Celtic kickstart season with easy 2-0 SPL win

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Celtic kickstart season with easy 2-0 SPL win

By Kenny MacDonald

GLASGOW, Aug 6 (Reuters) - New Celtic manager Gordan Strachan, who has suffered a baptism of fire at the Glasgow club, finally tasted a meaningful victory on Saturday with a 2-0 home win over Dundee United in the Scottish Premier League.


After taking over in the close-season, Strachan's first game in charge was a humiliating 5-0 defeat by Slovakian outsiders Artmeida Petrzalka in a Champions League qualifier.

Celtic then needed a last-minute equaliser to scrape a 4-4 draw with Motherwell in their opening Scottish Premier League game last week before restoring some pride with a battling, though fruitless, 4-0 win over the Slovak side in their European return leg.

They were totally in charge on Saturday, however, and should have had many more goals than John Hartson's first-half opener and Craig Beattie's late effort.

Midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura became the first Japanese player to feature in the SPL and had an outstanding game, earning a standing ovation from the Celtic fans after being substituted in the second half.

Champions Rangers beat Inverness Caledonian Thistle 1-0 with a second-half goal from skipper Barry Ferguson to make it two wins out of two.

Livingston lost 2-0 at home to new boys Falkirk, who collected the points with goals from Russell Latapy and Darryl Duffy.

Kilmarnock chalked up a surprise 2-1 win at Aberdeen with goals from Allan Johnston and Steve Naismith.

Motherwell beat 10-man Dunfermline at home with a stoppage time goal from Jim Hamilton. Dunfermline had Scott Wilson sent off for butting Alan McCormack.

Hearts and Hibernian play the first Edinburgh derby of the season on Sunday at Tynecastle.

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