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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Macjay1
…And the same for any other players i have chosen, They need to play in order for us to get decent fees. HH
Serge,
Like I said ,I`ll go along with that.
macjay1
Whether it happens or not is another thing, I hope so. Perfect chance to do it. HH
Good morning fellow Celts from the 0623 to Waterloo lovely blue skies today but still far from happy about yesterday
My overwhelming feeling is we were just not far enough ahead of hertz to win game
Some of us have been banging on about tight scorelines giving mibs the chance to do what mibs have always done.
We have been missing a heid the ba in the net target man striker for 4 seasons. We are short of a midfield maestro type
Lenny is my hero he has given more to Celts than most of us put together. He is learning and still managed to give us a league
There is more to come but we need the right players pronto
HH
M
Saltires en Sevilla
I agree there was so many great balls put into the box yesterday, Had we had a Hartson/Sutton type player we would have been 3 up by half time. HH
Happiness is being a Tim. The rest don’t matter.
saltires en sevilla on 16 April, 2012 at 07:02 said:
Serge on 16 April, 2012 at 07:08 said
thats it in a nutshell. a lot of folk on here after the game gettin in to a right state about mibs……….and quite rightly so, but relying on decisions at the end of games (killie) to get a result is not good enuff.
we we’re gash. hertz were after every ball and harassed us for 90mins. we seemed to have adopted this jogging, passing the ball from side to side attitude, rather than going at them. i agree that there where some terrific balls into the box, but it then became a long ball game that sammi et all were coming off second best.
we just weren’t good enuff
I posted immediately on my return yesterday without seeing decisions and I still maintain my thought that the preparation for this game was not what it should’ve been, too much time off after last weekend and not enough planning with players.
Yes the decisions were shocking and no other team has to play in conditions like us but we shouldve had enough to win that game.
Vox Pop Ranker
Neil Lennon : 1st season, lost league by 1pt and won Sco Cup
2nd season, Wins League, gets to a Final + Semi Final.
Fat Sally : 1st season, NADAL.
Keep Your Eyes on the PIES Sally, ‘cos that’s yer lot.
Haha
HH
mickbhoy1888 on 16 April, 2012 at 02:01 said:
its that simple really
Nadal = Nada = Feck All !
morning all
I wish I was a prize pig Taxi driver! I really do. I really really do.
MWD not all police officers are/were pigs but some just can’t stop helping themselves eating from the trough.
RTC back with a loud bang this morning.
v Ross County.
v Braga.
v Utrecht.
v Sion.
v Inverness Caley.
v Rangers (2011 league cup final)
v Rangers (couple of weeks ago)
v Kilmarnock (at Hampden)
v Hearts
The games that really mattered and Neil blew them.
Some games will be remembered for dubious refereeing decisions but, if we’re honest, team selections and tactics were the main factors in all those defeats. Neil has to be honest with himself and recognise that.
Get the team and the tactics right and the refs won’t matter.
sniffling quisling…
15 point deficit to 8 points in front..
those games really mattered ….
Good morning from MK.
In adding a new dimension to the refereeing debate by charging them with ‘making it personal’ NL has left himself open for a lengthy ban.
I think he might regret that outburst as he’s no way of proving its personal and he’s just given the referees and some in the SFA an ideal opportunity to hammer him.
Silly, Silly.
blantyretim on 16 April, 2012 at 07:51 said
those games really mattered ….
Thank you.
did the cup final against motherwell last year not mean anything?
what about the rangers game in december?
Omnipresent Pat Nevin (in his wee baldy heid, maybe)
If the refs don’t matter, why have them?
Why have only scottish ones?
Why have them in a system where they can’t be assessed by their customers?
26 wins out of 33 league games played …they REALLY mattered.
Celtic FC – SPL CHAMPIONS 2011-2012
it seems some folk are deeming that its only the games we lose that are important just to suit their argument.
but yes, we have lost too many important games that we should have won. we have also won a lot of important games
luckily, i can rub my stomach and pat my head at the same time, so i can say that a whole host of things have contributed to us losing games, not playing well enough, lack of a cutting edge, bad luck, shocking refereeing decisions have all played their part to some extent in us losing games
ICT away is just as important as Rangers at home. Every game is important as we need to win them all.
Morning all from gay Paree, bright sunny morning (12C max).
We are all aware that the team is still a work in progress, but we have managed to secure the BIG prize this season.
We did that by winning a long series of BIG games that really mattered!
We are still not at that level where jokers like Norris, Gollum & Co can’t exert their personal stamp on matches.
The squad needs to be trimmed during the summer, and two or three key positions filled with first team – not squad – players.
The season is effectively finished, and it will be hard to work up much enthusiasm for the remaining fixtures.
However, here are some thoughts:
Motherwell 22/04 14:00 A
Hammer them: would hate to see McCall & Co anywhere near CL.
Rangers 29/04 12:45 H
Hammer them: just because
St Johnstone 03/05 19:45 H
Play the kids (thought young McGeogh was excellent when he came on yesterday)
Dundee Utd 06/05 12:45 A
Play the kids: would be my preference for the vacant CL spot, but they need a bit of luck and more consistency in the last 5 games
Hearts 13/05 12:30 H
Hammer them: I think that Joe might have a score to settle with a certain Mr Black…
Time Bomb
To all those who say “if you’re good enough the ref don’t matter” how good do we need to be?
A penalty in the 1st minute of added time?
We’d need to be 11 supermen to do it after that.
I predict a riot
The Omnipresent Pat Nevin on 16 April, 2012 at 07:47 said:
Try living in the day son instead of constantly trudging through the past…
Having Pat Nevin in yer user name isnae big or clever….
Can someone clarify please? Possibly one for Paul67.
When the proposed resolutions from the spl first entered the public domain it was suggested they were the brainchild of Neil “all my own work” Doncaster.
Can anyone confirm that is,indeed,the case?
If so,were they run past any spl Board or Committee before being sent to clubs?
If so,who had sight of or input to their content?
Did ALL of the spl clubs receive the contents (or info re. the contents) at the same time?
In his role,does Mr.Doncaster have a mandate to unilaterally devise resolutions?(if this was the case)
I’m trying to get a timeline etc on the “who,what,why,when,where” of this.
Thoughts?
Every game we play is a big one. Every game we lose is a big one.
Cup semi finals, finals and Hun games are generally the biggest we play each season.
This season we haven’t performed very well in these games. Sometimes this just happens due to circumstances.
Against the Hun we keep getting players sent off, rightly or wrongly.
In the LC final and yesterday we played poorly for some reason and this allowed the referees to have more say in the outcomes.
The way to beat teams is to do what we did last week at Rugby park, attack at high tempo from the start and put these teams on the back foot.
Sometimes it’s all in the attitude, we won’t get a result if we just turn up and expect it, we need to earn it.
I’m keepin’ the ole fingers crossed that when the ole Euro qualies start the Cellick first choice centre backs are not messrs Wilson,K and Loovens,G.
Anyways, many happy returns to The Shabby Chapeau, fragrant companion of the ole Battered Bunnet.
Justine gets to share her cake with humblebum Gerry Rafferty, Dusty Springfield [nee Mary Catherine Isobel Bernadette O’Brien] and hoops legned wee Freddy Ljungberg.
I back Lenny 100% about the Refs in this country!!
His tea, selections baffle me though at times,,,where the hell has Loovens come from??
Charlie and Victor are fit,so why are we playing the 2 bombscares together at centre back,,, Izzy sitting wasting away on the bench is another mystery!!
Hail hail
If on the day before the season started you were told that Celtic would loose two of their most influential players for a large part of the season yet would go on to win the league before the split with the added bonus of Huns FC winning one cup match against the mighty Arbroath would you have taken it?
Yorkbhoy
Excellent question.
I sure would.
Hail Hail to the CHAMPIONS.
sixtaeseven: No NewCo in SPL and it’s Non-Negotiable! on 16 April, 2012 at 08:06 said:
No chance Black will play in this game the week before the Cup Final-Hearts will play a shadow eleven.
Still haven’t got a clue why Black wasn’t sent off yesterday-shocking challenge on Ledley and deliberate in my opinion.
Agree with all your other points we need to try out some of the youngsters but not too many in each game.
The biggest and most important game of this season was at Fir
Park when we faced a 15 point deficit and then went a goal behind in the course of this huge match.
WE WON.
yorkbhoy on 16 April, 2012 at 08:38 said:
I would have bit your hand off for that Mate..