New-look Celtic are ready to begin salvaging their Clydesdale Bank Premier League title hopes, according to Diomansy Kamara.

The Senegal international scored his first goal since joining on loan from Fulham in January as Celtic advanced to the Active Nation Scottish Cup quarter-finals with a 4-2 win at Dunfermline on Sunday.

Robbie Keane, on loan from Spurs, also got on the scoresheet for the first time with a penalty while Morten Rasmussen doubled his Hoops' tally since arriving from Brondby last month with a second-half strike.

Celtic, with eight new faces in their squad following a busy January transfer window, face a crucial run of four league games as they attempt to claw back Rangers' 10-point lead.

They host Hearts at Parkhead on Wednesday before travelling to Aberdeen on Saturday. Dundee United are then next up at home before the Old Firm derby at Ibrox on February 28.

Kamara told The Evening Times: "The important thing now is to try to build on that kind of display. We are a team that has not played very often together and there are a lot of new faces. But I think once we get two or three games together that you will see a very good side because there are some fantastic players here. Everyone knows we need to start winning games in the league."

THE capacity of Robbie Keane
to influence the race for the title will be tested this week.

Celtic face Hearts at Parkhead on Wednesday night and travel to Pittodrie on Saturday to play Aberdeen. Tony Mowbray has kept the Republic of Ireland internationalist fresh for both tests.

Keane, signed on loan from Tottenham Hotspur until the end of the season, was left out
of Celtic’s line-up for the Active Nation Scottish Cup victory over Dunfermline at East End Park yesterday.

However, the striker came on at half-time to help drive his side to a 4-2 victory and convert a penalty. He will make his home debut in what should be a packed Celtic Park on Wednesday.

“I hope Robbie is fired up for Wednesday, that’s why he only played 45 minutes today,” Mowbray said. “He was always going to be playing 90 minutes
on Wednesday, or at least starting the game.”

Celtic must soon begin to be consistently successful in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League with Rangers holding
a 10-point lead. Mowbray revealed he had left Keane out of his team at the start of yesterdays’ game in Fife because he
thought it had come too soon
after the player’s exertions in
the defeat at Kilmarnock.

“Three 90 minutes in seven days for the boy is probably asking for trouble injury-wise, and I think Robbie agreed,” said the Celtic manager.

“But I am delighted Robbie is here as he adds that finesse in
the final third that sometimes
makes that difference in games. there were some moments of
magic today when he sat 
players on their backside in the box, in tight areas. He has got that quality – and he can take a penalty as we saw.”

He gave an insight, too, on Keane’s influence in the dressing-room. “Robbie is a very humble guy who doesn't carry a superstar ego around with him. He just wants to train and play and pass his advice on,” said Mowbray.

The manager was also pleased with the performance of Morten Rasmussen who scored the sort of opportunist
goal that Celtic have found hard to grab this season. The Dane was also foiled on two occasions by Greg Fleming, before putting pressure on Callum Woods who seemed to supply the last touch to a cross by Diomansy Kamara to put Celtic 3-2 ahead.

Rasmussen, who scored on his first appearance for the club against Hamilton, tried to claim the own goal.

He said: “I was going after the ball and I think I got a little
touch as did the defender, so I will take the goal and that makes it two today. But it was important that we won and got through to the next round.”

Jim McIntyre, manager of
Dunfermline, had doubts about the validity of Celtic’s
penalty but said: “I was very
pleased with our approach to the
game and by the way we came back after losing the goal.”

I hope! We seriously have no time to mess around.

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