Preston North End finished their pre-season camp in Scotland with a 0-1 win at Celtic, in what was the Lilywhites' third friendly outing.
In the first half, the Lilywhites gave a good account of themselves and could've easily gone in at the break with the lead.
Brad Potts called Vasilis Barkas into action early on, with a powerful drive from inside the box that was parried away.
Scott Sinclair, on his return to Celtic Park, then could've easily gone down inside the box but stayed on his feet and saw his low effort kept out - after running through on on goal.
Ched Evans had a good chance to score at the back post, but guided his header wide after Ryan Ledson's inventive cross found him in acres of space.
For the home side, Declan Rudd had little to do but saved well with his feet to deny David Turnbull from range - before Anthony Ralston blasted a good opportunity over, just before the whistle.
PNE carried on playing their stuff in the second half and it was the introduction of Sean Maguire and Emil Riis up front, that really swung the game in their favour.
Both looked sharp from the off and they linked up, to play a key role in the opening goal.
Riis won the flick-on inside the box, Maguire latched on to it, rounded the goalkeeper Scott Bain and was brought down - giving the referee a simple decision to make.
Up stepped a confident Ben Whiteman, who rolled the ball home to break the deadlock from 12 yards and score his second in as many matches.
North End pushed for another as Maguire continued to look lively, but in the end the one goal was enough for the Lilywhites to sign off from Scotland with a hard-earned and deserved win.
Celtic view
Pre-season friendly
Saturday, July 17, 2021
Celtic Park, Glasgow
CELTIC… 0
PRESTON NORTH END… 1
(Whiteman 64pen)
A Ben Whiteman penalty just after the hour mark was enough to give Preston North End a 1-0 victory in their pre-season clash with Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side at Paradise. It was a soft award by referee, Kevin Clancy, but the Preston player converted the effort beyond Scott Bain.
In a first-half of few chances, it was Vasilis Barkas who kept the visitors at bay with two superb saves early in the game, including one from former Celt, Scott Sinclair, who had received a warm welcome from the 2,000 Celtic supporters in the stadium.
At the other end, it was David Turnbull who came closest for Ange Postecoglou’s side. His first effort from the edge of the box went just wide of Declan Rudd’s right-hand post, while just after the half-hour mark, he had a shot on target which the Preston goalkeeper saved with his foot.
In between those two efforts, Liam Shaw, playing in the midfield three alongside Turnbull and captain, Callum McGregor, fired a right-foot shot from 25 yards that went wide.
And just before the break, Adam Montgomery and Greg Taylor combined well down the left-hand side, with the latter rolling the ball into the path of Anthony Ralston, but his effort went high and wide.
Ange Postecoglou made a number of changes at the break, most notably replacing Barkas with Scott Bain, while there were further substitutions at the hour mark, with Liel Abada coming on for his first appearance in the Hoops.
But just four minutes after that, the visitors were awarded a penalty when Sean Maguire went down in the box under little pressure. The referee pointed to the spot and Whiteman duly slotted the ball home.
Preston had a chance to extend their lead soon after, but Patrick Bauer’s header was comfortably saved while, at the other end, Dane Murray connected with Ewan Henderson’s free-kick, but couldn’t direct his header on target.
Liel Abada went even closer on 74 minutes, firing a right-foot shot on target from 16 yards, but it was well saved by the Preston goalkeeper, denying the Israeli internationalist a dream debut goal.
With two minutes remaining, Declan Rudd produced another superb stop, this time to deny Henderson, whose curling effort from the edge of the ‘D’ looked destined for the top corner of the net.
CELTIC: Barkas, Taylor, Ajeti, Turnbull, Urhoghide, Shaw, McGregor, Montgomery, Ralston, Welsh, Moffat.
Subs: Bain, Abada, Rogic, Edouar, Bolingoli, Afolabi, O’Connor, Coffey, Robertson, Murray, Henderson, Hjelde.
PNE: Rudd, Storey (Bauer 61), Lindsay (van den Berg 61), Hughes (Rafferty 61), Barkhuizen (Seary 76), Ledson (Harrop 68), Whiteman (Bayliss 68), Potts (Brown 61), Cunningham (Earl 61), Evans (Riis 61), Sinclair (Maguire 61). Subs (not used): Hudson, Leigh, Mawene.
In the first half, the Lilywhites gave a good account of themselves and could've easily gone in at the break with the lead.
Brad Potts called Vasilis Barkas into action early on, with a powerful drive from inside the box that was parried away.
Scott Sinclair, on his return to Celtic Park, then could've easily gone down inside the box but stayed on his feet and saw his low effort kept out - after running through on on goal.
Ched Evans had a good chance to score at the back post, but guided his header wide after Ryan Ledson's inventive cross found him in acres of space.
For the home side, Declan Rudd had little to do but saved well with his feet to deny David Turnbull from range - before Anthony Ralston blasted a good opportunity over, just before the whistle.
PNE carried on playing their stuff in the second half and it was the introduction of Sean Maguire and Emil Riis up front, that really swung the game in their favour.
Both looked sharp from the off and they linked up, to play a key role in the opening goal.
Riis won the flick-on inside the box, Maguire latched on to it, rounded the goalkeeper Scott Bain and was brought down - giving the referee a simple decision to make.
Up stepped a confident Ben Whiteman, who rolled the ball home to break the deadlock from 12 yards and score his second in as many matches.
North End pushed for another as Maguire continued to look lively, but in the end the one goal was enough for the Lilywhites to sign off from Scotland with a hard-earned and deserved win.
Celtic view
Pre-season friendly
Saturday, July 17, 2021
Celtic Park, Glasgow
CELTIC… 0
PRESTON NORTH END… 1
(Whiteman 64pen)
A Ben Whiteman penalty just after the hour mark was enough to give Preston North End a 1-0 victory in their pre-season clash with Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side at Paradise. It was a soft award by referee, Kevin Clancy, but the Preston player converted the effort beyond Scott Bain.
In a first-half of few chances, it was Vasilis Barkas who kept the visitors at bay with two superb saves early in the game, including one from former Celt, Scott Sinclair, who had received a warm welcome from the 2,000 Celtic supporters in the stadium.
At the other end, it was David Turnbull who came closest for Ange Postecoglou’s side. His first effort from the edge of the box went just wide of Declan Rudd’s right-hand post, while just after the half-hour mark, he had a shot on target which the Preston goalkeeper saved with his foot.
In between those two efforts, Liam Shaw, playing in the midfield three alongside Turnbull and captain, Callum McGregor, fired a right-foot shot from 25 yards that went wide.
And just before the break, Adam Montgomery and Greg Taylor combined well down the left-hand side, with the latter rolling the ball into the path of Anthony Ralston, but his effort went high and wide.
Ange Postecoglou made a number of changes at the break, most notably replacing Barkas with Scott Bain, while there were further substitutions at the hour mark, with Liel Abada coming on for his first appearance in the Hoops.
But just four minutes after that, the visitors were awarded a penalty when Sean Maguire went down in the box under little pressure. The referee pointed to the spot and Whiteman duly slotted the ball home.
Preston had a chance to extend their lead soon after, but Patrick Bauer’s header was comfortably saved while, at the other end, Dane Murray connected with Ewan Henderson’s free-kick, but couldn’t direct his header on target.
Liel Abada went even closer on 74 minutes, firing a right-foot shot on target from 16 yards, but it was well saved by the Preston goalkeeper, denying the Israeli internationalist a dream debut goal.
With two minutes remaining, Declan Rudd produced another superb stop, this time to deny Henderson, whose curling effort from the edge of the ‘D’ looked destined for the top corner of the net.
CELTIC: Barkas, Taylor, Ajeti, Turnbull, Urhoghide, Shaw, McGregor, Montgomery, Ralston, Welsh, Moffat.
Subs: Bain, Abada, Rogic, Edouar, Bolingoli, Afolabi, O’Connor, Coffey, Robertson, Murray, Henderson, Hjelde.
PNE: Rudd, Storey (Bauer 61), Lindsay (van den Berg 61), Hughes (Rafferty 61), Barkhuizen (Seary 76), Ledson (Harrop 68), Whiteman (Bayliss 68), Potts (Brown 61), Cunningham (Earl 61), Evans (Riis 61), Sinclair (Maguire 61). Subs (not used): Hudson, Leigh, Mawene.
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