Joe Ledley scored the only goal of the game as Celtic restored their four point lead at the top of the SPL but although the visitors didn’t force a save from Fraser Forster this was a tight encounter for most of the afternoon.
The opening minutes firmly belonged to Celtic. Georgios Samaras had a first minute shot deflected wide and Victor Wanyama headed narrowly over from the resultant Charlie Mulgrew corner kick. Inverness’ first venture up-field forced Mulgrew into an important interception on the edge of the area to deny Nick Ross.
The best move of the game resulted in the only goal. Gary Hooper combined with Adam Matthews before James Forrest collected wide on the left. The winger raced forward and fired the ball across the face of goal for Joe Ledley to meet it at the back post and knock the ball home. Back post runs have been particularly profitable for Ledley this season.
Four minutes later Charlie Mulgrew worked the goalkeeper with a free kick from just outside the angle of the box but Ryan Esson turned the ball over.
At half time Celtic could have reflected that despite enjoying the vast majority of possession their lead remained narrow; twin strikers Georgios Samaras and Gary Hooper didn’t have much of an opening.
Early in the second half referee McLean had his first major decision of the day when Richie Foran wrestled Scott Brown to the ground, after play at stopped, with an arm around Brown’s neck. The incident deserved a yellow card but Foran was already booked and the ref took no action. Five minutes later Daniel Majstorovic ambled towards a ball played over his head but Inverness striker Jonny Hayes flew past the Celtic defender forcing Majstorovic into a sliding tackle five yards from his box. Despite making clear contact with the ball, and no protests from Hayes, who continued to chase, the assistant referee indicated to the ref McLean that Majstorovic fouled. McLean showed the Swedish central defender, who was the last man, a straight red card.
Inverness pressed forward and forced Celtic to defend deeply but the visitors were unable to create a genuine chance. On 73 minutes an Adam Matthews free kick from near the corner flag was cutback to Ki, who mishit his shot, which appeared to be going out for a throw in but Georgios Samaras chased the lost cause with some effect.
Catching the ball on the line Samaras spun and darted past Williams, who, already on a yellow card, bundled the Celtic striker off the field. The referee, perhaps mindful of his earlier trigger-happy moment with Majstorovic and failure to punish Foran, gave Williams a second yellow.
Back on an equal man-count Celtic were never again put under pressure although Hayes caught the defence napping to latch onto a 40 yard pass but fired over.
Jinky Samaras could have wrapped up the points late on with a mazy run but he was unable to convert.
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Hail hail
The run continues..
1st ever top ten?
Swwwwwept away..
Paddy G,a comment might have been good,disqualified :-)
1st ever t10
Not long back due to the usual abysmal police trafficking, and roadworks.
An extremely warmly welcomed victory for Celtic, in the face of real adversity and not much time for gleeful singing, even from the GB in this second half.
Another example of 93 minutes punctuated, with blatant cheating from the SFA officials bizarrely rounded off with a sending off for Daniel Majstorovic in a recovery last ditch tackle, in which he took the ball as clean as a whistle.
Celtic did well to overcome the shock, let alone the need to quickly regroup with ten men, and Ki Seung Yung replaced Wanyama who switched to Centre Back, and Celtic led by Samaras held firm but only just, as Commons eventually was swapped for Forrest, who had ran out of ideas.
Inverness were fired up from the start of this match, and any Celtic fan celebrating an SPL cakewalk needs therapy, because every obstacle will be put in front of us if today was a snapshot, of what lies ahead.
Joe Ledley’s arrival as a penalty box finisher is welcome and stunning performances from Mulgrew, Samaras, and Brown helped cement the victory, though on the downside the pairing of Majstorovic and Kelvin Wilson looks much less convincing than Rogne and Mulgrew.
Three points, and a brilliant result for Celtic, underpinned with a timely warning that we have a long way to go to recapture the title.
Hail Hail.
podium?
Hehe,
Affoot… Maybe laters folks, have a good night all
Jinky Samaras Paul? High praise indeed and you have to be delighted for the big man.
Which Asst. ref was it?
SPL site lists Stuart Macaulay and Gary Sweeney with Charlie Richmond as 4th official
Ledley 1-0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lws4sKPeVJ0&feature=youtu.be
I stuttered when exposed to the glare of the CQN spotlight, I accept my disqualification with humility.:-)
Bournesouprecipe, they’re trafficking police now!
Paddy Gallagher, sometimes a couple of words can paint moving pictures.
‘Jinky Samaras’
Gotta love that 1 Paul.
I had just about lost patience with the ‘enigma’ that is Samaras but the last few months he has been outstanding at the same time as Scott Brown which have been almost like 2 very welcome new additions
Keep it going bhoys
Celtic Underground
Referee is ex gers Brian McLean’s brother? Is that correct?
Paul
Sure it was a mulgrew tackle for the faltering kelvin Wilson that led to big dans red card
Forrsest crossed from the right, to Ledley Paul.
I bet your head is pounding with astonishment at McLean today.
Easy to get angry with cheating like that going on.
According to Celtic tv guys the ref gave the decision to send off Dan.
Astonishing stuff from the ref.
League is not over, not by a long shot.
notthebus says:
11 February, 2012 at 18:50
Can’t confirm it, but it was posted on here before the game.
Paddy G,accepted with much more humility than the huns will accept any
punisment coming their way.
Paul67,are you aware of any more bad financial news coming out about the rankers,
or is that being kept for another article
Paul67
(ツ)
notthebus
Never made it at Ibrox Northern Ireland under 21 – but yes, his brother.
14 SPL wins in a row – not every one of them can be geat displays but a terrific result a few days after a big win at Tynecastle.
On the sending off I had the same view of the incident as the assistant ref, if it was the assistants’ call, that it was a sending off, he should be sacked.
Just in from the game.
Some of that refs descisions were mind boggling..rediculas shoddy descision, time after time…Made the game a very fustrating one to watch in my opinion.Paul mentioned in his article of Brown being wrestled to the ground by Foran off the ball….How can the assistant raise a flag for a supposed foul by dan but failed to see our captain being thrown to the ground.???
I’m getting more and more angry about the consistant issue we have with officials.
Hayes spoke to Majstorovic on the pitch before the Swede was sent packing.
He said: “I just said to him he was unlucky to be sent off.
“My immediate reaction was to get up and get back in shape. It’s hard to tackle without contact.
“I thought he got the ball but I’m not sure what the cameras will show
Keep on winning. It’s all we can do.
By the way can anyone tell me what the difference is between a banner with F… UEFA on it and the whole stadium singing F… the SFA?
I have no problem with either.
Why the early season hand wringing over the UEFA banner and why the OTT response from UEFA over the banner?
Will the SFA now seek to punish the club for the chant?
And have I just written a headline for a passing lazy Sunday Mail Churnalist? (You know who you are fat lazy Churno…)
I’m of in to the Music Quiz.
Does anyone know anything that happened in Music in the 90’s?
Which wan o the Spice Girls was Beyonce?
Is Madonna’s sister called Kylie?
I’ve heard of Oasis and Blur- give me the name of another UK 90’s band?
What are my chances of winning?
Just watched the “foul”, which resulted in Dan being sent off on Sky. Their English commentator’s reaction: hmmmmm. He obviously doesn’t have much knowledge of how Celtic are treated by Scottish MIBs. Ah, well, these things even themselves up over the season. I take it we will be appealing the red card.
I get as frustrated as any of us when listening to the inane bull that emanates from the radio sports programmes. But let me just give you all the final headline from the BBC Scotland sports programme tonight: –
Celtic remain top of the SPL by 4 points after a 1-0 win over Inverness Caledonian Thistle at Celtic Park.
And that, folks, is all that matters.
Well Good evening to you too Mr ‘Beamish’, take a seat, I’ll be with you shortly………..
Well done Neil, well done boys, well done steak……….
HH
Robert Tressell,
Why print such a banner? Daft. UEFA are not our enemy. We are better than that.
Mind you, I do love the “no huns in Scotland” chant. What a day that will be.
When is the Murray case against Whyte to get paid the pound?
Barça go a goal down.
Osasuna 1-0 Barcelona. Fifth minute. Minus seven on the pitch, minus seven off it. Maybe minus 10 tonight.
A difficult match won in the face of abysmal officiating.
Thought Brown for his captain’s role today (driving us on) probably just shaded the MOTM award – Ledley for his closing down (and goal), Sammi for his constant running and annoyance to their back 4 and Mulgrew for his work down the left all ran him a close second.
Game and result kind of reminded me of similar important victories that we have had to grind out in seasons where we went on to win a critical league title; Centenary Year, stopping 10 and MON’s treble.
Hope this is an omen!
H!H!
Bonfigli posted these extended game highlights on the Huddle Board
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2OJF6_ZMw0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uST-Y2tR5PU
Paul67,
I was saying to the mhan beside me that Foran should have been off for that challenge. So, too, should the guy who was eventually sent off. He went for Sammi a number of times, when he wasn’t pulling him all over the place in the penalty box. Butcher had them reverting to his “kick everything that moves” rubbish in the second half.
SFTB,am quite sure Depeche Mode or The saturdays will crop up as an answer,
failing that answer every question Luke Kelly,bound to get you at least one point
The referee was a biased cheat.