Sligo Rovers 2 Celtic 3 LIVE reaction as Luis Palma hat trick seals late turnaround.
Brendan Rodgers visits Brother Walfrid’s birthplace with his players who are not on international duty.
Although Luis Palma and Celtic rallied from behind to defeat Sligo Rover 3-2, it wasn’t exactly a spectacular performance from either player. He was the improbable hat-trick hero.
With a back post tap in, the Honduran gave Brendan Rodgers’ team the ahead early on.
However, Rovers came back strong, with Scott Bain in goal providing a great assist. Simon Power’s low, bouncing strike beat him low at his near post after he palmed Kailin Barlow’s effort into his own net.
Despite Celtic pressure, the hosts could have, and likely should have, taken a bigger lead after the break. Owen Elding missed a key one-on-one opportunity.
But that pressure eventually told as Palma twice stole in at the back post to tap home and turn the game around in the dying moments.
He’s been challenged to do more to force his way back into Rodgers’ plans. It wasn’t a stand out display despite the goals from Palma, but he will at least have given his manager some food for thought going forward.
KEY EVENTS
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5 talking points21:41
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Full-time21:27
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GOAL!21:20
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GOAL!21:18
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Half-time20:19
5 talking points
Prior to the game, Brendan Rodgers said he believed it was a crime that he couldn’t play more first team games with some of his bench players.
The Celtic manager needed Luis Palma to save his team from defeat as the Hoops defeated Sligo Rovers 3-2 just when it appeared that the Irish team would be humiliated.
In the end, Rodgers’ team produced a result, so he might not be too upset about it because he thinks his backup players won’t ever be a threat to the starting lineup. Palma took a gamble and now has a better chance than others because of the Celtics’ early advantage.
However, Scott Bain’s two shockers flipped the friendly match on its head, and the indifferent Celts could have had it much worse in a worrying first half.
In addition to Alex Valle earning another 45 minutes and Luke McCowan working hard to support the younger players beside him, Rodgers offered other of the club’s youth players, including Maik Nawrocki, their first runs.
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