Celtic B and Hearts B played out an entertaining 2-2 draw at the Excelsior Stadium on Friday night as the Wee Jambos twice came from behind to ensure a share of the spoils.
Angus Beith made four changes from the side that lost to Broomhill last Friday as Jamie MacDonald, Matthew Gillies, Mackenzie Ross and Gregor Burn all came into the starting 11.
It had been a tricky run of result for the Wee Jambos of late, but they started the brighter of the two sides, and could have opened the scoring after ten minutes. It was full back to full back as Henry James crossed for Gregor Burn, but a green and white jersey was able to bundle the ball behind for a corner at the back post.
From the resulting corner, Bobby McLuckie’s cross was met by Kai Smutek, but his header down into the ground, was straight at Aidan Rice.
Just five minutes later, the hosts opened the scoring with their first real chance of the evening. Thomas Hatton made good ground down the left wing and his low cross was tapped home by Sean McArdle.
The men in maroon responded well and should’ve restored parity three minutes later. Smutek got round the back to once again get his head on a cross, he attempted to nod back across goal towards James Wilson, but it was just behind the striker, who couldn’t force the ball home from close-range.
As we passed the midway point of the first half, Wilson came even closer to finding the net. Latching on to a pass down the left channel, he let fly with his left foot, but from a tight angle, his powerful strike cannoned back off the crossbar.
The returning MacDonald hadn’t had anything of note to do in the first half but came up big on the half hour mark to deny Hatton, after the winger had beaten Burn down the left flank.
Wilson continued to have a personal battle with Rice in the Celtic goal and the stopper once again frustrated the striker, beating away an effort from distance, ten minutes from the interval.
Half-time: Celtic B 1-0 Hearts B
The Wee Jambos would’ve felt aggrieved to have been behind at the break, but they deservedly got themselves back on level terms four minutes after the interval. Matty Gillies had his jersey pulled in the box and when the referee pointed to the spot, Wilson stepped up to bag a deserved goal, sending the keeper the wrong way for the equaliser.
It was the men in maroon who continued to create the better openings, and they almost completed the comeback on the hour mark, but Mackenzie Ross’ strike from the corner of the box, was reversed into the side netting at the near post.
Lucas Smith had enjoyed a solid match in defence and three successful challenges set Hearts on their next attack, after winning the ball, the central defender released McLuckie down the left wing, he crossed low for Wilson, but the striker was unable to bring the ball under control and the chance was gone.
Due to injuries, Hearts were only able to name four outfield subs on the bench and as the men in maroon started to tire in the final ten minutes, Celtic restored their lead with a spot-kick of their own as Kyle Ure converted following a shirt pull.
The Wee Jambos didn’t give up though and deservedly secured a share of the spoils in the final minute of normal time. A scramble followed the second phase of a Hearts free kick and when the ball dropped to Mackenzie Ross, he picked his spot to ensure the game ended level.
Celtic: Rice, Donovan, Frame, Robertson ©, Agbaire, Ure, Dede, McArdle, Cummings, Turley, Hatton
Subs: Gill, Davidson, Cannon, Bonnar, Ferns, Haddow, Dobbie
Hearts: MacDonald, Smith, Smutek, Stevenson (Muirhead, 68), McLuckie (Plank, 86), Duncan ©, Wilson, Gillies, Ross, James, Burn
Subs: Lyon, Plank, Crookston, Muirhead, Hogarth
