Haveron praises 'first-class' McKendry strike
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Glasgow Times
6 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Celtic Champions League play-off schedule confirmed
The Scottish champions will face the winners of the Kairat Almaty and Slovan Bratislava clash. The first leg will be played at home on Wednesday, August 20, with an 8pm kick-off. They will then travel to face their opponents on Tuesday, August 26, again with an 8pm kick-off. Regardless of the outcome, Celtic are assured of European group stage football this season. If they do not progress, Brendan Rodgers' side will drop into the Europa League.
Scotsman
6 hours ago
- Scotsman
Kieron Bowie's eyebrow-raising Hibs stat and his response to Scotland number nine question
Hibs striker putting himself on Steve Clarke's radar ahead of World Cup qualifiers Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... It might be a surprising detail to dwell on following his two-goal, match-winning performance against Dundee on Sunday. Kieron Bowie seemed almost as delighted by the fact he finished the game, thereby completing his first 90 minutes for Hibs, as he was by the brace, his second for the club (and second versus Dundee). Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad With the first anniversary of him joining Hibs set to fall this Friday, he was asked afterwards when he had last played a full 90 minutes. Northampton, he replied, the club he was on loan at from Fulham for a couple of seasons. Hibs striker Kieron Bowie at full time after his double secured a 2-0 win over Dundee. (Photo by Mark Scates / SNS Group) | SNS Group Further investigation reveals that it seems to have been the penultimate game of the 2023-24 season in a home 2-1 loss to Exeter City. Quite some time ago, in other words. Injury has of course accounted for this eyebrow-raising statistic as has larger squads and more substitutes as well as increased knowledge of sports conditioning, with managers less inclined to play players into the ground. Bowie sustained a hamstring injury while on Scotland Under-21 duty last Autumn. He did not reappear until January, when he helped his side revive their season and made his international debut for the senior side against Liechtenstein in June. Given the latter development, it was important that he hit the ground running this season while demonstrating that he is in good enough physical condition to last an entire match, particularly having played 80 minutes of Hibs' heartbreaking European defeat against Midtjylland last Thursday. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He was one of ten players asked to 'go again' by manager David Gray against Dundee, which some found surprising given the options on the bench. Bowie was delighted to be named in the first XI twice in such quick succession (he also started in the first leg) having found starts hard to come by last season, even when fit. 'If the manager wants to play me, obviously I'm going to play,' he said. 'I'm not going to say, 'No, I don't want to play'. I played 90 today, which is my first 90 for the club, so I'm glad to be able to do that.' Gray is not a cruel man. He was conscious that Bowie was gunning for a hat-trick and had been since shortly after the half hour mark of a game where Hibs looked to be toying with their much-changed, nervous looking hosts. Bowie will rarely get a better chance to claim a first career treble and Gray's decision to leave him on seemed to be in recognition of this, despite the prospect of another long evening against Partizan Belgrade on Thursday in a Conference League qualifier. Bowie appreciated the gesture. 'I think it was to try to get my hat trick,' he said. 'But I was happy enough with two in the end.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Kieron Bowie in action for Northampton Town against Exeter City during a Sky Bet League One match on April 20, 2024. (Photo by) | Getty Images This certainly seemed the case when, with time running out, Bowie was seen running with the ball into the corner to protect the one-goal lead when an attack might have been on. There will be other opportunities. 'I scored six goals last season in a limited number of games, so I'm just trying to score as many as I can this season,' he said. 'Obviously, towards the end of the season I started a few more games, but it was nowhere near enough as I wanted. But I feel like now I'm fit enough and I'm strong enough that I can go out there week in, week out and play 90 minutes. That's definitely a big thing.' He certainly proved this - and Steve Clarke should take note - on Sunday. The Scotland manager will have started to sift through names before naming his squad for the vital opening World Cup qualifiers against Denmark and Belarus at the start of next month. Bowie remains hopeful, as he ought to be after breaking into the squad at the end of last season. The 22-year-old is big and strong and knows where the goal is. He is just what Scotland need at this time although he will face tougher examinations than Dundee could present at the weekend. Even in training, that's probably been the case. He revealed that he regularly quizzes Hibs centre halves about playing against No. 9s. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I speak to the defenders that we have at the club, and they say what they don't like playing against,' Bowie reports. He wants to make himself as awkward as possible to play against. A goal or two or maybe even that elusive hat trick in Belgrade later this week would reinforce what already looks like a good claim for inclusion in Clarke's next squad.
Daily Record
6 hours ago
- Daily Record
Kieron Bowie buzzing to tick off Hibs milestone as he reveals reason Rocky Bushiri key to his development
The Hibees hitman got his Premiership campaign off to a flier at Dundee by hitting the double that bagged three points Kieron Bowie believes he is finally ready to become Hibs ' main man and that starts by leading the battle in Belgrade. The newly-capped Scotland striker got his Premiership campaign off to a flier with a double in the win at Dundee. It was Bowie's first 90 minutes for Hibs and his first for almost two years, when he was out on loan at Northampton for Fulham. The 22-year-old has had a good pre-season and feels he is now over the injury problems that curtailed his start at Easter Road. Bowie has started all three games and is in line to do the same when David Gray's side go into the first-leg of their Europa Conference League qualifier against Partizan Belgrade. He said: 'It was a tight game and they were really compact at the back, so the chances came from nothing really. 'I scored six goals last season in a limited number of games, so I'm just trying to score as many as I can this season. 'Towards the end of the season I started a few more games, but it was nowhere near enough as what I wanted. 'But I feel like now I'm fit enough and I'm strong enough that I can go out there week in, week out and play 90 minutes. That's definitely a big thing, it showed on Sunday. 'Definitely, if the manager wants to play me, obviously I'm going to play. I'm not going to say no, I don't want to play. 'I played 90 today, which is my first 90 for the club, so I'm glad to be able to do that. Obviously, off the back of a strong pre-season, I've been able to do that. 'The last time I played 90 minute was at Northampton, so that was two seasons ago.' Hibs had the heartbreak of a late Europa League exit to Midtjylland in extra-time. They rallied against Dundee and Bowie expects his team to be right up for things in their Europa Conference League qualifier in Belgrade. Bowie said: 'Serbia will be a totally different challenge. Obviously the hostility and all that comes with playing there. But I'm sure we'll just take it in our stride and we'll roll on Thursday. 'I mean, obviously, it's really important for the club. We've done so well last year and we want to hopefully reap the rewards of that. 'The clubs haven't been in a European group stage, I don't think, so to try and do that and hopefully we can get our way in there somehow.' Bowie knows Mijylland was disappointing but takes confidence from the fact they pushed a top team all the way. He stated: 'I mean, obviously, you see we've done so well over the two legs. 'What was it, 200 odd minutes over two legs? And we limited them to very little. 'The three goals you can see, it's top quality goals and that's what you get when you're playing against top European teams who are well organised. "They just allow one moment and they've scored a goal and you're like, oh my God. 'It's tough to take, honestly, during the week. They score a goal like that, that late. But what can you actually do? It's not like we've defended badly.' Bowie knows if he can make his mark at Hibs he can add to the Scotland cap he won out in Liechtenstein in the summer, if he impresses Steve Clarke. He predicted: I'm just sort of taking it in my stride and trying to score every week. 'If I don't score, I'm not going to be happy. 'Hopefully try and get in more Scotland squads and see what I can do. 'Yes, there's a few young lads there. 'Obviously James Wilson, Tommy Conway. And there's quite a few of us that are there that are all competing for a chance to play. 'Obviously, they've played a few more games than me, so I'm just trying to get my foot in the door.' Bowie's sheer physical development is there for all to see and will be a big weapon in Serbia. He is big and powerful and likes to outmuscle defenders. He explained: 'That's what I try to do, pride myself and just make myself as hard as possible to play against. 'I speak to the defenders that we have at the club, and they say what they don't like playing against, so I'm trying to do that myself. It's just awkward to play against.' Rocky Bushiri is one of those Hibs defenders he turns to. He added: 'Definitely. He's a big, strong unit, so you don't come up against many players that are stronger than him. 'So to train against him and do well against him in training, that's the highest level. 'What does he not like me doing? Anything! I just get the ball, he just lets me have it. 'He's like, nah, I'll just let you play, I don't want to hurt you.'
