Celtic XI 1, Partick Thistle 1
Saturday 17th July 2010
In difficult blustery conditions and frequent heavy rain showers Thistle drew 1-1 with a Celtic XI at Celtic’s Lennoxtown training base this afternoon.
It was a game of few clear cut chances but to use the oft used pre-season phrase was an useful exercise all the same.
It was Thistle that had the best of the first half, played in the worst of the weather. In the 8th minute Ryan MacBeth was able to test the Celtic keeper low to his left and seven minutes Bryan Hodge worked a free kick into the path of David Rowson who sent his shot wide.
The closest to a goal in the first half though was a deflected Kris Doolan effort in the 31st minute that went just wide.
At the other end Bryn Halliwell deal comfortably with anything that came his way as he did for the entire 90 minutes and the trialist centre back looked comfortable and assured.
After making three changes at the break It took just three second half minutes for Thistle to open the scoring. David Rowson was fouled some 20 yards from goal and trialist Ian Flannigan, one of those three half-time subs, sent a beautifully placed free kick into the back of the Celtic net.
Ten minutes later Paul Cairney was only marginally off target with a shot from the edge of the box and Bryan Hodge was close too with a snap shot from a similar position.
A second Thistle goal would likely have sealed a win and Thistle were close to a 2nd goal with just 13 minutes of the match remaining. Ross McGeough, one of six substitutes introduced to the game during the course of the second 45 minutes, sent Martin Grehan clear with a delightful though ball. Grehan’s finish though was weak and the Celtic keeper was able to complete a comfortable save.
Having missed an opportunity to make it 2-0 Thistle were pegged back to level terms in unfortunate circumstances just three minutes later. Two Thistle team mates of last season combining for the Celtic equaliser, John Robertson slicing a Ryan Conroy cross past Bryn Halliwell and into his own net.
Team: Halliwell, Paton (Kinniburgh 45), Boyle (Bannigan 65), MacBeth (Trialist 45), Trialist (McGeough) Maxwell (Robertson), Cairney, Rowson, Doolan (Fraser 78), Grehan, Hodge.
