33
I
t was a week of ups and
downs for the Parkhead
faithful starting with a disap-
pointing loss to Hibs at Celtic
Park on Wednesday, then a 1-0
victory away to Hamilton
Academical on Saturday.
The results leave Celtic 10
points behind Rangers in the
Scottish Premier League,
though they do have a game in
hand.
Morten Ramussen was the
unlikely hero for Celtic on
Saturday, scoring his first goal
for the club after being brought
on for Samaras.
The Accies on the other
hand completed the game with-
out a real chance on goal, but
Celtic didn't have many chances
themselves.
Manager Tony Mowbray
was rueful after the game
telling reporters: "We expected
a tough game and I said that
before the match.
"Hamilton are a very com-
mitted side and they've had
three games recently against
Rangers and done exceptionally
well.
"They made life very diffi-
cult for us and we had to be
patient, we knew we'd create
chances.
"Thankfully, Morten
Rasmussen came off the bench
and scored a goal - that's why
he's here.
"We've got some key players
out injured at the moment:
Brown, Maloney and
McDonald. Your best players
make the difference in the tight
games.
"Hopefully, when the players
I've mentioned return, and with
another one or two additions,
then we won't be far away."
This followed Wednesday's
2-1 loss to Hibs at Parkhead.
With goals from Marc-Antoine
Fortune and Hibs's Paul Caddis
the game looked to be headed
for a draw, but Danny Galbraith
scored a last-minute winner to
give the visitors all three points.
Celtic announced on
Monday that they have signed
Fulham striker Diomansy
Kamara and Dutch left-back
Edson Braafheid from Bayern
Munich on loan-deals that will
last to the end of the season.
Twenty-nine-year-old
Kamara started five Premier
League games for Fulham this
season, scoring once and get-
ting another in their match
against CSKA Sofia in the
Europa League.
The Senegalese internation-
al, who has scored nine goals in
over fourty appearances for his
nation also played for Mowbray
when he was manager of West
Bromwich Albion.
Braafheid is said to have
been brought in to help Celtic's
defense and is happy with the
move since it will give him
more regular first-team football
than he has been getting in
Germany - boosting his chances
of being selected for the Dutch
team in this summer's World
Cup.
Celtic also signed Paul Slane,
an 18-year-old Paul Slane from
Motherwell, who are said to be
unhappy that the youngster
refused to commit to them.
Scott McDonald will join
four of his previous team-mates
at Middlesbrough in a transfer
deal said to be worth around
�3.5 million.
As we went to press on
Monday, Celtic announced that
they are in talks with
Tottenham's Robbie Keane,
hoping to sign the Irish forward
before the transfer deadline
arrives on Monday night.
Spurs manager Harry
Redknapp confirmed the talks
saying that: "He is a Celtic man
and it looks like it probably will
happen. It's a good move.
Robbie needs to play.
"He's too good a player not
to be starting here regularly. He
wants to play all the time.
"He's not a happy man when
he's not playing regularly, but
he loves his football; he's a great
trainer, a great man about the
place." C
An Up-And-Down Week
Leaves The Bhoys Ten Down
Is Roy Keane Headed To Parkhead?
Morten Rasmussen's (centre) strike seals a 1-0 win for Celtic over the Accies on Saturday (SNS)
Scottish Premier League Standings
Team P W D L F A GD Pts.
Rangers 23 16 6 1 54 14 40 54
Celtic 22 13 5 4 44 23 21 44
Hibernian 22 12 6 4 35 19 16 42
Dundee United 23 10 9 4 35 31 4 39
Motherwell 22 7 9 6 29 29 0 30
Hearts 23 7 7 9 20 25 -5 28
Aberdeen 21 7 6 8 17 22 -5 27
St. Johnstone 20 6 5 9 29 37 -8 23
St. Mirren 22 5 5 12 21 32 -11 20
Hamilton Acad. 21 4 5 12 16 34 -18 17
Kilmarnock 22 3 7 12 16 31 -15 16
Falkirk 21 2 8 11 16 35 -19 14 Diomansy Kamara is unveiled as another signing for Celtic (SNS)
sportsexaminer
IRISHEXAMINER|February2nd,2010

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