Falkirk played some good football at Hampden this afternoon and looked competitive with the bottom half if the Scottish Premier League, but Celtic scored three, hit the woodwork three times and had a good goal incorrectly disallowed for offside, emphasising how comfortable a day’s work it was for the SPL, Scottish Cup and League Cup favourites.
James Forrest reached the goal line and cut back to Scott Brown, whose shot was deflected onto the post before rebounding to Gary Hooper who made no mistake. The nearside linesman did nothing for the reputation of Scotland’s officials by raising his flag despite a second defender being inside the six yard box while the Celtic striker was 8 yards out.
Six minutes later Thomas Rogne got his head onto a Forrest corner but saw the effort rebound from the crossbar. Falkirk maintained parity for 27 minutes before conceding cheaply. Darren Dods, aware of Rogne’s potency at set pieces, hauled the Celtic defender to the ground inside the box from a Mulgrew corner. Scott Brown converted the resultant penalty.
Stokes could have made Celtic comfortable six minutes from half time when he connected with Hooper’s cutback but his shot was blocked. A minute later Falkirk were level. Victor Wanyama misplaced a cross-field pass to Cha in the middle of the field, Emilio Izaguirre had pushed forward while no one dropped back to cover.
Cha and Wanyama both had chances to get tight on breaking Falkirk players but Higgingbotham feigned a shot and rolled the ball into the path of 17-year-old Jay Fulton, who finished clinically.
Within a minute of the break Rogne had a chance to put Celtic ahead again but mistimed his header before Gary Hooper set James Forrest through with Falkirk keeper McGovern to beat but the winger was denied.
Falkirk’s best chance to win the tie arrived six minutes after then break when Fulton drifted in unattended at Celtic’s left but his half-volley from 7 yards flew over.
Thomas Rogne hit the cross bar for the second time with a deflected shot after another Mulgrew corner. A minute later Anthony Stokes put one foot in the final when he lifted a free kick over the Falkirk wall and into the side of the net. It wasn’t the hardest struck free kick but he caught McGovern mid-jump on his line, so the keeper was slow to move to his right.
Falkirk pushed forward whenever they could and Duffy got the better of Joe Ledley to setup Alston but the substitute couldn’t convert. 12 minutes from the end Fraser Forster made an impressive double save after a corner. He stopped the first from Darren Dods and then saved from Stuart Murdoch.
Ledley saw a shot from a Matthews cross deflected over before the Celtic full back cleared at the other end when Weatherston got behind Wanyama to cross.
Gary Hooper secured the win for Celtic when he collected outside the box after 85 minutes, turned his defender and headed for the bye-line. His cross was converted by Stokes with Ledley waiting if needed.
582 Comments- Pages:
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NegAnon2
Yeah, cos it’s really in the closet now, isn’t it?
Neganon2
I don’t believe EITHER of those statements and in an Independent Scotland there would also be another election sharpish to vote for the opposition.
Independence is the right thing to do.
The BBC’s Phil McNulty and Sky Sports sources are reporting that Everton have made an official offer to sign Rangers’ in-demand striker Nikica Jelavić. David Moyes is also a fan of Jelavić and has launched a raid for the Croatia international ahead of Tuesday’s transfer deadline.
Rangers boss Ally McCoist revealed before the weekend that he was hopeful of keeping Jelavić at Ibrox, but subsequently commented that the victory over Hibs proved the cash-strapped Glasgow giants could cope without him.
West Ham reportedly had a £7m offer for the striker rejected but Everton now appear to be in pole position to snap up Jelavić and are locked in talks with Rangers in the hope of finalising an agreement before the window shuts.
Sources close to the player say that Jelavić is eager to move to the English Premier League and it would be a dream come true to play in the division.
AgentScotland tweeted earlier that the Blues have had a £6m bid accepted, with £3.5m due up front and the rest in installments.
The Guardian carry the same report but also maintain that Moyes is still looking at PSG’s Guillaume Hoarau on loan.
Original Source: BBC Sport
Gordon64,
Gordon64 says:
29 January, 2012 at 21:08
Those for the Union and the Crown
need to give a better argument rather
than scaremongering.
Apologies if you don’t think this was a cheap jibe, but on a Celtic Blog it sounded very very simliar in tone to the SNP eejit who called other MSPs “anti-Scottish” because they did not share her view of an independent Scotland.
If “we” have failed to rid this country of Orange Parades, anti-Irish racism, anti-Catholic sectarianism and have watched this “Governement” introduce a bill specifically aimed at criminalising one part of society because they were not guilty of breaking the existing law, then we are unlikely to make much headway giving them total power. It would very quickly descend into a divided nation.
I refuse to reward these people with more power while I watch them abuse the power they already have.
If that makes me a “unionist” in your eyes, I can assure it’s only in your eyes.
There is such a thing as a lesser evil.
gordon64
there’s a way to go yet before the fearties come round to what is staring them clear in the face…the more this disgusting government show their true hand(too expensive to keep our kids safe from asbestos in their schools ffs)…the less divisive they will become…keep the faith my friend
bbg
The Irish diaspora and the Catholics of Scotland have fought for decades to gain prominence in all aspects of Scottish life.
It would appear, sadly, that some of their descendants would be happy to forego that and blow raspberries at those achievements.
Kojo,
And the Celtic Board rub their hands in glee at the thought of the tickets they will sell in that scenario
Scots wishing for independence may get it regardless without voting for it. The English will sooner or later demand a vote for independence. If they get the referendum on it, the labour party had better have their house in better order than it is now, because only a strong labour vote will prevent it happening.
ernie lynch says:
29 January, 2012 at 22:42
I agree with you there… Salmond is the best politician in these isles – thats not a compliment – but he can wipe the floor with the rest of them. There’s a big ability gap between him and the rest of his party.
He’s playin this well, but he’s fortunate that he has the enemies he has.
G64,
I’m not for or against independence as such. I’d like to hear tho, what its going to be for. The proof is in the pudding – it should be apple crumble every day of the week for me, wi nae cinnamon (an abomination) – and the law’s passed to date don’t fill me with confidence. More than that, its been the lack of guts to tackle a problem thats starin everyone in the face.
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Ernie – nobody gave a toss when we were a day away from oblivion. The rest of Scottish football was quite happy to carry on without us.
That’s not the case with the establishment team and we’re already seeing the seeds being planted in the old media that top flight football in Scotland would suffer disastrous consequences without a Rankers.
Nobody bothering to mention that all club credit facilities would be withdrawn if they got away with the Pre-pack Administration….a bigger disaster than no TV deal.
You want to back us into a corner and threaten to resign from the SPL if the Newco gets in immediately. Then what? Where are we going? Nobody else wants us and UEFA would fight any move to get us out of this hellhole.
We need to work behind the scenes and make good use of Brian Quinn’s current position and get UEFA to start leaning on the SFA about the Hun finances and the Euro licensing issues. There’s plenty of questions to be asked without even taking the big tax case into account.
T4
JimmyQuinnsBits says:
29 January, 2012 at 23:01
‘I agree with you there… Salmond is the best politician in these isles’
I think you’re overstating his ability.
He’s a one issue politician on the periphery of British politics.
JQB
I’m not sure about independence.
Just think we need to debate the pros and cons.
Can’t see myself voting for the Union when the time comes.
Read kevins today. Does he think he’s tellin us summitt we dont already know??
bubblegum says:
29 January, 2012 at 22:57
fearties… hmmm… well, you’ve won me over
Naismith;
“Jelavic loves playing for Rangers, wants more of it, and is not asking for a transfer”
Oh my sides – stoap it Naibalance. I think he must have landed on his head with all that tumbling.
Quick Greegsy & Davissy, pack yer bags am hearing theres a bid for u as well
Hamiltontim,
Not the old raspberry blower of old london town!!!
RonnieBarkerCSC
On liquidation, the TV deal is null and void. Dead. Broken. No longer in place. Because, the deal requires 4x Celtic v Huns games to be in place. On Liquidation Der Hun are no more. Dead. Gone. Busted. Finito.
So, no matter what happens next in relation to any new emerging body, said body did not form part of the TV deal and so the contract remains unfulfilled.
Now it may be that the TV will not seek immediate foreclosure and may ‘ask’ the SPL to bring into the fold a club quite like Der Hun to take the place of………
but, there are more hurdles to be overcome and such an arrangement will not be done on a nod and a wink (or any other masonic format).
Now if TV wanted this to continue I’d be happy playing the Glasgow Cup over 4 legs with a newco who found themselves in Division 3 after a proper application process and in the fullness of time.
HH
tommytwiststommyturns says:
29 January, 2012 at 23:07
‘UEFA would fight any move to get us out of this hellhole.’
Would they?
And their big policy idea, their big vision for European football, the FFP rules?
What happens to those when UEFA refuse to back us over a blatant and flagrant move to circumvent the rules?
Where’s UEFA’s credibility then?
Did
I
Just
Read
Tiny
Tim
Say
CQN
Did
Good
Deep
Throat
Come
On
Tiny
Tim
Less
Of
That
Nonesense
MWD
My dear,dear,dear,friend.. Mullet and Co.
Aye, lad.. ye are Right there..so ye ur.
The Celtic Board wull Celebrate…if…that scenario… is
the Final wan.
And ,of course..
Me .. tae !
Fur.. unlike Maist o’ Ma Contemporaries,oan This Here Forum.
Ah.. am
NO FEART o’ the G.A.
Ah Welcome the Challenge which they represent tae
oor being the Big Kahuna.. in this Leetle .. Backwater..
they call… the S.P.L.
Frankly, They are needed..
Mrs. Peel!
Kojo
yer pal..who likes ye,already.
ernie lynch says:
29 January, 2012 at 23:07
Ernie, he is one issue… no debate, thats all he needs to be. He spanks the ar@e of any other politician who challenges him though, he’s lucky with his enemies…. and I kinda like it
Agent_ITK Agent_ITK
Kris Boyd back to Rangers? #rangers #rfc #celtic #spl #football
Coneybhoy
You’ve made a mockery of my sincere and earnest post.
It was funny though :-)))
TinyTim at 22:16
TT i replied to your post, i did not have a go, was not offensive and did not offer any abuse.
my point was it is easy to show any player in a bad light if you are selective in the clips you select, we could all make larson look
like a haddy if we wanted to. they all have misses.
Dont understand why you went off in a huff, unless that is what you came on to do.
lighten up mate
HH
Mike
Rowz
That would allow for things like Unprecedented Quadruples to occurr.
Like they’ve never occurred before???
MWD
row z \o/ (O) Mississippi Burnin Nearer Home says:
29 January, 2012 at 23:11
‘On liquidation, the TV deal is null and void.’
And both SKY and the SPL knew when they signed the contract that the huns would almost certainly be liquidated.
The contract was never meant to be implemented.
Agent_ITK Agent_ITK
@ @hotbaws1 When @AgentScotland tweeted it was just a rumour. It’s not any longer. #rangers #scotland #football #celtic #rfc
MWD :)))))
vertical thinkin
JimmyQuinnsBits says:
29 January, 2012 at 23:14
But his enemies are all second raters in Holyrood.
He’s never made it on the big stage at Westminster. When he was there he held his own, but he never shone.
Up over goal – believe me it will get worse if we allow the SNP to get independence – for evidence please see our new bill
Snake – I could not disagree with you more. Can you please explain why the SNP passed the bill please? The SNP bribed the electorate with the equivalent of tax cuts (council tax freeze) – I cant tell the difference between them and the tories. Do you not believe there is latent anti catholicism in Scotland?
Another question – do you currently live in Scotland?
When it comes down to the wire
the Scottish psyche prevails.
They even open the cage to let us fly.
What will we do ?
MWD
I’d enjoy skelping Glasgow Peepil FC 6-2 four times a year for the foreseeable future. I might even pay to watch it live.
Snake Plissken says:
29 January, 2012 at 22:43
And that’s why you live in…
Wait for it….
Slovakia.
Do you plan on coming back if Scotland wins independence? That’s a serious Q.
MWD
Neganon2
So your answer, should independence happen is to leave. Is that correct?
Ernie – of course UEFA wouldn’t want us moving to any other leagues, it would open the flood gates. For example, the top three Portugese clubs would want admission to La Liga.
On the FFP rules, that’s the point I’m making about using BQ’s current position. If the Huns get away with minimal punishment and a Newco goes straight into the SPL, then it makes a complete and utter nonsense of the FFP rules.
It’s a win win situation for UEFA, make an example of a big club in a small league with no real power in Europe. They know if they take on one of the big clubs in the powerful leagues, then they might bring about wholesale change in European football with the top clubs starting their own league.
T4
Loyal?
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