Celtic 0-1 Dunfermline

Last updated : 26 November 2005 By Kevin Smith
After the elation of last week's Old Firm victories, Celtic were brought down to Earth with a bang today, with Dunfermline shocking everyone inside Celtic Park with a 1-0 victory. It was Celtic's second defeat of the season, and a well deserved three points for the visitors.

With Hearts securing a point at Fir Park with a last minute equaliser, Celts still sit at the top of the table, though are only a point ahead.

The day started with a minute of applause for footballing legend George Best, who died yesterday. This process is much more productive than a minute's silence, as the applause signifies a celebration of life, rather than a mourning.

Shunsuke Nakamura and Shaun Maloney both missed out today; Maloney through injury and Nakamura, presumably rested. The game showed just how much we miss Maloney's running at teams, and Nakamura's all round play - his touch, passing, movement and crosses.

Alan Thompson started the game and presented the manager with absolutley no case for allowing him a regular place in the first team. When he plays it is clearly upsetting Mo Camara's play, and Aiden McGeady does not look comfortable on the right-hand side, so why play him at all? He brings nothing to the team and surely Stephen Pearson would be more suited on our left.

Today, for the first time in my memory, Celtic failed to create a chance at goal in the whole first half of a game. This is a deplorable statistic and sums up exactly how bad we were today.

The Pars started well and despite having eleven men behind the ball while in defence, their counter attacking style was certainly causing Celtic problems in the first half.

Celtic's attitude was all wrong - the team underestimated Dunfermline and looked uncomfortable from the beginning - it was only a matter of time before we lost a goal. The goal came on 17 minutes from Greg Ross, who was unmarked in the Celtic box to face a simple tap-in.

The goal should have been a wake-up call for the home side, but we continued to play like a team full of strangers. Artur Boruc made two world class saves towards the end of the first period as Stephen McManus, Mo Camara and Paul Telfer were again caught in no-man's land.

There were no substitutions at half time, but the crowd expected a better attitude from Celtic. The tempo was stepped up a little bit and we did create one or two chances, but could not break through the Dunfermline defence.

Aiden McGeady had Celtic's first shot at goal - a decent effort but nothing to trouble the Dunfermline goalkeeper.

Maciej Zurawski was welcomed back from injury to replace Alan Thompson just after the hour mark. Not long afterwards, Stephen Pearson replaced Mo Camara.

With ten minutes remaining, Celtic were denied a penalty, when Stephen McManus was brought down after a run down the left-hand side. Clearly, it was not going to be our day.

John Hartson and Chris Sutton both missed good chances in the last ten minutes - free headers which £6 Million strikers should be putting away with ease.

The final whistle saw the usual numties booing but this may be a wake-up call to all who thought we were world-beaters last week. Remember, we have not won anything yet, but are still sitting at the top of the league.

Hopefully today will show the players how easy it is to have an off day and there is still a long, long way to go.

After a good month of November, we enter what will be a difficult December with a trip to Pittodrie. Heads up and lets get back to winning ways. We shall not be moved.