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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The talk last night was that the Stan banner was taken to the game but confiscated at the turnstyles.
Allgreen tthinks SPL are at it on 16 April, 2012 at 10:14 said:
praecepta
I think we lack someone who can play a killer pass or do something a bit different.
________
I long for a Roy Aitken type – someone on the park to organise us, shake us up when faltering, to drive us on when we need to get a result and who takes no nonsense off the opposition or the referee!
Morning all, lovely bright sunny day in NE Scotland.The day blighted by my having to sit in an office full of Dons and Huns who seem to have forgotten their enmity and decided to have a ‘let’s all gloat at Timmy day’. Apparently we are all bitter sore losers, it was an ‘honest’ mistake and we should dry our eyes and as one Hun succinctly put it “shut the f**k up moaning all the time”. Common sense or attempts at discussing football regulations are met with derision. My comment ‘only in Scotland would one team have a catalogue of blatant biased refereeing decisions constantly given against them without something being done’ was met with ‘well then F off back to Ireland if you don’t like it! I mentioned having a word with HR about that comment – “Take it easy, I was only joking” was the reply. Now i work in an office of graduate mechanical engineers obviously all intelligent guys but they, Aberdeen as well as the Huns fans, really do not like us very much. I believe that most of the Scottish football supporting public is either indifferent or worse openly hostile to our complaining about Refs and bias in Scottish football.
soukous on 16 April, 2012 at 10:18 said:
Agree I posted very similar yesterday..baffles me with team selection some times – I’m behind him 100% but he is still learning imo.
I’m as scunnered by yesterday’s refereeing as any Celtic supporter but I think we contributed a lot to our own failure yesterday.
3 very easy headers – Hooper and Ki x2 would have sealed it. Stokes missed from 1 yard…etc
Wilson – no thanks
Ki – no thanks
Brown as captain – no thanks
Commons is great – but must get a gastric band soon.
I just didn’t see yesterday’s team doing it as the game wore on – no on field leader. Emphasises the drive we miss when James Forest absent.
Dylan McGeoch looked the part, Vic brought more purpose – so why not start with them?
Just read back the blog and see Rancho had already posted the stats I just posted.
Had that banner got inside the stadium in view of the Celtic support there would have been riots. To what scale is unthinkable.
Cultsbhoy……agree, Wanyama, at least, should have started the game, instead of Wilson……what’s a gastric band, by the way…?….LOL
We have 5 friendlies between now and the end of the season. Give the youngsters a chance, let a lot of the deadwood go in the Summer and buy 2 EXPERIENCED PROs to help out the team.
Serge
What did the banner state..?
Henriks Sombrero@10:15
I hope you are right regards Thursday. But yesterdays incident won’t be heard until after the season has ended as far as i’m aware, meaning Lenny will probably have a 4 game ban at the start of next season
PL + DD still need to have a word with him imo. We need Lenny on the touchline, not in the stand
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?
Try again.maybe first attempt was a wee bit early.
Would really appreciate some informed input to questions from anyone “in the know”
spikeysauldman
Wilson was last man. He was lucky to stay on the park imo
67Heaven
I really do not want to say, It’s on google image.
Following the final game of the season, and the presentation of the Championship Trophy, Lenny will have the best part of 2 months away from the day to day pressure of must win games and media provocation.
I expect it will do him enormous good. With rest comes reflection and perspective, and he will come to a new understanding of what he wants to achieve with this group of players at our great club, and how to go about it.
A number of peripheral players will leave the club, and I hope a couple of substantial players will come in. A top defender to play alongside Tommy Rogne is in order, perhaps Fojut is the chap, as is a forward who can make as well as take chances at a high level. The kinda guy who, in the big game, makes and takes the one chance.
Our financials this year will not lend themselves to net spend over the summer, least of all given the uncertainty that surrounds the SPL business model, so I expect one or two players to be sold to make the cash available. A couple from Ki, Commons, Stokes, K Wilson, in addition to the necessary pruning of the likes of Rasmussen (he’s still here..), Juarez (so’s he..), McCourt (pity..), the raft of players on loan, and the out of contract M Wilson, Majstorovic, Loovens and Cha – an entire back 4.
That’s a lot of wage to redirect. Let’s trust the Club uses it well.
Young McGeouch looks like he’s getting ready to show up to good effect, and I’m hearing positive noises about what Ibrahim has to offer in a central attacking midfield role. A trio of McGeouch and Forrest playing either side of Ibrahim, behind the free scoring Mo Bangura who’s keeping Luuk de Jong out of the team is surely a prospect to relish.
I am looking forward to next season already.
10 men – skacel was way out on the wing with loovens in the middle – it was not a clear goalscoring opportunity – and the “trip” was accidental – skacel ran across him and dived
– wilson lucky my backside
Its about time we addressed the Scottish game with a new purpose if we are to stay here. The cups are small beer with no substantial prize at the end. Treat them as part of the training programme. For the League Cup particularly play the under 20s. For the ‘Big Cup’ a mixture of youth and experience. So what if we dont win them treat the SFA and League as they deserve, use the games for trying out players and formations. If we go out early their will be less games to interfere with the real aim of winning the league.
What we need is a class CH skillful M F and a big bad angry striker. We all know this and have known for years now, come on Celtic get it done!!!!!!!!
Born 67
Kayal33
I don’t think we have a good centre back at the club, possibly Rogne if he can stay fit.
For years we have made do with a succession of average centre backs and spent little money on this area. Caldwell, Dan, Rogne (small fee), Wilson, Mulgrew and Thompson make this an area where we look to “get away with it”.
I know that spending money doesn’t mean quality (Scheidt, Loovens), but players like Mjallby and Valgaeren did the job.
Coaching what we have probably wouldn’t make much difference as the raw materials aren’t there.
While every game we play is a “big game”,some are bigger than others.
The last 3 “really big games” were v.rangers,v.killie in the LCF and v.hearts yesterday.
In my opinion,in those 3 games there were 7 BIG decisions for the officials.I mean the real game changing decisions.
1.Cha at ibrox
2.Victor at ibrox
3.Tony S in LCF
4.Black’s tackle yesterday
5.Black’s handball (after his yellow that should have been red)
6.hearts penalty
7.Celtic penalty
Every one of these key decisions at key times in big games went against Celtic.
I understand (but get very frustrated by) the old “if we get cheated 5 times in a game we should just score 6” brigade,but it would be very difficult for any team to overcome such blatant bias in key games and win.
All we want is a level playing field.It would appear that was not,is not and never will be available to us.
That leaves us with a very limited range of options.
Relishnig the free-scoring Mo Bangura Prospect is truly the piri-piri on next season’s menu.
To go
Cervi
M Wilson
Cha
Mastorovic
O’Dea
Thompson
Loovens
Juarez
McCourt
Ki
Rasmussen
Hooper
Murphy
McGinn
TBB – I am hearing we will be seeing Ibrahim sooner rather than later when we try out our new home European formation in preparation for next year.
medtim at 10:32
Was trying to get to the bottom of this myself but can’t see anything in my company law books to definitively say who drafts the resolutions but I believe resolutions have to be drafted by the Board of Directors. Although if not possible to convene a meeting of the board, I think one Director can draft the resolution.
The SPL is a company and the clubs are shareholders of the the company and will not have had advance sight of the resolutions until the notice of the meeting was announced and all would have been sent this information at the same time.
The voting for resolutions is written in the companies’ articles of association and the company must adhere to these when seeking a vote.
Mort
Alright bhoys.
Still sickened by yesterday. I knew Norris would end up the talking point. Horrible bitter little hun.
Anyway, last 5 games is a chance for Neil to rest some players and give some fringe players some game time. McGeouch looked the part yesterday and would add the much needed spark that Forrest usually brings us.
I would rest Hooper as apart from his goal yesterday was shocking.
Team for next game…
Zaliuska
Matthews—Rogne—Charlie—Izzy
Broonie—Wanyama—Ledley—McGeough
Ibrahim
Stokes
With Paddy, Kayal, Blackman, Twins, Brozek (if he’s still here) getting a run.
It’s really sickening to see how much relish there is in today’s papers. Their enjoyment of our defeat – and their haste to absolve the ref says it all.
We need to get back to adopting Big Jock’s mantra of making sure we score so many they cannot “do” us with their incompetence.
That will cost money and a fair bit of it. Get it done Celtic – PLEASE.
Folks looking for a bit of Advice from the ex-pat tims in Canada.
Moving over to the Toronto area in 3 weeks and just looking to know how do I get the same buzz from following the celts on the other side of the world, at the moment I go home and away so i know there there will be real tears at my last home game against St Johnstone and then away to Dundee Utd.
Is the Channel 67 decent quality and is it worth it? And whats the best club to go and see the games around Toronto, i’ve been to Bramalea a few times but it might be a bit far away depending on where i settle…
Despite yesterday which hurt like hell it still feels like im leaving just at the moment this team is about to click and there is period of domination ahead, just needs a bit of steel and drive and I think that will be arrive in the summer.
HH
Ten Men Won The League:
There is no rule such as ‘Last Man’. It has to be ‘… preventing a clear goal-scoring opportunity…’
Skacel still had 40yrds to run, out near the wing, with Mulgrew covering. Not now, and never will be, considered ‘preventing a clear goal-scoring opportunity’.
For the benefit of any lingering doubt: Being in a position to shoot and having your legs clattered is a ‘preventing a goal scoring opportunity’ even if there’s a player on the line with the goalie.
This ‘Last Man’ nonsense is a myth. It’s a lazy interpretation of the rule.
neillybhoy
I have a Canadian mate who is currently based in Dublin. He’s from a small place a couple of hours drive from Toronto but says theres a huge number of Tims in Canada, so recreating the buzz shouldn’t be a problem! Would advise giving all the CSC’s a shot and deciding on yer favourite:)
HH
neillybhoy
Torontony is the man to ask, Or Teuchter ar la
Mort,
Cheers for that.
IF,in his role as executive,Doncaster could develop some ideas,I would be surprised however if they did not have to be at least run past the SPL Board before being sent out.
I think our Eric Riley is on that board.
Despite this,there seems to be a feeling that Celtic were taken completely by surprise by this development.
Maybe Paul67 could clarify
greenjedi on 16 April, 2012 at 10:45 said:
Would agree with everyone on that list and add K.Wilson, Towell.
The money generated by the Ki and Hooper sales can then be re-invested in a centre half and a striker and the wages saved could be used for a keeper. Bolster the squad by trusting our own youngsters and possibly bring in Russell and Mackay-Stevens.
Ten Men Won The League on 16 April, 2012 at 10:33 said:
there is no “last man” law ..it has to be an obvious goal scoring opportunity,Wilson incident was not…
Guys, regarding the Petrov banner. Received a message from a good friend (albeit a Hun) last night that it was actually a banner unveiled by Birmingham City supporters. Unsubstantiated obviously, but anything else is merely rumours just now I think.
Sick, disgusting imbeciles, nonetheless.
HH
Giggs
Why the urge to sell Ki from many?
In my opinion, he is one of our better players who does actually know what to do when he has the ball at his feet.
Did NL not say that Celtic improved massively against Kilmarnock in the LC Final when Ki was brought on?
allaboutopinionscsc
Celtic and Barcelona.
Mair than a club
Tú y yo somos uno, y a la vez, dos
Celtic website Man of the Match
Mikael Lustig.
Youarehavingalaugh CSC
team for Motherwell
Zaluska
Lustig Rogne Mulgrew Izaguirre
Wanyma Ledley
McGeough Ibrahim Commons
Brozek
Bench Samaras Stokes Hooper Twardzyk Ki Matthews Forster
Need to start looking towards next season, see what Ibrahim and Brozek can do and give McGeough an extended run now that Forrest is out for rest of season.
Kayal
I forgot about Towell, but with Wilson I’m willing to give him another season to prove himself.
You gotta give players a chance CSC
BTW
I’m not that conviced by him, but Elliot didn’t convince me in his 1st year either.