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The Green Hoops bask in the Glory

On Saturday night at the NIB Stadium, Celtic redeemed themselves for last week’s 1-0 defeat against Central Coast with a convincing 2-0 victory over a revamped Perth Glory.

Despite the efforts of New Zealand international Shane Smeltz, who was substituted at halftime, the Glory struggled to generate significant scoring opportunities with six new players in their starting lineup.

Celtic secured their win with goals from Gary Hooper and defender Charlie Mulgrew on either side of halftime, as they wrap up their Australian pre-season tour with a match against Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park on Wednesday.

Both teams began the match cautiously, likely mindful of the poor condition of the pitch that had undergone extensive work during the week to eliminate excess water.

The presence of Perth skipper Jacob Burns was felt throughout the match, as he delivered several hard tackles in the first half, getting under the skin of multiple Celtic players.

In the 10th minute, new Glory goalkeeper Danny Vukovic made a reflex fingertip save, denying Kelvin Wilson’s clever header. However, a momentary lapse from Perth defender Bas van den Brink allowed Hooper to capitalize and score just six minutes later.

Van den Brink hesitated when Glenn Loovens’ long ball approached Anthony Stokes, who had been offside. Yet, Stokes stepped out of play, creating an opportunity for Hooper, who seized the bouncing ball and struck it low to the left of goalkeeper Danny Vukovic.

Celtic playmaker Kris Commons nearly made it two when his free kick deflected off Scott Neville’s head and narrowly missed the goal.

In the 25th minute, the Glory had a chance to equalize as Liam Miller’s deft chip from a close-range free kick allowed Shane Smeltz to slip in behind Celtic’s defense. However, Smeltz couldn’t connect properly with his left-foot volley while facing just the goalkeeper.

While Burns’ intense play began to annoy some opponents, it was fellow midfielder Adam Hughes whose elbow found its mark during a header contest, resulting in a bloodied nose for Celtic midfielder Beram Kayal.

Kayal needed five minutes of treatment on the pitch before being reluctantly substituted. Frustration was evident as he left, as he kicked away a sound-effects microphone after manager Neil Lennon’s consolation failed to calm him.

Celtic extended their lead in the 51st minute when Mulgrew rose to head in Ki Sung Yueng’s curling free kick.

“We are still 12 weeks away from our season starting and Celtic are two to three weeks away from matches starting in their league, so you could see the difference in the fitness levels,” said Glory coach Ian Ferguson, noting that the turnout of 15,350 fans made for a valuable experience.

Confirming that Kayal had a broken nose, Celtic manager Neil Lennon remarked that there was no malice in the situation.

“I thought we played well,” Lennon stated. “I felt with the week’s preparation the players would be better for it, and that proved to be the case. Hooper scored a good goal for us, and with an early goal in the second half, we were in control from then on.”

by Terence Johns

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