Has McGinn's time arrived?

Is Niall McGinn at the stage in his Celtic career where he has to become a regular starter?

Other than Landry N'Guemo and Aiden McGeady, the former Derry City winger looks to be the only Celtic player currently on top of his game and playing with confidence.

The more match time he gets the more effective he becomes. Despite missing a few chances today he kept on making himself available and worked the ball well from his left side onto his favoured right before scoring with conviction.

With N'Guemo about to leave for the African Nations Cup there will have to be some changes to the midfield with McGinn as a starter becoming a serious option.

The main obstacle to McGinn becoming a regular would appear to be McGeady, or more accurately, McGeady's role in the team. Starting with both players on the wings would give the side more of a 4-2-4 formation that 4-4-2 but with N'Guemo missing for most of January perhaps it might be an option to give Aiden a more central role, or his Co-Operative Cup Final role as he successfully defined it.

After his goal against Hamilton McGinn said: "There was a bit of nervousness and so it was important to get our second goal.


"Hopefully that will make the manager think about his team over the next couple of weeks. I feel I am getting fitter, becoming a better player and my confidence is on a high.

"So far my season has been unbelievable and hopefully soon I will be in the starting eleven, week-in, week-out."

The debate between the glass half-full and half-empty camps after today's display will be lively but it depends on your starting point as to the view that you take.

Not surprisingly the defence remains a major concern. After some promising early season signs Artur Boruc is back looking unpredicatable and was badly caught out at the disallowed Hamilton goal while no central defensive partnership has looked convincing.

The Georgios Samaras debate could go on forever. There's no doubt that he has great skill and has moments of inspiration but in his current role he's as much a wide player that pushes forward as he is a striker. Against Hamilton Accies at home Celtic need as many strikers as possible with Scott McDonald looking isolated and frustrated in equal measures.

Marco Fortune was much more like the striker we've been hoping for. He's more direct than Samaras, playing on the shoulders of defenders and after hitting the woodwork again today he looks capable of going on a serious scoring run.

Everything about the season hinges on January 3, providing that Kilmarnock are safely negotiated on Wednesday.

Two wins from our next SPL fixtures before the break for the Scottish Cup would give time for any January signings to be settled in for the less testing home match with Falkirk on January 16.

The Rangers game is the priority with McGinn hopeful that his performance today has edged him closer to his first big match start.
He added: "My only low point was not being involved in the Rangers game at Ibrox.

"If I get a start against Rangers on January 3 I will be more than ready. It's another challenge I relish and even if I'm on the bench I can come on and make an impact."

He added: "But it was important to get the three points today to close the gap on Rangers, so hopefully Hibs can do us a favour by pulling off a win or by getting a draw, which will also be a good result.

"We also need to win on Wednesday night against Kilmarnock to make sure we go in the Rangers game on a high."

Nice one Gowser- the forgotten Celt

It may be the night that someone scored two goals at once- his first and last for Celtic- but it was great to see Paul Gowser McGowan become a goalscorer.

Adored by Morton fans after a season long loan spell the little striker has found it impossible to break through the lengthy list of strikers that have barred his route to the first team.

Scott McDonald, Georgios Samaras, Marco Fortune, Chris Killen, Cillian Sheridan, Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, Maciej Zurawski, Kenny Miller and even Ben Hutchison have been in front of McGowan for a place in the affections of Gordon Strachan and Tony Mowbray.

Tonight however he joined that fairly exclusive band to have found the net for Celtic in Europe and the first to score an equaliser after being three goals down within 20 minutes!

McGowan has got lots about him but it's difficult to get away from the impression that he's just too small to make it at the top level.

He has an eye for goal, a poachers instinct and can drop deep, link up and play passes but without a real career path into the Celtic first team it's just not happened for him.

After his Morton loan season he needed to step up a grade but found season 2007/2008 ruined by injury.

The virtual demise of reserve football saw him spend the second half of last season at Hamilton but played out wide on the right rather than through the middle.

Resurrecting his Celtic career at the age of 22 seems unlikely but wherever he moves on to he'll do so as a Celtic goalscorer having played in the Champions League (at home to Vilareal) and after scoring in the Europa League.

The so-called meaningless Europa League tie with Rapid turned out to be quite explosive with a happy-ish ending as the gloating cheats of Rapid took a sore one as a spirited comeback from the inexperienced hoops silenced 40,000 in the Ernest Happel Stadium.

All across the defence Celtic were ropey throughout the first half as they made an average Austrian side- the nation that launched the career of Filip Sebo- look like Brazil 1970.

I'll not go over the goals lost, needless to say it was like a compilation of this season's howlers featuring the worst of Ibrox, Falkirk Stadium, Tannadice and Fir Park.

It could have got worse, Artmedia and Neuchatel were coming to mind but Niall McGinn was on form on the left then Marco Fortune turned a defender and buried the chance like the predator we're told that he isn't!

Big Mick frightened their defence with a powering towering header that served notice of our intent even if the referee decided to award a free kick.

McGinn could have helped himself to a hat-trick with a bit of luck on his finishing but suddenly the anticipated mauling had been halted and a text arrived asking if a Liverpool-AC Milan turn around was possible.

The second half was all Celtic with the main threat coming from McGinn now on the right with some pretty sinister and agricultural challenges coming in on the former Derry City winger.

Midway through the second half McGinn's low pass across goal was driven in by Fortune from within the six yard box and suddenly the world wasn't such a bad place as Celtic woke up and shrugged off their early nightmare.

McGinn was replaced by debutant Graham Carey 10 minutes later before in added time Marc Crosas picked out McGowan in the box with the striker tucking his first time shot past the Rapid keeper to the delight of the 800 hoops at the match and to the astonishment of television viewers.

In the era of betting in motion it would have been possible to back a Celtic win or draw, at 0-3 you'd have needed treatment, at 1-3 it was worth a punt.

Tonight's match showed that there's fight and character around the squad as well as ability.

The fightback tonight or at Motherwell on Saturday probably wouldn't have happened last season although it was a strong feature of Strachan's first seasons at the club.

Earlier in the season after the 5-2 home win over St Johnstone Shaun Maloney was asked if supporters could expect results like that throughout the season due to the managers commitment to attack.

Even then Maloney highlighted Mowbray's determination to cut out sloppy defending, the January transfer window offers a real chance to get something sorted after trying out various options so far this season.

Sorting out the defence must be a priority- doing so would reduce the need for dramatic comebacks which is something that we could happily do without.

PS Apparently Gowsers goal will do wonders for the co-efficient of Scottish football and earn him the eternal gratitude of the nation...

McGinn the fan becomes Niall the scorer

Niall McGinn's joy at his first Celtic goal was obvious to all on Saturday as the ball hit the back of the Kilmarnock net.

The 22-year-old from County Tyrone has forced his way into Tony Mowbray's squad this season and made a favourable impression on the support with his pace and direct approach to taking on defenders.

In any circumstances scoring your first goal for a club is a special feeling but for the dwindling band of supporters to have graduated into the first team it must be extra special.

Aiden McGeady was fortunate enough to score on his Celtic debut against Hearts in 2004 but there weren't many friendly faces celebrating when his shot hit the net.

BAMBOOZLED
A few months after McGeady's debut goal Alan Thompson, what a surprise, sent in a stinging shot that bamboozled Stefan Klos as it bent and swerved it's way over the German into the goal.

Behind Klos celebrating was the teenage McGinn, jumping for joy as his first visit to Celtic Park ended in victory to give him something to celebrate all the way home and no doubt through the next week or two.

After scoring his first Celtic goal against Kilmarnock at the weekend McGinn was happy to recall the emotions that he felt as a fan celebrating one of Thompson's many goals against Rangers.

McGinn recalled: "I'll never forget the first time I watched a match at Celtic Park, I was sitting behind the goal when Alan Thompson scored a late winner against Rangers.

CELEBRATIONS
"I was going mad after that goal so it was special to score my first Celtic goal at the same end then share the celebrations with the supporters.

"I'd thought about my celebrations, I had a few planned but just ran over to the crowd and kissed the badge.

"I grew up supporting Celtic. When I came back to the halfway line I put my hand up to my mother and father who were in the Players' Lounge watching me.

UNBELIEVABLE
"When I got back to the changing room after the match there was a lot of messages and missed calls on my phone, the support that I'm getting from back home is unbelievable. There is a big following from my area for Celtic and everyone seems interested in how I'm getting on.

"A lot of people give up time to travel over from Ireland to watch Celtic. It was my dream as a boy to play here and I loved coming over for games.

"I know what it's like to be a supporter, to be playing for Celtic is very special and I like to give something back to the people that are travelling over from Ireland."

Evening Herald interview with Niall McGinn

McGinn on target at Barrow

Niall McGinn scored the only goal of the game tonight as a Celtic XI won 1-0 away to Barrow AFC.

The match was to celebrate 100 years of football at Holker Street Stadium, home of the Blue Square Premiership side.

McGinn scored the only goal of the match in the 25th minute.

Celtic team: Dominic Cervi, Jason Marr, Josh Thompson, Krisjanis Vallers, Ryan Conroy; Niall McGinn,Declan Gallacher, Richie Towell, Graham Carey; Paul McGowan, Koki Mizuno. Subs: Daniele Giordano, Hayden Cochrane, Luca Santonocito, Jordan Lowdon.

McGinn and Mizuno lead the Barrow Bhoys

Niall McGinn and Koki Mizuno are amongst the Celtic squad travelling to face Barrow tonight as part of the Cumbrian clubs Centenary celebrations.

Neil Lennon will take charge of the Celtic squad in what promises to be a good test for the reserve side now that financial problems has forced the SPL into the short sighted measure of abandoning formal reserve football.

The reserve side have made a few appearances down south already this season and lost 2-1 at Huddesfield Town last week in a behind closed doors match.

Next week the reserves head over to Ireland with games arranged against Derry City and Cliftonville.

With a spate of injuries to the first team squad there could be opportunities for some players to play their way into Tony Mowbray's first team plans ahead of the next SPL fixture at home to Motherwell.

Barrow have had a difficult start to the season and currently sit in 18th place in the 24 team Blue Square Premier which is effectively the fifth division of English football.

At the weekend they drew at home with leaders Oxford United with the division also containing former Football League clubs, Luton Town, Mansfield Town, Cambridge United and Wrexham.

Officials for tonight's game will be selected by the Football Association, hopefully they will be more competent than the standards that Celtic have endured in recent SPL fixtures.

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE

Niall McGinn scored the only goal of the game in the 25th minute as a Celtic XI won 1-0 away to Barrow AFC.

Celtic team: Dominic Cervi, Jason Marr, Josh Thompson, Krisjanis Vallers, Ryan Conroy; Niall McGinn,Declan Gallacher, Richie Towell, Graham Carey; Paul McGowan, Koki Mizuno.

Subs: Daniele Giordano, Hayden Cochrane, Luca Santonocito, Jordan Lowdon.

McGinn moves from punter to player

Niall McGinn is hoping to make the transition from punter to player when Celtic face Rangers at Ibrox tomorrow.

Last December McGinn travelled with his agent on a supporters bus from Coatbridge to watch Scott McDonald score a spectacular winner to put Gordon Strachan's side seven points clear.

Little did the Celtic support know that it would be almost the last highlight of the season as the bid to win four-in-a-row fell apart at the seems.

Celtic travel to Ibrox tomorrow with the chance to go seven points clear again with McGinn hoping to get a place on the bench for the lunchtime showdown.

He said: "It will be unbelievable to be involved. I'm really looking forward to the match and it'll be an absolute bonus if I can make the bench.

"The U21 rule works against me so I don't know what's likely to happen. We'll find out the team and substitutes on Sunday and I'd love to be involved.

SUPPORTERS

"Last season I travelled to Ibrox with my agent on a supporters bus, it was good to see the other side of it, to get a feeling for the supporters and see what an Old Firm game really means to the Celtic fans.

"It was great to be in there among them and I was jumping about and cheering with everyone else when Scott McDonald scored the goal."

Despite signing in January McGinn never made any appearances for Gordon Strachan and looked to be an outsider in the early days of Tony Mowbray's reign.

That all changed in Mowbray's eighth game of the season when he was given a surprise start against Dundee United and took the chance with both hands picking up the man-of-the-match award in a text vote from supporters.

McGinn's pace gives Mowbray an extra option from the bench with the 22-year-old looking to convince his gaffer that he is ready to become a first-team starter.

OPPORTUNITIES

"Everything has gone well for me recently," McGinn added. "The manager has given me a few opportunities, he's brought me on several times as a substitute.

"I've got to keep doing what I'm doing and hopefully more opportunities will come my way till I get to the stage where I'm playing week in week out.

"Any chance that I get I have to take, I have to impress the manager every minute that I'm on the pitch and make the most of every chance.

"There's a good camaraderie among the players and we're looking forward to the game with Rangers.

"The team is gelling together under the new manager and getting used to his style of play, by the time that we get to Ibrox we will be more than ready."

Niall McGinn in the Evening Herald

Aiden McGeady in the Evening Herald

Loovens delivers justice VIDEO EVIDENCE

Deep, deep into injury time Glenn Loovens delivered a telling header to send Celtic clear at the top of the SPL.

When I saw a link to THIS CLIP I was expecting a blurred, shaky clip of the goal but by You Tube standards it's almost High Definition plasma style.

BBC highlights (for UK based viewers only, licence payers!)

It was a strange performance from Celtic today, something's not quite right and it's hard to identify the cause, the free flowing football from the opening two SPL games and the win away to Dinamo Moscow is a distant memory as the team struggle to shake off the hangover of last season.

The injury to Marc-Antoine Fortune and the transfer of Massimo Donati seem to have had a major impact on the team with no area of the side functioning properly.

POSSESSION

Hearts opening goal after just five minutes was very preventable and brought back worrying memories of last weeks draw with Dundee United. Scott Brown lost possession of the ball in the middle of the park and in next to no time Suso Santana was finding the net with a shot that Artur Boruc really should have dealt with.

Pleasingly Celtic threw virtually everything into attack even though it was hardly the most co-ordinated of play. Landry N'Guemo was in better form than of late but again there was too much of a reliance on Aiden McGeady with Shaun Maloney worryingly out of touch.

There were plenty of chances being created but no takers with some comic cut defending almost allowing Hearts to go two up in the 41st minute when Gary Caldwell cleared an Andrew Driver shot off the line with sparks flying between Caldwell and Boruc.

Celtic kept up the pressure after the break with Chris Killen scoring his first goal at Celtic Park with an impressive header in the 55th minute after Maloney had sent in the sort of cross that physical centre forwards live for.

The tension and unrest around the stadium eased after that as the team chased the goal that would take them to the top of the table.

SWAPPED

Niall McGinn replaced Maloney in the 68th minute and after starting on the left wing swapped flanks with McGeady over to the right wing.

Five minutes from the end McGinn was sent sprawling in the penalty box from a Lee Wallace challenge but after looking to his assistant for help referee Dougie McDonald waved aside the penalty claims to award Celtic a free kick.

Three weeks ago at Hibs the same referee gave McGeady his second yellow card of the day for alleged simulation, surely if it wasn't a penalty then he should have yellow carded McGinn?

INSPIRATION

Four minutes added time signalled a roar from the crowd but there was no real inspiration on the park until Wallace inexplicatly allowed the ball to go out of play for a corner believing that a goal kick would be awarded.

Danny Fox's inswinging corner from the right was punched weakly by keeper Janos Balogh, Aiden McGeady sent a header back into the six yard box with Loovens first to react to bundle the ball into the net.

The garden is far from rosy at Celtic but today's win should give the team a much needed confidence boost and shows that the fighting spirit is alive and well in the face of adversity.

Major surgery requires to be carried out in the team, that task will be a little easier from the top of the table as Mowbray gets to understand the mechanics of the squad and puts his stamp on things.

Round up and quotes from the loan Celts

Ujpest win again

Niall McGinn's Gaelic passion

Celtic new boy Niall McGinn could easily have been lost to football/soccer if his heart had ruled his head into pursuing a career in GAA.

The former Derry City winger made an impressive debut against Dundee United on Saturday in a move that surprised the player as much as anyone.

The McGinn story has been a whirlwind over the last two years since he ended his dual sporting career with Dungannon Swifts and Tyrone GAA to concentrate on soccer with Derry City.

One season at the Brandywell was enough to take him into the Northern Irish international squad with the award of Young Player of the Year for the League of Ireland bringing him to Celtic's attention and a move to Glasgow at the start of 2009.

Whilst speaking to Niall after the match on Saturday he dropped in a mention about playing GAA and only giving it up when he was offered full-time soccer with Derry City.

GAELIC
He said: "I've been playing Gaelic since I was eight-year-old right up until I turned full-time with Derry under two years ago. After that I had to knock Gaelic on the head.

"I had an option to play with Tyrone, the soccer was going well for me so I decided to go with that and thankfully it's proved to be the right decision."

That prompted some googling on my part, cynically to begin with, as there are often stories from people in one field or profession mentioning what a near miss they had in another career.

Niall however underplayed his talent at GAA as my googling soon uncovered references such as

Aidan Cassidy and Niall McGinn, who eventually proved tormentor-in-chief with 2-6, posted the goals to supplement Tyrone s eight point haul at the end of the first quarter

Niall McGinn, the Teamtalk Young Club footballer of the year, came on in the second half in place of Philip Toner, both players unable to play for the full game with an All-Ireland Colleges final coming up three days later.

It'll be very interesting now to see how McGinn's career develops.

AUTHENTIC
Neither Aiden McGeady or Shaun Maloney could be described as authentic wingers, they are mainly wide midfielders more likely to cut inside than hit the by-line or send in a punishing cross.

While McGinn's pace and control was impressive on Saturday there was no real target for him to aim at with Scott McDonald the sole striker until Georgios Samaras came on.

To get the most out of McGinn a target man, possibly Chris Killen, playing alongside McDonald would give more options.

MOWBRAY
The return from suspension of McGeady is likely to end McGinn's first-team 'run' but he did enough to suggest that he is a more than useful option for the first team, Tony Mowbray remarked that ideally he'd liked to have had the former Derry City winger available on the bench to give Maloney and McGeady a breather now and then.

Time will tell whether McGinn makes it or not at Celtic but in a flat performance against Dundee United his performance was one of the few highlights.

Hopefully his Celtic career will accelerate leaving no regrets over his decision to give up on Tyrone GAA in order to play for Derry City and earn a move to Celtic.

EVENING HERALD REPORT