Johnson stakes claim

Celtic striker Tommy Johnson made an early bid to reserve a place alongside Chris Sutton with a hat-trick against Bray Wanderers as the Scottish side got their friendly campaign off to a winning start.

With Sutton's £6 million signature merely a formality as new manager Martin O'Neill hopes to complete the deal today, subject to a medical test, Johnson struck three times in the 3-2 victory to remind O'Neill of his ability. But Bray were not prepared to play gooseberries in the party among Celtic fans to celebrate the arrival of O'Neill.

After just 10 minutes, the Parkhead support inside the Carlisle showgrounds was silenced when Brazilian Rafael misjudged Stephen Gifford's long ball to allow Kieran O'Brien to drive past Jonathan Gould.

Only two minutes later, though, Eyal Berkovic played a great ball to Johnson inside the area and the striker drilled goalwards. His effort was blocked by Jody Lynch, but the ball fell to Johnson's feet and he fired home a face-saving equaliser.

Four minutes later, Johnson had the chance to add a second with his free-kick but it was comfortably saved by Trevor Wood.

The home side were not going to lie down, though, and O'Brien lofted a great ball into the area from where Barry O'Connor fired over the bar.

With seven minutes of the first half remaining, Jackie McNamara and Berkovic combined before the Israeli played the ball to Johnson. The forward looked up once before floating the ball over the head of Wood for his second of the game.

But just one minute later Bray were back in the game when Glen O'Brien found Jason Byrne on the edge of the area, and he turned Rafael and fired the equaliser under Gould.

Gould left the field 12 minutes into the second half for Stewart Kerr, who was drawn into immediate action when a poor Alan Stubbs back pass was intercepted by Keith Long but the Celtic goalkeeper cleared the danger.

Then in the 72nd minute, Johnson completed his hat-trick when he drove home from the edge of the box.

O'Neill praised three-goal striker Johnson after the 3-2 win but admitted that he was still surveying his options ahead of the new season and the imminent arrival of Chris Sutton.

O'Neill said: "Tommy scored three and he took the goals very well indeed. He did very well. Obviously I knew of him before though. It is really too early to make an assessment (on all players). O'Neill also admitted he will be happier when he has a full strength squad to gauge his assessment from when the squad travel to Denmark.

BRAY WANDERERS: Wood; Gifford, Doohan, Lynch, Farrell; B O'Connor, Gormley, Brien, Keogh; Byrne, O'Brien. Subs: D O Connor for Brien (60 mins), Ryan for Byrne (65 mins), Fox for O'Brien (65 mins), Dodd for Farrell (74 mins), Young for Wood (66 mins), C Ryan for Doohan (85 mins), O Connell for Gormley (85 mins), Fyffe for Young (85 mins).

CELTIC: Gould; Boyd, Stubbs, Rafael, Mahe; McNamara, Petrov, Lambert, Petta; Berkovic, Johnson. Subs: Kerr for Gould (60 mins), McCann for Petta (46 mins), Kennedy for Boyd (70 mins), Fotheringham for Petrov (70 mins), Crainey for Mahe (70 mins).

Referee: P McKeon (Dublin)