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Nakamura strike gives Celtic vital win
(AFP)
Updated: 2005-12-27 09:31
GLASGOW (AFP) - A brilliant last gasp goal by Shunsuke Nakamura gave Celtic a
2-1 win at home to Livingston in the Scottish Premier League.
A brilliant last
gasp goal by Shunsuke Nakamura, pictured September 2005, gave Celtic a 2-1
win at home to Livingston in the Scottish Premier League.
[AFP] | Paul Dalgleish's 58th minute goal looked
to have given Paul Lambert's visitors a share of the spoils, after Shaun
Maloney's first-half penalty gave Celtic the lead, until some sublime individual
skills from the Japanese playmaker secured all three points for the league
pacesetters.
The win means Celtic stay four points clear at the top over Hearts, who won
5-0 at home to Falkirk.
After a power failure had delayed kick-off for 45 minutes Celtic started the
game brightly and should have been ahead in the eighth minute. Maloney's
cut-back found John Hartson 10-yards out but the Welsh striker took a wild swipe
at the ball and the danger was cleared.
Dalgleish came close for the visitors a minute later when he drove in on goal
before hitting a shot just wide.
Celtic were controlling the match and though they created numerous chances
they struggled to break the deadlock.
In the 28th minute Stilian Petrov's shot from 20-yards was well saved by Livy
goalkeeper Roddy McKenzie, following good link-up play between Nakamura and
Hartson created the chance.
But Celtic did take the lead in the 39th minute from the penalty spot.
Maloney was hauled down by Greg Strong and the same player picked himself up to
send a right-foot strike into the top corner of the net.
The visitors had rarely threatened in the first-half but in the 58th minute
they were level after an appalling defensive blunder by Bobo Balde. The Guinea
international defender tried to dribble his way out of the 18-yard box only to
gift the ball to Dalgleish who lashed a right-foot shot low past Polish keeper
Artur Boruc.
With the game seemingly heading for a draw Nakamura snatched all three points
with a flash of brilliance in the 87th minute. Gathering a pass wide on the
right the Japanese international cut inside, glided past two defenders and
unleashed an unstoppable a shot low into the net.
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