Celtic vs Hamilton Academical. Scottish Premiership.
Celtic ParkAttendance55,881.
Saturday 4 October 2008 18:17, UK
Celtic cruised to a comfortable win over Hamilton at Parkhead to go top of the Premier League.
Celtic cruised to a comfortable win over Hamilton at Parkhead to go top of the Premier League on goal difference over Rangers. The Ibrox side play their game in hand against St Mirren on Sunday but Gordon Strachan's men can be pleased with the way they responded to the Champions League defeat by Villarreal in midweek. Goals from Shunsuke Nakamura and Georgios Samaras gave the home side a half-time lead and there was no way back for the SPL new boys. Scott McDonald grabbed number three in the 75th minute and after Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc had made a fine penalty save from James McArthur, as well as the header from the rebound from the Accies midfielder, Aiden McGeady slid in the fourth to complete the visitors' misery and erase the memory of El Madrigal. The home fans were in their seats less than a minute when Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink clashed with Accies left-back Brian Easton, the Dutchman hobbling off to be replaced by top scorer Samaras. Amid a subdued atmosphere, Celtic may have had a penalty in the ninth minute when McGeady was clumsily challenged close to the byline inside the box by Easton but referee Steve Conroy ignored the appeals. In the 15th minute Barry Robson's searching cross was met by Samaras pulling away at the back post. The Greece international's close-range header was knocked up in to the air by Accies goalkeeper Tomas Cerny before defender Martin Canning cleared for a corner which the visitors survived. Japan international Nakamura eventually broke the deadlock in the 25th minute with a fine volley. McGeady picked the ball up from Samaras on the right and drilled a cross to the back post, the ball evading David Elebert to be controlled almost effortlessly by Nakamura before he volleyed past Cerny from around six yards. As the champions turned the screw, McDonald came close when he accepted a Mark Wilson cut-back 16 yards out and smartly drove a right-footed shot against the inside of the post, the Lanarkshire side happy to escape again.