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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Now we have the rabid filth claiming Webster’s hip touched the ball and not his hand.
Does anyone have video?
Also,
Big games Neil Lennon’s Celtic have won
Utrecht H
Dundee United A (Dougie Dougie)
Rangers A 2-0
Rangers 2-2 (a great result with 10 men)
Rangers H 3-0
Rangers H SC 1-0
Aberdeen 4-1 Semi final
Aberdeen 4-0 Semi final
Inverness A- 2-1 SC
Motherwell – Scottish cup final
Rennes H 3-1
Motherwell A 2-1 (15 points behind)
Rangers H 1-0
Inverness A 2-0 SC
Dundee United A SC
20 games in a row
Throw in a draw in Rennes, two draws against an Excellent Serie A side and two good games against a side who will probably win the Europa League and Neil’s doing alright for year two as a manager.
Yeah this is the manager who loses all the big games.
GO and read your Daily Record tripe and shove it where the sun don’t shine.
If you buy into these lies you are weak of character, not of discerning mind or not a proper Celtic supporter.
I only wish the MSM had devoted so much time to following and investigating double contracts, EBTs and non payment for players as they routinely do when Neil Lennon gets angry at disgusting refereeing.
Trying to put a positive spin on yesterday… There may be a few SPL chairmen looking at this season and maybe beginning to think, 3 trophies 3 winners, hmmm maybe we don’t need Huns FC ..
Will the snarling Neil Lennon be up before the beaks for his post match confrontation with the err, referee?
Snake Plissken on 16 April, 2012 at 08:51 said:
That’s a list that tells the bigger picture story…
Hx2
In the cold light of day I can now understand why Celtic refused to pay a fee to get Kelvin Wilson signed any earlier than necessary.
Snake p….
Agreed, we have won loads of big games.
Would we have won more with a settled back four and a midfield playmaker.
Some of you younger posters might not know what a midfield playmaker is.
So put out of two cups by teams other than Rangers. Dropped points in 7 league games – two of which were to Rangers. It’s true what they say, there would be no competition without them.
I dont buy into this losing the big games crap,,,but our team selections are baffling at times!!
Hail hail
so a marginally offside decision, where the forward’s and the defender’s bodies overlap, proven only on replay is as “equally controversial” as a blatantly incorrect penalty award – who needs the MSM.
Why does every Hertz fan want to talk today :(
The hertz support are the scum of the earth always have been I hope they follow follow the govan dodgers down the long road of pain and humiliation..
May have been posted earlier but the ref deems Wanyama handball is worthy of a penalty. Really?
http://img835.imageshack.us/img835/3359/48858099.gif
ibleedgreenandwhite1 at 08.38 re team selections:
I think that when it comes to team selections we as a support ,tend to forget, that the players we have are assets, whose value the club would wish to maintain at the highest possible level. There are players like Cha or Loovens whose contracts are about to expire and the club may wish to extend their contract by 1 or 2 years if only to attempt to sell them on, I think that is what happened with O’Dea for example, he was resigned to try to get a fee in return abd hopefully we do but players values would greatly diminish if they are not played and I think that is partly why we get strange team selections. Tevez at Man. City is only back there because his value was going south rapidly for as long as he was not playing .
Prestonpans bhoys
They are Apes, They probably only learned how to recently. Scumbags the lot of them.
Searrching for some context.
( I may have left it next to my ole commemorative set of hen’s teeth…)
…First-up, we’ve won the League ( capital ‘L’ for extra Emphasis)…….We mustn’t let anyone forget this.
Stll sore about yesterday tho’…..
With the times that are in it, I would have Loved to see Neill and The Bhoys in another Final.
Anyway, that’s gone but the Title remains. The Bhoys can concentrate on next season and the Champions League qualifiers.
And, if any dinosaur journo or shock-talk -trumpet starts on how important the huns are to the’ scoddish geme’ tell them to wheeesht and cover their work……….
HH
RE this big games bollox – did we win every “big” game we played under MON ? Or did i just imagine losing games to the likes of Inverness during our GOD when Rangers seemed to win quite a few trophies too.
Morning,all.
I didnae bother posting yesterday,still too raw after being mugged.
Usual suspects sadly repeating their trademark mantras after any defeat.
The day will come when we no longer have to factor the ref’s performance into our own.
When players will be able to receive a ball without expecting to be booted ten feet in the air,with the perpetrator playing keepie-up on the way down.
When we can ourselves challenge for the ball without being booked for our cheek in so doing.
When the laws are applied evenly.
And when our manager no longer loses his rag at the sheer daylight robbery which his team has suffered.
Until then,I will not criticise any player,and I certainly will not criticise Neil.
Fresh, cold and clouding up here in North Ayrshire this morning.
I can understand why Neil lennon says yesterday’s travesty was personal, but I believe that it was an expression of contempt aimed at all of us.
I remember hearing an Orange justification for their, “Walks”.
“It’s tae let thum know”.
Norris, yesterday, was just remindng us.
Serge on 16 April, 2012 at 06:27 said:
”I’d be happy to see both Rangers & Hearts wiped off the footballing map. I despise them both. Just read about the Petrov banner, If true Celtic fans should never step foot inside Swinecastle ever again. Having been punched and spat on there i will never give cash towards that filth for the remainder of my life. Good luck to Hibs in the final.”
It seems, according to this mini huns site, that there definitely was a banner, though whether it was on display inside Hampden is unclear.
Interesting to see the mini huns refer to their cousins as huns.
Also interesting to note that they had stopped off on the way to Hampden at a Bowling club in Motherwell. Do bowling clubs in Motherwell have extended hours to serve alcohol on a Sunday morning?
http://www.hmfckickback.co.uk/index.php?/topic/109897-joe-ledley-
tweetpetrov-banner/
Reminding us.
Breeny with all due respect thats tosh!!!
Semi finals are not the time or the place to select players like Loovens etc in the hope they play well and we can get a few quid,,Loovens and Wilson are bombscares,Charlie and Victor are fit so it baffles me why they didnt play??
Also Charlie is no left back hes a centre back,in fact he’s the best centre back at the club,if he plays where he should then that would allow us to play the best Left back in Scotland,,,wee Izzy!!
Hial hail
Serge
I have secured 1 top from mini to add to your collection
need to find a kid in Jordan called Monica now 8-))
The Omnipresent Pat Nevin on 16 April, 2012 at 07:47 said:
The games that really matter?
v Ross County, his second game as a manager.
v Rangers a couple of weeks ago, meant everything to the Huns, not so much to us.
We don’t have a divine right to win games, Neil Lennon has won more of the big games than he has lost. That’s why we are champions.
I would also point you to Snake Plissens post @08.51
Glasgow Celtic Champions…………
Ki its all his fault.The biggest culprit yesterday was kelvin wilson.no not good enough,and we cant blame refs all the time, We have a lot of good players,who in my opinion need a good management team ,to guide them
Rancho…………
“Keep yer eyes on the pies Ally……”
Kwality!
*rapid involuntary coffee propoulsion event*
ERNIE LYNCH 0916
Thanks for the link. I had been wondering what the banner said.
In fairness to the posters on that site,they were as disgusted as we are.
“propoulsion”….
dear oh, dear…..time for another coffee!
Breeny
It’s a gamble too far to offer some of our fringe players new deals to generate a fee.
We have a full team of players who wouldn’t be missed or are out on loan as they are probably not going to make it.
Generally no one will pay the wages they are on, but if someone is willing they won’t pay it on top of a fee.
IMO this is what we did with Samaras. When he signed his new deal most of us, myself included couldn’t believe it as at the time he wan’t worth a new deal. Samaras has proved most of us wrong recently.
I wouldn’t be looking to keep Cervi, both Wilsons, Cha,Loovens, O’Dea, Thompson,McGinn, McCourt, Rassmusen, Juarez as for one reason or another and a saving ov over £100,000 per week.
ibleedgreenandwhite1 on 16 April, 2012 at 09:18 said:
Mate there’s obviously a problem with Izzy or he would be back in the team and did Charlie not have the game of his life from left back last week to seal the title.
Loovens wisnae the worst yesterday our midfield were non existent, we paid the price for playing a half fit broonie..
SP
It`s always rubbish leaving Hampden after a defeat. Thjere are plenty of reasons and excuses every time. I think it`s getting to the players because the response to Hearts first goal was slow in coming.
It was a frustrating day but the number one target for the season has been achieved!
Ernie
Thanks for the link. Glad to see people disgusted by it. Certainly wont change my opinion of that club though, Motherwell…i’m suprised there wasnt soup and sandwiches available at the bigotdome for them. HH
spikeysauldman on 16 April, 2012 at 09:14 said:
No. But I imagine that we won a lot more of them.
By my reckoning we have won only one of the last six domestic cup competitions we have played in. Can’t all be down to Mibbery.
champions 2012
who gives a toss about the cup
mon the hibs should be a fantastic final
ibleedgreenandwhite1
My point really is that sometimes managers have things to consider that the fans are not tuned into. I’m sure the coaches don’t always start with their strongest 11 and there are other things they have to think about. I’m sure Lennon did not think that was his best 11 but he felt that the squad was good enough to win that match and they were but they didn’t.
Poor show goals change games. Had we taken our chances ref decision becomes irrelevant BUT Neil is right it is personal they will give us nothing and any team playing us the benefit Wonder why ??? I thought Alan T did a good job on TV
67ECW
BT
Thank you. I’m going to put my email add up again later because i always get a good amount when i do that. Any joy with that movies site it’s pretty good, perfect quality inless its a cinema release. HH
Morning champs! I have to say very underwhelmed by the finish to our season.
It’s very hard to know what to make of the team’s performance yesterday. Showed great character to get back in to it. Maybe could have gone on and won the game, who knows? That particular opportunity was denied to us by a quite staggering emotive decision.
Over the piece I have really enjoyed watching this team play. Our form dipped over the last month which has been very costly. I think we finish the season with less prizes that we ought to have won but at least the most important one has been delivered.
I think perhaps over the course, we were maybe a bit short up front and at the back. I hope this summer, the squad is trimmed a bit and any signings are 1st team players.
The biggest test of Lennon´s time in charge is right at the beginning of the next season. Big pressure to get into the Champions League. At the moment I think we will struggle, need some quality added to get there.
On a plus young McGeouch looks a player. I imagine he gets a run now.
Can you imagine if we got a big quality big striker on the end of the delivers from Mulgrew?
*unless even