Celtic hit-man Rasmussen refusing to budge

Kamara and Rasmussen

Celtic boss Tony Mowbray's team selection for yesterday's Scottish Cup Fifth Round tie showed seven changes from the side that started against Kilmarnock in last Tuesday's SPL fixture. Injuries picked up at Rugby Park meant that some of those changes were forced upon the manager but he chose to leave marquee signing Robbie Keane on the bench alongside Aiden McGeady for the match against the First Division team.

Samaras, Rasmussen and Diomansy Kamara were the players tasked with finding the goals as Mowbray set out his side in an unfamiliar 4-3-3 formation. Celtic pressured the Dunfermline defence from the first whistle and it was no surprise when they took the lead in the 19^th minute. Georgios Samaras' shot had hit the crossbar and when the ball eventually fell to Kamara at the edge of the box the Senegal international hit a stunning strike into the top corner of the net.

On the basis of play up until then Kamara's goal should really have been the prelude to a rout but surprisingly Dunfermline were back on level terms almost immediately when David Graham scored within a minute. Even more surprisingly they took the lead just eight minutes later when referee Charlie Richmond awarded Dunfermline one of the softest penalties you'll ever see.

Nerves could have been frayed as half-time approached but penalty-box marauder Rasmussen equalised two minutes before the break and within eleven minutes of the restart the same player coerced Callum Woods into putting the ball past his own keeper to put the Celts 3-2 up. Robbie Keane, who had replaced Marc Crosas at half-time, was brought down in the box in the 67^th minute and the Irish international converted the spot kick to seal Celtic's place in the next round of the competition.

Robbie pulls the trigger

Calum Woods was credited with an own goal but hit-man Morten Rasmussen cheekily refused to let the Dunfermline defender grab all the glory. "It is important to score goals when you are new in the team," he said. "I am definitely claiming two. I was going after the ball and I think I got a little touch as did the defender so I will take the goal and that makes it two!"

"But it was important that we won and got through to the next round." said Rasmussen. "Celtic are a big club, there should be a lot of good players and that is not a problem for me. It is not like you can put 11 strikers on the pitch and score 11 goals but it is good to have a lot of good players. We just have to fight in training to get a place in the team."

Diomansy Kamara was also delighted to get on the scoresheet for his new club and he insists that this new team will be really formidable once they acclimatise to the SPL. "The important thing now is to try to build on that kind of display." he said. "We are a team that has not played very often together and there are a lot of new faces. But I think once we get two or three games together that you will see a very good side because there are some fantastic players here."

"We know how important the game against Hearts is." continued Kamara. "But for the confidence I think it was good for the team to win against Dunfermline and I think we now want to take the same kind of form into the game against Hearts. Everyone knows that we need to start winning games in the league."

The Senegal international's goal yesterday was the pick of the bunch but he was equally delighted to see Robbie Keane get off the mark early in his Celtic career. "When you are a striker it is always important for your confidence to come in and get a quick goal at a new club because it helps you to settle." he said. "I was pleased with the way I played and the way the team performed. It was a good afternoon. I feel good and that I am settling into the side, so I want to keep my place and keep playing. It was nice for Robbie and Morten Rasmussen to score, too, because strikers thrive on that. We all play on confidence. I know that Robbie is a big Celtic fan and he seemed to enjoy the celebrations! We were all delighted for him because there has been a big spotlight on him this week and it is nice that he has got his first goal out of the way."