Scottish Daily Mail

LEIGH’S TIMING JUST PERFECT

Deila insists Griffiths deserves a starting place for Scotland

- STEPHEN McGOWAN at New Douglas Park

WITH 12 goals for the season, the value of Leigh Griffiths to Celtic increases with every passing week. He’s not there with Scotland. Not yet. Steven Fletcher, Jordan Rhodes and Chris Martin — his rivals for a starting place against Poland — all scored on Saturday. There are other options for Gordon Strachan to consider.

Yet credit Griffiths with this. He is hanging in there. There were goals in the Champions League qualifiers, an opener against Fenerbahce in the Europa League and a powerful headed winner here to narrow the gap on Aberdeen at the top of the Premiershi­p to one point. If nothing else, Scotland’s manager now has a decision to make.

‘Leigh is small but his timing is fantastic,’ says his Celtic boss Ronny Deila. ‘ You see when the cross comes in he’s just hanging there. He can score all types of goals and he’s an important player for us.

‘ So, yes — he can start f or Scotland. He’s scored goals for us in Europe and he is a good option for Gordon.’

By Deila’s own admission, this was a day when Celtic got the job done. No more, no less.

The return of the Ronny Roar was premature. The Parkhead side continue to l ook ropey in defence, another calamitous error from Dedryck Boyata handing Hamilton the o pener in f o ur minutes and making this a more difficult day than it might have been.

Relieved his side pulled through in the end, Deila said: ‘ It’s very encouragin­g. We are breathing down their (Aberdeen’s) necks — and we will keep pushing.

‘We have played only 10 games. We will push on and talk at the end of March and see who is in the title race and who is not.’

The goals of Griffiths — allied to an Aberdeen wobble — have been key to dragging Celtic back into a strong position quicker than anyone expected.

The defending is a different story. And this time Efe Ambrose was blameless.

Boyata — another erratic figure at the heart of the defence — had an eventful first half, assisting Hamilton’s Gramoz Kurtaj with the opener then scoring the Celtic equaliser which formed the platform for victory.

In control of a meat-and- drink Hamilton throw-in, the Belgian defender stumbled to the ground under pressure from the striker. The German was clear on goal and took the time required to strike the ball low into the far corner.

For Celtic, suicidal defending is becoming a habit. Against Fenerbahce on Thursday, Ambrose was guilty of negligent concentrat­ion. Yet his suspension for a red card against Hearts prompted another reshaping of the Parkhead defence here.

With £ 3million signing Jozo Simunovic still injured, Tyler Blackett partnered Boyata in central defence for the first time — and it showed.

There were times, in those early stages, when defenders in green away shirts performed as if wearing ice-skates on the artificial surface.

Boyata, to his credit, addressed the situation. He changed his boots and, within moments, struck the leveller in the 26th minute.

Lucas Tagliapiet­ra, an uncompromi­sing Hamilton defender, gave away a free-kick by clattering Saidy Janko f rom behind. Griffiths whipped a freekick towards the back post, where Boyata rattled high into the net.

The goal settled Celtic. There was an inevitabil­ity to what came next.

The visitors, seeking to reel Aberdeen in at the top of the league, took the lead with a fine goal after the half-hour. Fletcher’s return to scoring form for Sunderland is likely to block the path to a start against Poland at Hampden.

Yet Griffiths is a different animal to the player cast in against Croatia in June 2013.

He showed superb timing to hang in the air and bullet a deflected Janko cross into the net at the end of a swift passing mo v e involving Kris Commons and Tom Rogic.

Turning t he game around guaranteed nothing, however.

Deila’s team — with just three wins in eight games going into this — have shown an inability to hold on to winning positions.

On the last outing on an artificial pitch like this, at Rugby Park, they held a lead against Kilmarnock and drew 2-2.

Hamilton dug in during a second half which delighted their manager Martin Canning.

Before half-time, Craig Gordon came for a Dougie Imrie free-kick and missed it. One touch would have brought an equaliser.

Grant Gillespie thudded a fine half-volley just inches wide early in the second half.

Then, in 64 minutes, it took a superb save from Gordon from the i ncreasingl­y impressive Ali Crawford to preserve Celtic’s lead.

The former Hearts youngster improvised a superb, looping, first-time curling shot towards the far corner from the edge of the area, Gordon sprawling himself to save brilliantl­y.

The ball fell to the feet of Carlton Morris, but the striker was unable to turn it inside the post.

Celtic’s threat came primarily from breakaways.

They should have made it 3-1 in 59 minutes, Nir Bitton wasting a chance to send Griffiths clear on goal after nicking the ball on the halfway line.

A laboured attack eventually ended in Commons screwing an angled shot wide.

Wary of tiring legs after Thursday’s Europa League draw with Fenerbahce, Deila withdrew James For re st for Stuart Armstrong.

Shortly after, as the game entered its final 15 minutes, the Celtic boss made a double substituti­on, with Mikael Lustig replace Janko and Gary Mackay-Steven come on for Rogic as the game entered the final 15 minutes.

Hamilton opposite number Martin Canning also introduced the power and bulk of Christian Nade to try to break the resistance of the Celtic defence.

It almost paid dividends when the substitute collected a slack, casual Blackett clearance and advanced on goal — the erring defender shoulderin­g his way back to make amends and retake possession as Hamilton supporters howled for a foul.

‘I think it was a very tough game,’ Deila acknowledg­ed. ‘ We started poorly and after that we came back and we were very effective.

‘At 1- 0 down we were very effective. This was a day to fight for the points and come through it.

‘We have played a lot of games and players are tired and have i ssues to handle. We showed character and discipline to come back and win.

‘Today we were a bit lucky but in other games we have been unlucky.

‘We should have beaten Hearts 4-0 and won at Kilmarnock. In the end, you get what you deserve.

‘I’m happy that we won and after four games in Europe we have now come back and won 12 points out of 12. Last year we came back from European games and struggled, but not this time.

‘That’s very, very strong play. We are learning and we can go into the internatio­nal break with a lot of confidence.’

 ??  ?? Making amends: Dedryck Boyata sneaks in at the back post to put Celtic on level terms
Making amends: Dedryck Boyata sneaks in at the back post to put Celtic on level terms
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