down in the second half it was a case of how many more they could add to their own tally.

It could have been another four, even five, instead of just the one. Paul Gallacher pulled off a cracking save from a Danny Fox effort and then topped that with a double stop from Scott McDonald, denying the Celtic striker his hat-trick from the penalty spot after Chris Innes was penalised for a handball. Add to that a couple of openings for substitute Marc-Antoine Fortune and the end result was even more comfortable than the scoreline suggests.

With their latest Europa Cup match, against Hapoel Tel Aviv, on Wednesday, it was the perfect time to hit some kind of form. It still wasn't the relaxed style and panache the fans desire, and an individual error still cost them a goal, but it was not as fraught or as insipid or even as suicidal as it has been at times this term.

"Of course people were disappointed we didn't win away at Dundee United, but we made a good game today and won the match quite easily I think," said Samaras, who contributed to the cause with the second goal and was hailed by his manager as having been almost unplayable for defenders in recent games.

"When I hear positive or negative comments I take them the same way. I try to look at the game and analyse my mistakes and learn. I never let myself say, 'I've played well' and leave it at that. I will have made mistakes and I'll always try and correct them.

"Taking criticism is part of our job, but we have to stay focused in the dressing room and try to prove in the matches that we are good enough."

The way they started, though, still prompts some 'what ifs'. What if St Mirren's early possession and forward momentum had gifted them the first goal? Teams know that the Old Firm are vulnerable just now and they know they can be frustrated. That's what Gus MacPherson had hoped to do, charging his men to keep possession and see how the crowd and, in turn, the Celtic players reacted. Their gameplan was disrupted slightly when Andy Dorman sustained a hamstring injury and had to be replaced by Michael Higdon in the 19th minute but, ultimately, it was all about what Celtic did when in possession, not the visitors.

In Aiden McGeady and Zheng Zhi, Mowbray had two offensive players who were in the mood and, given their quality, that proved pretty decisive. It helped too, that at least two of Mowbray's forwards had rediscovered a more clinical edge.

Perhaps the news that their manager had been to France to check out 3 million-rated striker Olivier Giroud, a 23-year-old who plays at Tours, had given them extra incentive.

"I just concentrate on my own game," said Samaras. "I don't know what players will come in during the window, but if any do they will be for the good of the team, that's for sure. I don't have any reaction to stories about new strikers."

Actions speak louder than words and two goals from McDonald, albeit one was a deflected effort, and one for the Greek were, perhaps, timely.

McDonald's first came in the 37th minute and Samaras was the provider. His pass was played through the St Mirren defence for his strike partner to run onto and drill home. His angled shot back across goal was deflected into the net by Innes but with the defender, unsurprisingly, failing to claim it, McDonald was happy to. The second goal came from the same area but this time it was McGeady who ran at the box, before laying off to Samaras whose finish was clean.

That was a few minutes before half-time and should have eased matters, but Marc Crosas offered the guests hope when he made a hash of a clearance and Higdon punished him. The home side still managed to look less constricted in the second period, managing to string passing sequences together as they eased their way through the half. McDonald netted the third in the 62nd minute, darting in ahead of the defence to slam home a McGeady cross.

There was the hat-trick opportunity to cap it. But after the confusion of Innes' red card off which was eventually rescinded (Steve Conroy sending him off for a second yellow card, when, in fact, the caution for his handball was actually his only one), McDonald beat Gallacher neither from the spot, nor from the rebound.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Aiden McGeady (Celtic)

When the Republic of Ireland international is in this kind of form, he is so often the catalyst for a favourable outcome for Celtic.