A lack of cutting edge cost Celtic dearly as a Hearts smash and grab sent them into the Scottish Cup final after spending most of the game under the cosh. A controversial last minute penalty by Craig Beattie put Hearts through after an equally controversial equaliser from Celtic four minutes from time.
Celtic completely dominated the first half but had nothing up front to exploit their possession or territorial advantage. Hearts best opportunity of the game came within the opening seconds when Kelvin Wilson was carless with a back pass which was collected by Elliot but Fraser Forster came to the rescue.
Celtic then took over and bossed Hearts comprehensively but could not find a way to open the Hearts defence. Lustig headed over from Kris Commons free kick after the full back was fouled. Midway through the half Commons and Samaras combined to release Mulgrew who crossed from the win for Hooper who should have scored with his header from 8 yards but could not find the target.
Commons nipped onto a short back pass 10 minutes from half time but his touch to take the ball behind goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald was too heavy. Commons had Celtic’s first attempt on target five minutes from the break with a shot from 23 yards but MacDonald saved comfortably.
Ki had two incredible chances in the game, both unmarked back post headers at the end of each half. With 44 minutes gone he struck the upright from 4 yards when he should have scored, an outcome that would be repeated towards the end of the game.
Craig Beattie was introduced at half time and immediately changed the pattern of the game. Two minutes into the second half he played-in Rudi Skacel, benefitting from a ricochet off Kelvin Wilson. Skacel rounded Fraser Forster and shot high into the net.
The goal seemed to break Celtic’s spirit as Hearts created several chances in the opening 20 minutes of the second half. Skacel shot from 35 yards, forcing Forster into a good save. The same player then shot wide after a knock down from Beattie.
Andy Driver dispossessed Michael Lustig just after the hour but Glenn Loovens came to the rescue and conceded a corner. Craig Beattie then played a one-two with Driver before shooting narrowly wide.
Neil Lennon changed Celtic’s shape in an attempt to get back into the game, replacing Samaras with Anthony Stokes and Celtic were soon back in the ascendency. Hooper linked with Stokes on 66 minutes but the Irishman’s shot was deflected wide.
Stokes then headed over from a Ledley cross and had an attempt from 13 yards after Mulgrew cut back to him.
On 82 minutes Ki should have levelled after Kris Commons chipped a free kick towards the back post by the Korean midfielder headed against the post again.
Anthony Stokes should have equalised with five minutes remaining when he got onto the end of a Mulgrew header but he could not turn the ball goal-wards.
A minute later Dylan McGeogh fed Joe Ledley who moved the ball onto Charlie Mulgrew. Mulgrew crossed for Gary Hooper who headed home from 4 yards but the Celtic striker was in an offside position when the cross was played.
In the 90th minute referee Euan Norris awarded Hearts a penalty kick when the ball struck Joe Ledley’s arm when struck from less than 2 yards from him while he was trying to turn his back on the ball to block. Ledley’s arm was not at his side but it was not in an unnatural position either, nor was there even the remotest suggestion of a deliberate act. Beattie struck the penalty straight down the middle as Forster dived to his left.
The last few frantic moments of the game offered further opportunities for Celtic. A Ledley volley was saved before the ball struck Andy Webster inside the Hearts box but the referee wasn’t interested on this occasion.
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Guys we need to say it as it is, Willson and Loovens are very very poor and
are not what is required at our club, the team shape was wrong the attitude was wrong or at least that was how it looked to me. Last week at Killie we were out of the traps and looked to put the game away asap, today we were slow and ponderous. Why were Mulgrew and Wannyama not the central defence pairing, why did we wait so long to get width into the team, why why why that game was there for the taking and when you see the banner that this lowlife were showing , re SP then it makes me sad and angry that we should loose to this bunch of bottom feeders
Jesus….feel disgusted and dirty once more.
The SFA won’t let it go will they! Hugh Dallas incident still grates on them and their paymasters. Popery won’t be allowed to flourish in the west of Scotland ever. It’s just going to keep on going and going and going and going…Hampden Park, dodgy pitches, dodgy refs, dodgy decisions, under performing Celtic….frankly I am bored of it.
Ki needs to be sold. If we get 5m take it. Too many AWOL again. Dylan proved it again today…let’s give the young lads a chance….without Forrest we look off the pace.
Thank god season is over. Great winning League despite all the shenanigans over at Mordor deflecting our superb run.
I’d like to win the Hun game. Other than that I’d like to see every young possible 1st team player started. I’d’ve happy to sacrifice results and completely undermine the league by fielding teams that can not win.
Quonno
Jock Stein had CL players. Neil does not.
Jock Steins teams were diddled just as often.
The cheating is now as Neil points out is personal.
If the club does not back him I can see him resigning in the summer
HH
the glorious balance sheet on 15 April, 2012 at 18:11 said:
True, but the chances are that will pocket a winners medal last week.
Have had a lifetime of moral victories. As i have remarked before, the trouble with moral victories is that it is the moral losers who do the singing and dancing.
time for a bit of bad winning rather than aggrieved losing.
Tough talking from Lenny on Twitter. Good. Any inevitable suspensions will be served in the meaningless remaining games.
There are things that need to be said, and he’s saying them.
Joe fillippis haircut,
my comment was addressed to the battered bunnet,who earlier had thought Beatties celebration was impulsive,i think it was just put on to
ingratiate himself to a support who will have mixed feelings towards him given that he played for us,nothing spontaneous about it,
Joe Filippis Haircut on 15 April, 2012 at 18:21 said:
Sorry, but Craig Beattie’s celebration was way, way over the top.
He’s an ex-Celtic player, came through our ranks, and became an internationalist because he was playing in the Celtic first team. Playing for Celtic got him a transfer to the EPL.
I wouldn’t expect him to score that penalty then trudge back to the halfway line with his face tripping him, but what he did was behave like a Hun who had just achieved his life’s ambition of putting Celtic out of the cup.
I always liked him, and posted on here during the game what a shame his injury problems have been because he could have been a great player, but his name’s in my Squire Danaher style black book now.
Disgusted with him.
quonno on 15 April, 2012 at 18:24 said:
StMichaelsBhoy2 on 15 April, 2012 at 18:19 said:
Dang iPhone keypad!
The same last minute poor refereeing excuse was trotted out four weeks ago when we simply failed to come out the traps against Killie.
As an old timer I don’t apologise for once again stating that Stein’s Celtic sides consistently succeeded in the face of referees who were at least as bad, if not worse than the present lot.
======================================
I’m a liar, my last post is to remind you that Jock Stein was in charge of a team that was the match of the best in the world at the time.
I wonder if a chess grandmaster (ahem) who had a couple of pieces stolen when he was at the bog would say to himself ‘ah well, I’ll just have to be so much better than the other guy so his cheating won’t count’????
Incredible logic which I do not understand. You are entitled to your opinion but the evidence is that we are cheated on a regular basis and this costs us trophies, prize money, merchandising money etc etc etc IT IS THEFT. And it doesn’t matter how good we are, it doesn’t matter if we win games in which we are cheated or not – it is immoral. Simples.
All the best.
Beattie? Thought he looked like a bit of an idiot.
However, it’s churlish to deny anyone their celebration of a winning goal in a cup semi, no matter how dubiously awarded.
He wasn’t good enough for us, ultimately, and no amount of mad celebrating is ever going to make up for that.
Clive Lindsay of the BBC son, take a bow, not even a very good liar
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17649430
In Para 2 this nugget says Zaliukas` shot comes off Joe Ledley`s hand.
In the 2nd last para the revisionist rocket says that the shot came off Ledley`s arm then Victor Wanyama. Talk about covering your work!
Clive Lindsay – you clearly aspire to be the new Jabba. Try and make sure you get your lies straight though son, contradicting yourself in the same article is a bit too obvious even for Ppyongyangcific Quay`s favoured readership.
Too many chances missed today to put us beyond the point where a dash of Mibbery might thwart us.
Hooper’s position for his goal was touch and go, but under such circumstances the benefit of doubt is supposed to be applied to the attacker. It was, end of discussion.
For their penalty, in virtually all leagues in the world under the circumstances, ball to hand at 2 metres, penalties seldom if ever given. Only in Scotland.
A few things still baffle me though.
Why no Izzy?
Why was Hooper playing so deep?
Why Kelvin Wilson……ever? Bombscare!
Ki will probably play for another 15 years and not miss two headers like that in the same match ever again.
On the plus side, thought Lustig looked quite good. And we are still Champions too!!
HH
Is that ref from Edinburgh..?
Funny how we all see things differently.
I’m certainly not a fan of Loovens but thought he was good today and possibly our best performer.
quonno on 15 April, 2012 at 18:24 said:
So we need to be as good as Jock Stein’s Celtic.
Then you are doomed to many years of disappointment to come then.
Everybody else only has to be as good as Paolo Sergio’s Hearts, or Kenny Shiels’ Kilmarnock.
Norris has a fine pedigree.
Posted on Sunday, 14th August 2011 by Joe McHugh
Euan Norris’ double penalty award in Rangers favour at Inverness yesterday puts an early spotlight onto officials with Terry Butcher almost certain to appeal against Ross Tokely’s ordering off.
Norris comes from the same Lanarkshire Refereeing Association that produced Willie Collum under the guidance of the disgraced Hugh Dallas.
With Dougie McDonald’s resignation last season Norris and others are getting pushed more into the spotlight- often without the experience required to handle the top fixtures that decide championships.
A look at Norris’ performances last season would suggest that the SFA should be monitoring his performances very closely.
A 4-0 win for Celtic would hardly be the starting point for assessing a poor refereeing performance but January’s convincing win over Hearts highlighted Norris at his worst.
Ian Black’s shocking off the ball lunge at Paddy McCourt is one strong memory from the night with the Hearts midfielder escaping with a only a booking.
At half-time Jim Jefferies substituted Rudi Skacel after apparently getting a warning from the linesman that the midfielder was likely to be sent off if he continued as he’d continued through the first half.
Celtic’s third goal scored by Anthony Stokes came after Hearts keeper Marian Kello had brought down Gary Hooper. Rather than award Celtic a penalty and send off the Hearts keeper Norris decided to play advantage.
Norris refereed three other Celtic matches last season including the 2-0 defeat at Motherwell in March when John Sutton scored twice, the second from a penalty.
Last season Norris refereed two Rangers games with Walter Smith’s winning both matches and scoring three penalties in the process.
Away to Kilmarnock in November Kenny Miller scored twice from the penalty spot in a 3-2 win for Rangers whilst in April Steven Whittaker took the honours from the penalty spot as Rangers edged past St Mirren 2-1.
Having awarded Rangers five penalties in three matches it’ll be interesting to see how long it takes the SFA to appoint him for another Rangers match.
Beattie has no class – Celtic or otherwise.
And all you mugs trying to balance that celebration are beyond help.
Do you support Celtic or just like the craic?
Cringeworthy – and so was the boy’s celebration
U
No to Ki
No to Brown
No to Wilson
Phil McNulty at Wembley, BBC Sport Chief Football Writer
“Sad to say some Chelsea fans let themselves and their club down badly during that silence in memory of Hillsborough and Morosini.”
You can see why the huns love them, can’t you?
Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo on 15 April, 2012 at 18:30 said:
Quonno
Your first and last sentences sum it up neatly.
Neil Lennon has no chance of getting CL standard of player unless DD and PL are prepared to dig deep to acquire them.
Given that balance sheet needs will always come first, it is not going to happen.
As big jock said……..
Fantastic all we have to be is the best team in Europe in order to beat Hearts.
Seems fair
Listen guys, as predicted, in October, we have pissed the league, don’t let one silly game, with plenty of miberry, deflect from that.
We are moving onwards and upwards, just be patient.
Ray
With regards Ki’s heading ability. I am not convinced.
HH
Another disappointing result. We seem to struggle to put away “big” games. Maybe a couple of experienced signings in the summer will put that right.
Ach well. We won the league.
So much for Scottish football being a one-team league without the huns, with this season’s major domestic honours shared between Celtic, Kilmanock, and Hibs or Hearts.
Good luck to Hibs in the final. It’s about time they won a trophy.
Re: Craig Beattie. I have no problem with him celebrating against us, however lustily. His team won. We lost. That’s football.
(thumbsup)
Awe Naw
That’s what worries me, the lack of support for Lenny is scandalous.
Hamilton
I AM a fan of Loovens and I also thought he showed leadership throughout. I think he takes responsibility. I think he makes mistakes but he is very harshly judged by CQN posters …
As the SPL are quite apt at changing rules to suit the climate.
Can we make it a rule that all Celtic players play with their hands roped behind their backs so as not to upset officials who may have to give a handball which may appear to be controversial.
One question if anyone can answer
Have the SFA ever commented on the antics of their former employees on te Ger dinner circuit?
Oh how we laugh as bobby Tate relives the glory days of giving rangers every decision going.
How we chuckle at the institutionalised bias and bigotry that ,ske a mockery of our game.
Will we hear about the last minute handball in the up semi on the circuit some years from now? Canny wait.
HT
Aye – Glen hoovered up quite a few mistakes today. After last week I thought he deserved his place.
The rest – well – Charlie was ‘focussed upon’ and Lustig played as a winger. And I think we had another defender playing, but…
U
Philvisteturns
I had same thought. If there is a silver lining to cup disappointments it is that it proves you don’t need Rangers….
The club needs to be public about referees.
One way to ensure this sort of nonsense continues for them to think that there will be no consequences for displays like todays.
It doesn’t have to be aggressive – just a public expression of concern, a request to see the supervisor’s report, and a request that someone in authority gives Celtic an assessment of Norris’ performance.
Do nothing, and we’ll be seeing this again and again, and again…
Te ger dinner is actually after dinner circuit.
iPads sure are clever.
Robert Tressell you are like a lot on here lennon men ,no matter how many mistakes and comments he makes ,he is stiil the man for celtic ,me i say he is not ,and thats that. oh i forgot its all the referees fault ,grow up .and for the thousand time i aint a hun, i will say what i have to say on here,and i will bow to no man on here
That BBC Scotland is dirt.
gordybhoy64 on 15 April, 2012 at 18:30 said:
Not much spontaneous celebration anywhere in football.
When was the last time that you saw the scorer of even the most mediocre of goals who did not run to the nearest TV camera.
The biggest problem with Craig Beattie is that as a Celtic player he had a badd run of injuries. From what I remember, just as he did to today he lit up the place when he came on.
I am not sure what annoys me more ….folk who go on about phone in shows or folk who respond to sad ‘hurting hun’ uneducated types like timboy2.
We have always had to do that bit more than other teams to win and always will….
Remember the Aberdeen Bobby Davison Cup Final or the Terry Butcher league Cup Final or the Aberdeen Aitken sent off final, or the mibery along the way in 02/03……
We have also blown a few too….Konterman semi, strachan 4 in a row, league in 02/3 by not hammering in the goals, Lenny ross County, Raith rovers, dundee under Jock in league cup, partick thistle, black sunday etc…..whenever rangers have a sniff they always win it…..
quonno,
Not my memory of Beattie. He had talent, but zero spirit. Like Maloney, the slightest knock would see him disappear for months. Even during matches a few tough tackles were enough to quieten him.
A mid-level SPL player at best.
Celtic won the league (The big one)
Anything else would have been a bonus….
God bless Neil and the bhoys…