Odsonne he would score
Sinclair at the double as warm-up for French test turns into a stroll
Debutant Edouard celebrates his goal with Sinclair, Brown and Roberts as Celtic clinched a fourth Premiership win of the season
AN artificial pitch, a crowd of just over 5,000 and a big red bus behind the goal. For Celtic, a Friday night in Hamilton bore little comparison with what lies in wait against Paris Saint-Germain. Dougie Imrie would be the first to say it; he’s no Neymar.
Like so many of Celtic’s domestic games this was a comfortable victory, the game won after an early strike from Stuart Armstrong and two first-half goals from Scott Sinclair.
The icing on the cake was a classy debut goal from new French striker Odsonne Edouard midway through the second half. An assist from Patrick Roberts — making his first appearance since returning on loan from Manchester City — gave the away support pretty much what they wanted.
A 54th domestic game unbeaten offers them something else. A chance to resurrect an old marketing phrase coined by their city rivals when they face Ross County next weekend. A day when they will be going for 55.
Before then comes a return to the Champions League against the most expensive forward line ever assembled.
Hamilton substitute Alex Gogic claimed a consolation goal with a bullet header from an Ali Crawford corner four minutes from time but by then Jozo Simunovic had been taken off with Tuesday night in mind.
Without a home win over Celtic since 1989, Hamilton entered the game with higher hopes than usual after victories over Hibernian and Dundee — and coming back from the dead to draw at Kilmarnock.
Against a team unbeaten in their last 53 domestic games, a little optimism can be dangerous.
Celtic took 17 minutes to break the deadlock. Man of the match in Scotland’s 2-0 win over Malta on Monday night, Armstrong was one of five capped players pitched in once more last night. The midfielder, however, showed no ill effects, passing the sweetest of finishes into the bottom corner of the net.
A curling, right-footed effort was in from the minute it left his foot from 16 yards, swinging out, then nestling in the corner past the despairing dive of Gary Woods.
The Hamilton keeper’s instincts were the only reason the Parkhead side, in their dark-green away kit, didn’t taken the lead in the opening ten minutes.
James Forrest, playing on the right of a four-man midfield with Roberts in front, made headway down the right flank, his cross deflected into the path of Sinclair in front of goal. It took a swift reaction save from Woods to prevent the ball thumping into the net.
But Sinclair would not be denied. The winger claimed a second goal — his seventh of the season — just before the half-hour.
It came from the power and pace of new Bhoy Edouard. The PSG loan striker’s direct run towards goal saw him crowded out by Hamilton players until Scott McMann’s sliding challenge diverted the ball into the path of Sinclair, who composed himself and pass high into the net for 2-0.
Pitched into the first team after Leigh Griffiths was kept in reserve for Tuesday’s Champions League clash with his French employers, 19-year-old Edouard made a debut of promise, coming close with a curling free-kick that flew into the sidenetting.
The home side’s pre-match optimism became a distant mirage when Celtic made it 3-0 in 42 minutes. It came, once again, from Sinclair.
Another inch or two and it might have been an own goal for Accies full-back McMann.
Luckless for Sinclair’s first goal, he looked likely to have more fortune for the third when he stuck a foot in to stifle Sinclair’s dribbling run into the area and saw the ball rebound off his own upright and along the goal line.
Against lesser players, Hamilton might have escaped damage. The chance looked gone until Sinclair gave chase, turning into the net from an acute angle.
As an attacking force the home team were floundering, the emphasis on grim survival. Darian MacKinnon’s bouncing half-volley from 20 yards in the dying embers of the opening half was pretty much their first effort on goal.
It was never a question of whether Celtic would score again. More a case of how many. And for the away support, it was about all whether returning fans’ favourite Roberts or new Bhoy Edouard could get on the scoresheet.
Their answer came in 65 minutes, the young Frenchman capping a decent debut with a superb goal.
He both created it and finished
it, playing a deft, controlled onetwo with Roberts before skipping his way in behind the Hamilton defence.
Woods almost did enough to halt the ball’s momentum. Nevertheless it trickled over the line for 4-0.
Off the mark on his debut, Edouard began to enjoy himself.
The striker almost created a fifth goal when he picked out Sinclair with a delightful chip across the 18-yard line. A hat-trick looked certain when the winger took the ball on the chest, but low shot deflected inches wide of the post.
It should have come when Sinclair raced on to a rare long punt up the park from defence, but his lofted effort over Woods had too much on it and it cleared the crossbar.
The woodwork looked to have come to Hamilton’s rescue when Edouard met substitute Jonny Hayes’ cross, but the French youngster was deemed offside.
With the game reaching the final five minutes, the action began to lull and the lack of concentration in the Celtic ranks was evident when Craig Gordon flapped at an Crawford corner to allow Gogic a consolation for the hosts.
But still a decent night, then, for Celtic. Now for PSG.