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.
If you would like to read CQN Magazine online (for free), click here.
You can download a pdf of the magazine using the button at the top of the page, second from the right. Click on the link below to order a hard copy of the magazine.
You can support the online edition by making a discretionary donation here.
797 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- ...
- 21
- »
Victor Wanyama @VictorWanyama Reply Retweet Favorite · Open
The team was outstanding the fans were fantastic as always hail hail
A very welcome 3 points but a timely reminder that we are going to have to work our socks off in EVERY game to secure this title.
I’ve still not seen the Dan sending off on TV as I was at the game and up the other end of the pitch when it happened but, in real time, it looked like he got the ball. That said, what on earth was Dan doing casually trotting back to get the ball. He looked off the pace all day and unfortunately is still a bombscare.
But what about the officials? Rank rotten doesn’t begin to describe their performance. Driving home after the match I heard Richard Gordon saying that Terry Butcher wa unhappy with the ref. Unhappy? What in god’s name can Butcher be unhappy about. His mob got everything today. It was a shockingly inept, biased performance from McLean. Cheap fouls for Caley awarded around our box, cheap fouls given against us every time we got near theirs.
And it could’ve cost us dearly.
That was an important 3 points but a BIG reminder that MIBBERY and anything less than 100% effort from the players will do.
I need a drink………..
Charlie Mulgrew was my man of the match.
ICT`s best player was the ref
a throughly disgraceful performance undoubtedly the worst performance since the good Rev at ibrox
many wrong decisions ably assisted by the linos who are undoubtedly brothers of the aforementioned ref
was it McLean ..brother of Brian McLean ex hun and NI international
After watching the huns game today, a though struck me…….
I would love to be a fly on the wall should Kyle Bartley ever make it back to Aresenal..
The look on Vengers face as the once promising pupil of that school of soccer excellence resumes training, and starts halfing everyone in sight in two and shelling diagonal balls 80 yards.
Then there is the now expected turning of a blind eye by officials.
Think Arsene will put back on the first Mega Bus to Glasgow…………..
MrX
just as it was
blatant cheating
Mibbery the greatest threat to our title challenge.
Complacency, less than 100% effort in every game our second greatest threat.
EC67
bournesouprecipe says:
11 February, 2012 at 18:43
I never take the car to the game – but today was taking a 73 year old who is not as mobile as he used to be – the road works and traffic cops were a disgrace – utter shambles.
As for the game delighted with the points, didn’t particularly think we played well – officials were dreadful
bankiebhoy1
just had a couple of draft guiness cans
now onto a bottle of Carmenere ……
got one for you …rather than post it i`ll bring two to the Kano do …and still save on the postage :¬))
A tired and sloppy performance from too many of the players today
JF has needed a rest for a number of weeks
DM was sleeping at his red card moment – not that he should have been sent off
But poorest by far was KW
He plays as if he is afraid of getting hurt – not a good omen in a CB
Even on Wednesday night on a couple of occasions he allowed the ball to roll across the six yard box. Today his rather feeble attempt to usher the ball out for a bye kick almost cost us dear
At the risk of being declared a hun – it shoulld be remembered that we gubbed the Hearts big time in the game Lenny was attacked – yet still lost to ICT
Today we looked vulnerable through the middle of our defence
Time to get CM back as a CB me thinks
HH
Evening bhoys.
heading in fire the quiz. Where is it
Celtic_First
Do you share my thinking that the second best team in Spain will come out on top this season?
I must have missed something today.
At the Dan SO dud the referee not look at his linesman for a
couple of seconds xpecting him to flag- ?. He didnt so the referee
then gave free kick .
Also, free kick second half – wall 10 yards my a*** !
A complete clown McLean
at 2-0 down, Barca stil only 13/5 with the bookies
miserable gits
The other thing that confuses me about the Dan sending off, perhaps others nearer the incident can clarify, in the car afterwards, somebody on Radio Scotland said the linesman flagged for the foul and sending off.
But when the incident happened, I looked at the linesman and his flag was down. It looked to me as though the ref looked over to him looking for some validation on what he, the ref, thought was a sending off. Never got the validation but sent Dan off anyway.
Or maybe I missed the linesman’s flag?
PF
Good choice chum…..
Had one last night ( well about 3/4s) Carmenere Maipo Valley…..7 yo yos here, half price in Tesco’s.
Re the Kano do…….ye better bring a corkscrew!
:)
Croppybhoy
re KW …has always looked soft to me
quick …that`s about it
adi_dasler, just seeing your post, looks like the linesman didn’t flag as I suspected.
I don’t like anyone having a go at Celtic players but I did wonder about Kelvin’s attitude to the physical side of defending today.
Wouldn’t want Kelvin against Coosarse at the Bigotdome, based on today’s performance.
Not that I rate Coosarse, just he will be allowed to batter our CBs with impunity in Poundland.
EC67
El Diego Bhoy
I’d say wait until April, but if the gap keeps getting wider, it will be too much. Mourinho is very good at absorbing attention and pressure himself, leaving his players to get on with it.
Barcelona are not out of this game yet.
Great result for the lads, warms the cockles of your heart so it does.
Many thanks for the great updates, so much better than biased british broadcasting
If that´s how daring the sporting officialdom is at Celtic Park what can we expect at other grounds???? We are now getting fourteen against eleven on our field of play!!
Having said that the main thing is that the team rises to the occasion, that is what Celtic Park deserves because that loyal support and I will use the word loyal, it´s not their property, goes to watch football, pure and simple, to see their hoops try to score goals and win.
MrX
lino didn`t flag
ref took about 7-10 secs to make the decision
damned cheat
sannabhoy says:
11 February, 2012 at 19:24
Kano night:
Did you get my post for table of 10?
If tables are for 12 let me know and I will round up another 2 Tims!
H!H!
Mr X
I look down from the north stand,cannot
remember seeing flag from north stand
linesman,big Dan made an erse of it
but still recovered to get ball cleanly.
Dirty masonic orange cheatin bastard
did not get same view,
PFayr, I thought as much.
Incredible.
croppybhoy
You are a very sad individual.
Alexis puts it in for Barcelona but used an arm. Yellow card. No goal.
Evening bhoys!
Just had a wee look at the highlights and by the looks of it sammi was awesome today also the welsh dragon and Broony \o/ were great too
Ref was a disgrace but I feel it will get worse in the weeks and months ahead. Win convincingly and it won’t matter!
Special mention to GG for all the game updates today I never got any work done this afternoon!
Much obliged kind sir!
Mon the hoops!
Ref a 100% cheat.
I was beelin’ coz I thought he was giving a free kick for a picked up pass back, ala Boruc kick out V Falkirk type of cheating.
Sending big Dan off never entered my thoughts.
This was at CP, what chances any fairness at away venues? rhetorical.
Osasuna clear off the line from Messi.
Mr X says:
11 February, 2012 at 19:28
The other thing that confuses me about the Dan sending off, perhaps others nearer the incident can clarify, in the car afterwards, somebody on Radio Scotland said the linesman flagged for the foul and sending off.
_____________________
No flag but ref looked over to him – think the communication was via them being wired-up.
First time I can remember the ref being an absolute ‘awayer’ apart from when we play the govan mob!
Havin a celebratory glass of Guinness at the result today waiting for Paddy McGuinness.
Ashamed to say it but Take Me Out is my new guilty pleasure…..
A quick word on Charlie……
I have said before that if we had signed Charlie Mulgrew from Everton say, as a ball playing, 6ft2 CB, for 4 or 5m pounds, it would rightly be be regarded as a tremendous bit of business. His performances in the last six months have been exceptional, he has really mature and for me he is an able deputy as captain if Broony is out.
Best of all, is he is a Celtic man and Neil Lennon had the foresight to re-sign him, for free. No financial outlay, free. The lad is a footballer through and through, his composure and touch would not be out of place at the very top level in England. His determination, positional sense and aerial ability have all come on this season. He is by no means slow, but imagine if he had the speed of Kelvin Wilson, he would be a 20m man.
Charlie is only 25 years old and he is one of many in this special young team who could become a truly great Celtic player. Also, he has had to experience personal trauma very recently in losing his father. He speaks well to the media and shallow though this may seem, it’s nice to see a handsome Celtic man wothout a full sleeve of garish tattoos running up his arm!!
Charlie Mulgrew, take a bow, you have been truly magnificent for Celtic this season.
TJ
The traffic endured by us at home matches is a disgrace.. A couple of strategic placements of points people would clear the areas concerned .. It has to be deliberate .. It would not be allowed in Govan..
Sympathies to those with mobility issues, or like me today with the youngest AB- to quote” dad I ve never seen Celtic lose!”- he s coming to every match!!
But the traffic is a nuisance and I m thinking of joining the Sir Chris B HOY( just made that up) velodrome… Not that I have a bicycle but I bet they do car permits, loos and coffee!!
SeeingyouhomesafeCSC
Celtic_First
I believe Madrid will beat every team other than Barca and thereby come out as champions.
If that occurs will Barca stick with their current manager?
does anyone have a link to the sending off
I’ve no idea if Dan got the ball or not as the view we saw on Celtic TV was from directly behind the referee ergo, the referee saw exactly thae same as I did, according to the commentators (admittedly Celtic fans) the referee made the call and not the linesman, I found this to be amazing as it seemed like 10 seconds had gone by before the call leading me to believe that the linesman had made the choice for him.
All that being said big Danny should have been aware of his surroundings.
Great game by Joe Ledley and well supported by Scott, few others had a pass mark from me but this may be a very important lesson to the bhoys, the league may be over on paper when you look at the teams, what the paper will not show is the performance by those outside the white lines and the man with the whistle
Having just watched the Dan red card again
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2OJF6_ZMw0
7.23 onwards
I have to say kelvin doesnt come out of this with any credit, the tackle was his to make on the half way line.
Mr X
Correct
He didnt flag but McLean obviously wanted him to.
To save his goat’s skin of having to flag.
Which of course he was more thsn happy to do.