Celtic eventually overcame Hibernian at Easter Road in the Scottish Communities League Cup quarter final tonight but not until they endured a fraught first half. The game was 3 minutes old when Ivan Sproule gave the home team the lead off an unfortunate Daniel Majstorovic. A Hibs corner was not defended at the edge of the six yard box and had to be cleared off the line by Adam Matthews at the near post but Sproule fired the clearance into the six hard box where is ricocheted off Majstorovic and into the net.
Celtic struggled to get into the game but after 19 minutes Beram Kayal broke free on the right and crossed for Gary Hooper, who missed the ball with his leading foot and saw it bounce off his left knee and behind.
The best two chances of the first half for Celtic came within four minutes. Ki and Hooper combined before Kayal released Stokes on 23 minutes but the Irishman’s shot skimmed the outside of the post.
In a move that would have a more productive second half facsimile, Stokes was unmarked at a Ki corner but missed the ball with his head and saw his shoulder contact go wide.
On 33 minutes Sproule ran half the field and cut inside Ki of the edge of the area before shooting over. Minutes later Sproule released Agogo, who dispossessed Celtic midfielders throughout the first half, but Forrest saved at the big striker’s feet.
Five minutes from half time Leigh Griffiths should have doubled Hibs lead when Celtic’s scourge in recent times, the long forward ball, returned to haunt them. Griffiths ran unattended from his own half but Fraser Forster did his best gable end impersonation to narrow the angle inside his box and block the shot.
Things soon picked up.
James Forrest underlined his Most Valuable Player status to Celtic a minute after the break. Ki played a forward pass to Hooper on the edge of the area, which was nipped onto Forrest by the Celtic striker. Forrest cut inside, dropped the shoulder and shot home from 17 yards.
It was a remarkably simple goal but the strength of shot by Forrest was particularly noteworthy. Being able to shoot from the edge of the area is a crucial part of a wingers play.
Beram Kayal was booked on 48 minutes for being kicked in the face by Ivan Sproule, who also saw a yellow card.
Forrest got his second, and best, goal on 57 minutes. He collected a throw-in on the wing, beat two Hibs players, played a one-two with Stokes and finished with a well-placed left foot shot.
Celtic then went into overdrive as Hibernian faltered. Forrest skinned his marker and crossed but Ki slipped inside the box when the ball broke to him. A minute later Anthony Stokes make a good connection with a Ki corner to head Celtic’s third goal from the six yard line.
Gary Hooper was having an off evening but he timed his run onto an Adam Matthews long ball, controlled and scored to finish off the scoring. Ivan Sproule received his second yellow card 20 minutes from time for kicking Mark Wilson as he ran through on goal. On this occasion his victim escaped punishment.
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Good morning friends and fellow semi finalists from an unusually dry but dark EK.
Jobo
.
A Very Happy Hoopy B’Day to TinyTim.. Hope the Ghirls Spoil Ye..
001Bhoy
BelfastCityCelt –
Well said. I couldn’t believe some of the comments on here, even after a 4-1 League Cup quarter-final victory at Easter Road.
I don’t mind criticism of the team, but some of the stuff last night was ridiculous. When Stokes scored to make it 3-1, effectively securing the victory, there were sarcastic comments about us scoring from a corner. It’s the sort of stuff you’d hear from huns in the pub.
The first-half was described as “dire” and “woeful”. Utter nonsense. We weren’t great first-half, but we played some decent stuff and were unlucky not to go in at half-time with a lead. The Hibs goal was an absolute fluke and there is nothing any team can do about those.
At half-time I was confident of a victory, although I didn’t anticipate 4 goals.
As I say, reasoned criticism is fine. We can all have differing opinions, but calling for Lenny’s head at half-time and some of the bitter personal attacks on individual players was beyond the pale.
To some, if we’re not 3-0 up after 10 minutes, it’s doom and gloom and sack the board, sack the manager and burn down the stadium.
Happy birthday TT,
Morning Celts….. Good win let’s get on a roll Lenny.
V
HH
Just finished watching Craig Whyte Uncovered.
Thanks to the Good Tim whose name escapes me, who posted it for ex-pat Tims.
Cheers
truffles.
got the boy behind the bar to bet us for the treble at 0-1 .
Enjoyed the game.
According to the papers this morning, looks as though the Huns aren’t the only club who could be in administration shortly
Hearts players still not been paid as the club need the cash to ensure this weeks game with Kilmarnock goes ahead
Craig Whyte
‘My Reality Check bounced’
Morning al from gay Paree where it is a pleasant enough morning.
Didn’t see the game last night as it wasn’t on Ch67 for some reason (audio only), so I’ve just seen the goals.
Wee James is a player, eh?
Hopefully a turning point has been reached and we can push on with a few decent wins and performances, despite the horrendous injury list. The quadruple is still on.
BTW:
Looking foward to the day we can say with 100% certainty No more Old Firm
;o)
Fortune favours mibbes
disgusting to read you were attacked in edinburgh, totally agree, I think their hatred of us is more than rangers or at least it is less policed and raw, so they can get through lines of stewards to attack us.
Good morning troops.
I would suggest the Hearts supporters club would be a somber place if two SPL teams went bust.
Poster on Celtic minded saying hun admin/office staff got their wages this morning
Looks like we may need to wait another month at least for the admin party
morning all from roscommon where it is not raining (always a bonus)
I am still laughing at paul 67 description of fraser forster “doing his best gable end impression” to save a one on one in last nights game!!! brilliant paul. Now if that ‘gable end’ could come off his line and dominate the box when there are other players in it like a corner or free kick, then we would have a goalkeeper!!!!!!
Brilliant 2nd half last night from the bhoys. i
I enjoyed logging on and posting whilst watching the match which i cannot do very often, great to read other comments and getting different opinions on the same thing!!
Hail Hail
start buying
Good morning CQN from the fast train to Glasgow, knackered after watching the hoops &JF destroy hibs in 2nd half had meeting which lasted until 1.30am.
Still a bit to go for the bhoys but there are positive signs as well as a bit of work to do defending after our corners;-)
Busy day again-not much blogging, only blagging!
hh
bjmac
Hopefully Lenny gives the team a bollocking before the game starts on Saturday. Starting games too slowly and tentatively, we need to begin quickly as 9 times out of 10 in the SPL we will go ahead.
TinyTim says:
TinyTim is 48 today.
He is delighted to still be in the league cup.
TT
share
48? Again?!
Many happy returns, ya wee happyclapper!
TTTT
bj
Longish, text coming
Missing word from post, correction:
TinyTim is a ‘multiple’ of 48
BlantyreKev doesn’t like it when posters refer to themselves in the 3rd person and says happy birthday TT.
Suksan Wankird Tiny Tim
HH
So should we just make games 45 minutes long? We played some good stuff in the second half and created so many chances. Joe Ledley inside made a big difference – he is wasted as a wide left midfielder. James Forrest was MOM, but I thought Adam Matthews had a fine game too.
Are we doing a sweep on date of the first headline linking wee James with the big money EPL move? I’ll take November 5, day before Motherwell away.
Gordon_J backing Neil Lennon says:
27 October, 2011 at 08:39
So should we just make games 45 minutes long?
Providing its the 2nd 45 minutes ;¬)
Morning bhoys,
Hope we are all well.
GordonJ hope your feeling better
HH
Happy Birthday TT
A league cup victory is just the present we need.
Have a good day.
Hail hail from the chilly valley..
Good win last night – great second half
I have previously posted my concern at the way we play and questioned if NL is the right man
In my opinion the second half last night is how we should be playing every week and for 90 mins
So I think asking questions about NL ability to manage our team is fair – its also fair to praise him when he gets it right – he got it right last night (in the second half) well done
2 quick points in NL favor
1) four players missing last night that would (under normal circumstances) play Emilio Commons Brown and K Wilson
2) Good to see midfield players playing in midfield (Ledley) good to see full backs playing as full backs (Wilson Mathews)
One swallow does not make a summer – but I have a spring in my step this morning
67 ECW
happy birthday to TT and Patrick67…
Bundoran Bhoy,
I’m much better thanks – and glad to be back
blantyretim says:
27 October, 2011 at 08:53
Morning BT, just saw the goals, crackers!
SP
Morning all
Happy birthday Tiny Tim
Gordon_J – so glad to hear you’re getting better
SP
I’ll take your advice in future re medication and whisky….. o))
Gordonj,
Heard you were not well.
Good to hear your on the mend.
HH
Happy Birthday Tiny Tim
The Pantaloon Duck, Awe_Naw,
Thanks. On the road back to full fitness now
All the best to the Birthday Bhoys
TT 48?
Morning folks,
Done a wee blog on the recovery of Celtic
http://fritzagrandold.blogspot.com/2011/10/how-resurrection-really-feels.html
Cheers if you check it out.
Fritz
Huns on here and in real life too, spend an inordinate percentage of their given heartbeats thinking up novel, cruel and invariably vile methods to belittle our manager and divide our support. The vast majority of their attempts are crude and obtuse, whilst credit where credit is due, now and again you get the odd orc who displays an inexplicable aptitude in his Machiavellian craft.
That’s part of life being a Supporter of Celtic and with restrained contempt one learns to get on with life acknowledging their (troggs) perverted support of their club and culture.
Green huns though?
Green huns are a new breed of dissenter. Probably a product of the net all braved up in anonymity. Green huns take many forms, most of which make me want to puke. It is however, the chameleon green hun that wants to make me puke the most.
For example: one week, under various guises, and on several platforms, you might have what some might consider to be a considerate Celtic supporter voicing his concern over the potential of Neil Lennon to deliver a dream. That concern soon boils to practiced, overt and vitriolic abuse of our manager; All because a result or two didn’t go our way. That supporter(sic) calls for the heid of Neil Lennon on a platter. Two weeks later and we get a decent result, the chameleon green hun morphs into Neil Lennon’s boldest champion and he decides that those who dare criticise the manager and the team are now his mortal enemies; until the next defeat that is, then he will be back to his repugnant, defeatist, and ego driven divisive, support of our club.
One green hun with an agenda is ever smellier than one thousand rancid orcs; and green huns walk among us. I see green huns.