SPL Youth League: Celtic 4, Inverness 2

THE young Bhoys gained revenge against the only team to have beaten them in the league this season, and in doing so displayed that they have an abundance of guts and grit to complement their undoubted talents.
For long periods of the first 45 minutes it seemed Willie McStay's kids were about to come a cropper at a blustery Barrowfield against their bigger, stronger and older opponents.
But a half-time rollicking by the Under-19s' coach appeared to reinvigorate the Celtic teenagers, who stormed to a deserved 4-2 victory.
They had started the game with Paul Skinner in goal behind right back and skipper Paul Caddis, central defenders Jason Marr and Sean Anderson plus Danny Lafferty at left back.
Kevin Cawley was on the right of a midfield diamond, with Ross Hepburn taking up the holding role to give Mark Miller a platform to attack from. Graham Carey - a hat-trick hero last time out against St Mirren - was wide left.
Up front was human battering ram Cillian Sheridan , with Paul Cahillane playing off him.
On a pitch that was surprisingly firm and flat after the overnight storms, the wee Celts started highly impressively.
The passing and movement was crisp and incisive, a fact exemplified by a classy opening goal in the seventh minute.
After Ross Hepburn won the ball in midfield, three Irish lads linked up to split the Inverness defence.
Carey clipped a pass to Sheridan on the edge of the box, and his deft flick was expertly collected by CAHILLANE, who cut on to his left foot before curling the ball into the bottom corner.
Minutes later another superb passing move ended with Cahillane's curling cross being glanced wide by Sheridan.
The visitors struck back with a long-range shot which Skinner parried away. Then Caddis, after a weaving run, fed Carey in the box, but his fierce shot was blocked by the Inverness keeper.
After 23 minutes Marr came within inches of heading home a Miller free-kick.
However, 60 seconds later Inverness drew level with a goal which highlighted the fragility, inexperience and naivety of these young Celts when it comes to defending.
Marr did well to block a goalbound shot after a goalmouth scramble, but his teammates passed up a couple of opportunities to clear the ball.
That gave Inverness the chance to fire in a shot which rattled the post before WOOD stroked the rebound past the helpless Skinner.
The goal rattled the Celts, who began to play too many long balls to Sheridan. Nevertheless, they came close to scoring just after the half-hour mark when Cahillane fed Carey for a fierce drive which the keeper parried.
But worse was to follow for the wee Bhoys when the visitors edged in front after 33 minutes.
There seemed little danger as Skinner got himself in line behind a mis-hit 25-yarder.
Sadly, the big Irish keeper fumbled the ball and WOOD was once again first to the rebound to claim his second of the afternoon.
The blunder appeared to unnerve Skinner for a while, and he was perhaps fortunate to escape with just a yellow card when he downed an Inverness player at the corner of his box after a quick break. Fortunately for him, the visitor appeared to play the ball towards the corner flag before being fouled, so it wasn't a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Celtic continued to huff and puff for the rest of the half, with tempers beginning to fray as a couple of young Celts attempted to play the blame game.
The half-time whistle helped to calm nerves and re-focus energies. And within minutes of the start of the second period it was clear McStay's team talk had done the trick.
Celtic looked a yard faster and a great deal more determined as they continually pressed their opponents, then reverted to their slick passing game when possession was regained.
After 50 minutes they pulled level. Marr was unlucky not to score when his header from a corner was cleared off the line.
The ball bounced high in the air just six yards out. But as a handful of giants pondered their next move, up popped CAWLEY, the smallest player on the park, to nod high into the net.
That piece of bravery gave every player in the Hoops a lift. Four minutes later Carey burst through on the left, but his cross was cut out with Cawley waiting at the back post.
Then Cawley won the ball on the edge of the box to set up Cahillane for a curling shot that drifted just over.
It really was one-way traffic at this point. Cahillane had a shot blocked. Then a great Sheridan pass put Carey through, but he drove over the bar. Carey had another chance after good play by Miller, but the Inverness keeper did well to parry his fierce drive.
Celtic neded a goal at this point, and they got it after 68 minutes after a fine, piercing run by Miller.
He passed to Cahillane, whose first touch took him away from goal. But he spun and clipped an inviting cross across the six-yard box which SHERIDAN headed powerfully home.
Caley came close five minutes later when a header from a corner slipped wide but the wee Bhoys refused to slip into bad habits and instead finished the game in style.
Inverness couldn't live with the intensity of their play, with the Celts defending from the front and attacking with pace and inventiveness.
With quarter of an hour to go, a quick Caddis free-kick was flicked by Cahillane to Cawley, who drove a superb low ball across the box which Sheridan scooped wide when it looked easier to score.
But the Hoops sealed the points on 78 minutes after the tenacious Cawley won a 50-50 ball in his own half and fed Cahillane.
Young Paul's early pass split the defence and SHERIDAN showed great acceleration and poise to run on and drill the ball low into the far corner of the net.
The Celts continued to push forward. A long Caddis cross almost sneaked into the net before quick-thinking by Miller saw his long throw set Sheridan free on the right, but his cross was just missed by the stretching Cahillane.
In a rare Caley foray, Skinner did well to tip over a fierce volley - then did even better to supress a smirk as the referee awarded the Celts a bye-kick.
Brian McEwan came on with five minutes to go for Marr, who appeared to have suffered a blow to his nose. And he saw Sheridan denied a hat-trick by a decent save from the Inverness keeper.
The full-time whistle came as a relief to the over-run visitors, who will no doubt have been as impressed as the Hoops coaching staff in the progress these young players have made in so short a time.
In a season in which the club have become virtually unbeatable at any level, these wee Bhoys are doing themselves and Celtic proud.

PLAYER RATINGS

Paul Skinner
The big Irish lad had a poor game. He started by flapping at a cross, then fumbled the ball to gift Inverness the second goal. And in the second half Caddis took a through ball off towards the corner flag when Paul should have been demanding it volubly. Needs a visit to the Artur Boruc School of Self Assertiveness to ensure that he begins to bully the opposition AND his own defenders. Big Paul has everything he needs to become a great keeper but has to command his box better and take pressure off his defence by holding crosses instead of parrying them. Keep the heid up, young man!

Paul Caddis
Another inspiring display by Captain Marvel, who continues to power forward with skill, pace and courage. Still a bit on the small side, so Inverness put a giant up against him to win long crossballs - but Paul gave him nowt. One small moan: some of his younger, less confident teammates will react better to encouraging words rather than carping. That said, Paul continues to inspire by his example.

Danny Lafferty
Fast becoming one of my favourite players in this remarkable squad. At times Danny's distribution can be a bit haphazard but he lacks nothing for determination and enthusiasm.
There's a bit of the Anton Rogan about big Danny as he surges forward on the left flank - no doubt a comparison enjoyed by the Derry lad's relatives. He has tons of work still to do on his game but he's in the right place to do that work if he wants it badly enough.

Jason Marr
The rock on which the back four has been built this season. He had to be brave to stand up to the aerial bombardment from the big Inverness lads - and he was. A fine big stopper with no lack of skill, although I feel a player in his position should be the loudest, angriest player on the park in order to marshall his colleagues and intimidate the opposition. Jason also came close to scoring a couple of times. Let's just say he was unlucky - because his parents wouldn't tell me how many "k"s there are in shocking! (;-0)

Sean Anderson
Tall, skillful midfielder who has done a superb job in the centre of defence since Andy Traub got injured. Not a natural header of the ball (I'm available to give him lessons on the skill that made me a legend for Muirend Amateurs' second team!) but has a good burst of pace and shows composure in possession. But, like Jason, he has to become more intimidating. Professional fitba' can be a nasty business at times - and central defenders have to be the nastiest of the lot. That said, big Ando deserves massive credit for another great performance.

Kevin Cawley
Not at his happiest on the wide right of midfield and towards the end of the first half it appeared to me that he'd let his head drop a bit. But he came back out for the second half in a determined mood and turned the game with his brave equaliser. Small and wiry, but with bags of guts and skill, he reminds me of a certain Swedish forward with his ability to out-jump much taller opponents and power fearlessly into tackles. There's much, much more to come from this lad.

Ross Hepburn
Another totally unselfish performance from the midfield workhorse, who ran and tackled all day and kept posession with short, sensible passes. Like Jason Marr, he does the unglamorous work with a minimum of fuss. But without his efforts and attitude this team would not be top of the league. How Archie Knox can ignore him for Scotland Under-19s is a mystery. Perhaps.

Mark Miller
A superb talent, he sped forward from deep positions time and again, beating three or four players at a time. But he has to learn when to release the ball to maintain momentum and wrong-foot defenders. Like Caddis, a 19-year-old veteran in this mainly 17-year-old team and, like Cap'n Paul, I feel he should be more aware of how unhelpful it can be when he lets his frustration lead to criticism that can demoralise his less experienced colleagues. That said, this very skillful player is a genuine prospect.

Graham Carey
No hat-trick this week for the swaggering left winger with the bright yellow boots. But it wasn't for a lack of trying, as Graham hammered in shot after shot with his big banana feet. Took a knock early on and seemed less than keen on tackling from then on. A great talent going forward, but the Irish lad has to work harder for his team when the other side have the ball.

Cillian Sheridan
Apparently crocked all week, the big boy struggled to get into the game for long spells of the first half. But he had a superb second period, with many examples of skillful build-up play to add to his two goals. The first was an easy header but the second was a superb finish. This lad has a big future in the game if he continues to improve at the rate he's done so far this season.

Paul Cahillane
I was delighted to see this lad get a goal as he sacrifices so much for the team with his thoughtful build-up play and selflesss passing. Seldom gives the ball away, and struck up a great understanding with Cawley in the second half. I'm not convinced that he's a natural striker, but this lad simply gives his all for the team and is a real prospect.

Brian McEwan
Came on for Jason Marr's bruised conk in the last five minutes and displayed skill and poise at centre-half. Shame about the mullet.