By:
Mark Hendry
Johnny Kenny failed to take his big Celtic chance as he shot a blank against Dundee United.
The Republic of Ireland striker hoped to take advantage of an injury to teammate Kelechi Iheanacho.
He was handed a start by under fire manager Wilfried Nancy and asked to lead the line vs the Terrors.
Rather than gun the Tangerines down, though, 22-year-old Kenny missed several big chances at Tannadice.
And he was replaced in the second-half having spurned opportunities as he failed to take his.
Kenny had two glaring chances with his side leading 1-0 thanks to Daizen Maeda’s fine finish.
Firstly he found himself haring in on goal and one-on-one with the goalkeeper.
But the ball got caught under his feet and the chance went begging.
Johnny Kenny failed to impress for Celtic vs Dundee United
Then it was put on a plate for the forward from an inch perfect Maeda delivery on the left.
Again, Kenny couldn’t sort his feet out and he slipped the ball wide of the mark when it looked easier to score.
The Hoops would rue missing those massive efforts when United turned the game on its head after the break.
Krisztian Keresztes levelled proceedings with a fine finish after a stramash inside the box.
And then Zac Sapsford whipped a stunning strike into the top corner to put the hosts in front.
It was the nightmare for boss Nancy who had been backed by Kenny earlier in the week.
Kenny, though, was not the only culprit to fail to take his chances.
Yang flapped at an effort early on while Maeda hit the post with a header from inside the six-yard box with the net unguarded.
No matter the circumstances, it was a result which left Nancy struggling and under serious pressure.
The Frenchman has now lost four matches in a row with his new club which is an unwanted record.
Kenny, meanwhile, will have to dramatically improve if he is to fill Iheanacho’s boots.
What Kenny said about taking his Celtic chance
The Irishman spoke to the media before the match in Dundee and admitted he wanted to make his mark.
“I don’t like seeing teammates being injured, it’s a team game at the end of the day,” Kenny said.
“But hopefully it brings another opportunity for me to get a run in the side, hopefully perform, and get us back winning games and scoring goals.
“If you don’t believe in yourself, I don’t think there’s any point.
“I think I proved that last time that once I got in, I could score a few goals.
“From tomorrow night, if I get back in, I hope to do the same.
“At big clubs there is always rotation, it’s not going to be the same 11 players playing very few days, I don’t think it’s sustainable, so everyone, even the boys on the bench, we all know we are going to play a part at some stage.”
Kenny has five goals and an assist from his 15 matches this term.
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