Glasgow Celtic: Scottish Champions
Late Goal at Kilmarnock Ensures Title Remains at Celtic Park
Apr 23, 2007
Glasgow Celtic won the Bank of Scotland Scottish Premier League title with a win over Kilmarnock at Rugby Park on Sunday afternoon. With four games remaining they are now an unassailable thirteen points ahead of their Glasgow rivals, Rangers. Their rivals had extended the title race to one more game when they scored two second half goals to defeat Hearts, 2-1, at Ibrox Park on Saturday. It has taken Celtic a number of weeks to actually clinch the title with minor slip-ups only delaying the inevitable - them being crowned Champions.
Celtic had the perfect start against Kilmarnock going ahead after 25 minutes when Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink scored with a header from a Nakamura corner kick. The home team had a few chances to level the game but squandered them in the first half. Shortly after half-time as Celtic were claiming a penalty Kilmarnock broke away and equalised through Nish.
Both sides had opportunities to take the lead but as time passed it looked as if Celtic were going to miss yet another chance to claim the title but then in the 90th minute they scored the decisive goal from a free-kick by Shunsuke Nakamura, curling his shot around the Kilmarnock defensive wall.
Celtic manager Gordon Strachan has now equalled the feat achieved by his predecessor, Martin O’Neill – winning successive titles in his first two years at the club. He will be looking to add to the success by winning the Scottish Cup at Hampden Park next month. Dunfermline Athletic and Hibernian meet in the semi-final replay on Tuesday to determine who will play Celtic in the Final.
The supporters of Celtic will be delighted with the comments from their star midfield player, Nakamura, who declared his intention to remain at Celtic Park as the club strives for a third successive Premier League title. The Japanese player won the Players’ Player of the Year Award for his outstanding performances this season. Manchester United will remember him for the two goals he scored from free-kicks in the Champions League group stage matches.
Martin O'Neill was always going to be a difficult manager to follow but Gordon Strachan went about it in his own way winning the title in his first year. However that wasn't enough for some supporters and at the start of the current season Strachan had his critics but he has come through again and won the title, is in the Scottish Cup Final and saw Celtic produce some outstanding performances in the Champions League games earlier in the year before eventually losing to AC Milan by a single goal after extra time at the quarter-final stage.
