Aberdeen 0 - 2 Celtic

Sat 22 Aug 09  Aberdeen U19s 0 Celtic U19s 2

Aberdeen U19s went down 2-0 at home to Celtic at Balgownie in their first Clydesdale Bank Youth League fixture game but it was a very young Aberdeen side due to the number of injuries and so many of the U19 squad involved with the first team squad at Hamilton. In total Neil Cooper was without 10 players.

As luck would have it the depleted Dons were up against one of the strongest sides in the League. Despite the massive handicap Aberdeen started the game well but Celtic eventually got more into it and started popping passes about.

The visitors victory was sealed by first half goals from James Forrest and James Keatings. Winger Forrest fired the Hoops in front with a good solo strike. He burst into the box, rifling a low drive into the bottom left-hand corner. The goal gave Celtic confidence and Keatings added a second four minutes later with a first-time effort in the box.

Aberdeen had a couple of good spells and McRobbie and Bolger both had half chances but could not find the net. The game did allow a number of younger members of the squad to get a chance to show what they could do, including new recruit Lewis Davidson, and a number impressed especially Jordon Brown.

Neil Cooper was not too disappointed after the match "I am delighted for the lads who got a chance to be involved with the first team squad. At the end of the day that is what it is all about, preparing players for them to hopefully make the step up. It did leave us a bit short but the guys who came into the team stuck to their task well and it is unlikely they will face too many harder games than this one. It was great experience for them."

Team: Bain, Davidson, Jarvis, Brown, Dunlop, Ross, Masson (Devaney 75), Gibson, McRobbie, Bolger, Robertson Subs Lukasik, Neil Erskine.