A goal down but the Celtic story was going to be told

A goal down in the second half, having not made a chance worthy of the name.  But the Celtic story was going to be told.  Hearts pushed, kicked and wasted every possible second of the opening 82 minutes of the Scottish Cup Final.  Their game plan worked, for 10 minutes the outcome looked in doubt, until Odsonne Edouard out-witted Heats ‘keeper, Zlamal.  Instead of shooting the Celtic striker knocked the ball forward.  By this point Zlamal’s momentum was unstoppable, he cleared the Celtic striker off his feet.  The penalty was inevitable and a consequence of the maturity of a 21-year-old.

Odsonne’s craft for the winning goal was better still.  He was off like  lightening after Mikael Lustig’s header put the ball beyond the Hearts back line.  Watch Odsonn’e body shape, he opened his foot and drew his right shoulder back, as though to place the ball to Zlamal’s bottom left corner.  The keeper followed the body language but Odsonne turned his foot at the last minute and chipped the ball into the opposite side of the net.  It was delicious.

I did not think anything in domestic football could match the Invincible Treble, secured in such drama against Aberdeen in 2017, but as this journey of success has continued, the drama, the importance of each subsequent trophy, mounts.

Yesterday we retained the Scottish Cup for the ninth time in our history; the first time we won three-in-a-row and the first time in world football a Treble Treble has been completed.  Whatever it is that we are living through right now, let it’s reign be long and glorious!

Condolences of the family and friends of Harry Hood, who we lost earlier.  Harry was part of the successful Celtic team on the early 70s and was the last Celtic player to score a hat-trick against Oldco Rangers.  On leaving football became a successful business man, running some of the best restaurants, hotels and pubs in Lanarkshire.

With the Treble Treble only minutes in the history books, Celtic wasted no time in confirming Neil Lennon would become permanent manager.  We will pick this up later.