Celtic ready to increase heat on Rangers - Hooper
Gary Hooper is confident Celtic have turned the corner after a
stuttering start to the season.
The Celtic striker was on the score-sheet on Wednesday as the Hoops
closed the gap on league leaders Rangers to seven points with a 2-1 win
over Dunfermline.
After three defeats in their opening 10 games of the season, the
Hoops have now won their past four matches.
Now Neil Lennon's side have the chance to reduce the deficit further
and put the pressure on their rivals with a win against St Mirren on
Saturday, 24 hours before the Gers take on Kilmarnock on Sunday.
Striker
And English striker Hooper wants the momentum his side has built up
to continue in their upcoming games.
"We have won four games in a row now," said Hooper. "We need to get
the fifth on Saturday, in what is another big game against St Mirren,
who are a good side. No matter how we do it, we have to win every
game.We have turned the corner and are playing really well. Wednesday
night was another big win in our game in hand and now we can make the
gap four points on Saturday.
"The first-half performance was brilliant and we had the chances to
see the game out then.
"I can't explain it, maybe missing the penalty changed the game a
bit, they got on top and got the goal but we held out and got the three
points."
Extension
Lennon will be without Scott Brown, Emilio Izaguirre, Cha Du-Ri, Mark
Wilson and Charlie Mulgrew for the game against fourth-placed St Mirren,
whose manager, Danny Lennon, signed a two-year contract extension this
week.
Ally McCoist's Rangers have won seven out of seven away from home and
will be happy to be on the road again after last week's disappointing
draw with St Johnstone at Ibrox.
The Rangers manager boosted his squad this week after signing Sone
Aluko and the former Aberdeen winger could make his debut in the match
against Killie.
First team coach Ian Durrant was delighted with the capture of
Nigerian international Aluko, who will add to the Rangers forward line
after Steven Naismith was ruled out for the season with a knee injury.
Middle
"He can play on the left and he can play through the middle," said
Durrant of Aluko.
"He has also been in the SPL for a few years with Aberdeen so he
brings a bit of experience to the team for such a young lad.
"It's well known with Steven being out that we're short up front and
Sone can play in a variety of positions."
Elsewhere on Saturday, second-bottom Aberdeen have the chance to move
up the table as they take on their nearest rivals Dunfermline at East
End Park.Hearts, without a win in four games, take on bottom club
Inverness Caledonian Thistle at Tynecastle, while third-placed
Motherwell face Dundee United at Fir Park.
After their impressive draw with Rangers at Ibrox last week, St
Johnstone take on struggling Hibernian at McDiarmid Park. GLASGOW,
Friday (AFP)
|