Scottish CupFourth RoundSunday, January 18, 2025Rugby Park, Kilmarnock AUCHINLECK TALBOT… 0 CELTIC… 2(Kenny 33, Tounekti 85) Celtic progressed to the fifth round of the Scottish Cup after seeing off Auchinleck Talbot at Rugby Park with a comfortable 2-0 win. The Hoops looked to impose themselves early on in the match, and with just over five minutes played, Johnny Kenny found himself with an opportunity from just a few yards out after Luke McCowan had found him in the box. Kenny’s effort was saved well by the Auchinleck keeper, though the linesman’s flag went up eventually. Paulo Bernardo was the next Celtic player to find himself with a big opportunity when James Forrest swung a dangerous cross in to the box towards the unmarked Bernardo, but his headed effort went wide of the far post. That chance was quickly followed with another for Martin O’Neill’s men and this time it was Michel-Ange Balikwisha who got a shot away from inside the box, but his effort rose high over the bar and Auchinleck Talbot survived another Celtic attack. The Ayrshire side had spent almost the entirety of the first 30 minutes camped on the edge of their own box, but a rare venture up the park for Auchinleck yielded a crossing opportunity from a free-kick, from which they were able to cause a bit of chaos in the Celtic box. Had the bounce of the ball been more favourable for them, a chance to get a shot on target may have presented itself, but the Hoops were able to clear the danger eventually. The goal which Celtic had been threatening to produce arrived with 33 minutes on the clock and it was Johnny Kenny who found the back of the net from close-range after a cross from Luke McCowan. Celtic went close to doubling their lead with just a few minutes of the second half gone, but Johnny Kenny’s headed effort from a Luke McCowan cross crashed off the crossbar and the score remained 1-0. With just under 10 minutes of the second half played, the Ayrshire side mounted an attack which ended with Luke Gillies having an ambitious shot on goal from almost 40 yards out which Vil Sinisalo was able to save with ease. On the hour mark, Martin O’Neill turned to his bench and made his first change of the evening, swapping James Forrest for Sebastian Tounekti. Johnny Kenny thought he had grabbed his second goal of the match shortly after the change when he clipped the ball over the goalkeeper from a tight angle, but after a VAR review, the goal was judged to be offside. There were further changes for Celtic as the half progressed, with Michel-Ange Balikwisha and Stephen Welsh making way for Benjamin Nygren and Liam Scales. The second goal was proving elusive for Celtic as the match approached the final 15 minutes. Anthony Ralston went close with a header after a good cross from Liam Scales, but Ralston’s headed effort across the face of goal crept just wide of the target. Soon after, Benjamin Nygren got a shot away from inside the box, with the Swede producing a powerful effort which goalkeeper William Muir done well to parry to safety. With five minutes of the 90 remaining, Sebastian Tounekti put the result beyond doubt and secured Celtic’s place in the fifth round with a wonderful strike from just inside the area, which he curled in to the top corner of the net to make it 2-0.
Trending Now
