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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praecepta @ 23:21
I think i’m going to concede to your more incisive football thinking as you clearly analyse it more than me :) But re MW, he was usually in the box for attacks where his height and strength were needed, which is why the right was open to attack.. Should have been a midfielder covering that…his pace is decent actually imo?…But it shows my limitations in understanding, i couldn’t work out how Lenny had dealt with that in the 2nd half (before Victor came on)..and Henr1k may have spotted it with his observance that Ledley was switched to CMF, as he’s a much better defensive MF than Ki?
Fortunes Favour Mibbes says:
26 October, 2011 at 23:27
canamalar @ 23:16
Spot on – i know you’ve been making this point for some time, totally agree. I was worried Wilson had taken a knock (again no card) which would really have put us in the myre.
Compare to the huns, whose players can lunge about all over the place, claim countless ridiculous free kicks, yet still come out unscathed, and raring to go at the start of every game and every 2nd half as if they were on steroids or summit. But of course they wouldn’t use steroids, that would be blatant cheating which thankfully we have a reliable and trustworthy SFA on hand to make sure such blatant cheating does not occur.
—————————————————————————————————
Rangers have a remarkable medical team in place. They didn’t when they had lots of cash to spend on players. they used to always get injuries. I remember laughing at it. but since they’ve been skint they seem to have avoided injuries to key players in all but a few cases and those injuries tend to have been ones you cannot play through – jellyfish’s ligaments last season for example – they never seem to have players out with minor injuries and those who pick up hamstring strains are back in two weeks max defying all medical logic and wisdom.
A remarkable medical team. Remarkable. I think we should remark more on them. They are incredible. Hats off to them. Amazing. I imagine Barca or Man utd will employ them sooner or later for major bucks. Really, i am amazed by them.
Hmmmmmmm
The Legend Johnny Doyle @ 23:25
If only you knew how long i’ve waited for someone to say that to me..:)
FFM,
What gets my dander up :o)
Wilson could well be put out the game and we wont know till tomorrow or Friday, then it’ll be, ‘that wilson, brittle bones I tells ya’, nothing about the punishment that put him there.
sammi is better than ki
Oh and by the way
anyone who got on CELTIC @ 5/2 with bet365 at halftime
I doff my cap to you
It was 15/8 before a ball was kicked
that wasnt a bet – if you have watched enough football… …
it was stealing money
HAIL HAIL
really really now
GB
Madmitch – ‘we are losing 5K fans a season’ – oh my God. Within 9 years we’ll be playing in an empty stadium.
Don’t panic.
all will be well.
rangers are out of three cup competitions.
disaster for us.
hardly a mention for them.
despite it accelerating administration day.
But hey ho.
Enjoy the win for what it is.
We’re in a semi final.
Bring it.
MadMitch says:
26 October, 2011 at 23:32
==================
I agree – it is shocking that Hibs beat us 4 – 1 tonight
Best team performance of the season for me,hopefully sparks us into life.Fragile at the back again at times but injuries etc dont help.The TEAM looked like it was back again.More please,the huns are getting the breaks right now,8 injuries to their squad Greigy will be back.Time for a team meeting to sort out problems that have been festering,particularly Commons who gives us something different.
‘GG @ 23:31
?? Whit! Interesting, any more info on that? Is AJ just no for surrenderin?!?
Given the way the team has capitulated after going a goal down this season on more than one occasion many posters are right to feel
the way they did at half time.
Celtic have shown in the last 4 games they can come back from hard knocks but it had better not be too little too late.
Only by playing like they did in the second half do they stand a chance of the title.
Celtic’s run in until the tax dodger come calling (provided they still exist)
Hibs H
Rennes H
Motherwell A
Inverness A
Dunfermline H
St Mirren H
Athletico Madrid H
Dundee United A
Hearts H
Udinesse A
St Johnstone A
Kilmarnock H
Rangers H
Europa aside (anything you get there is a bonus) Celtic must win EVERY ONE OF THESE LEAGUE GAMES. The key matches are against Motherwell away – that will be a kicking match from those scumbags, Inverness (we all know how hard it is up there) and away to St Johnstone. Key games.
We should win EVERY HOME game regardless and United are not playing so well.
Big preformances required at Fir Park, Inverness and Perth. They better play like they did today in the second half.
Maybe the Hun’s player are never injured because of their pay. They might be on bigger bonuses for wins or being in the squad.
Whatever it is they seem willing and able to run through walls when some of our player can’t.
A wee well done to forster, steadily getting more confidence. Put a strong defence in front of him and we will be fine. Can’t fault his shot stopping and now his kicking is much better. Maybe we should keep this keeper…
Hail Hail
MadMitch,
Celtic will win the league this season.
Vmhan who Supports Neil Lennon says:
26 October, 2011 at 23:33
RobertT …… the air of invincibility is borne by the assisted men in blacks and the FF’ers at the SFA.
We need to be so much better than them, we were in the 2nd half, bring on Sat.
HH to ye!
V
—————————————————
And the same to you bud. This time last season I remember feeling they couldn’t lose. they seemed to have so much luck on their side and that fed their momentum. good results in Europe, a run of wins at home – they looked like they couldn’t be stopped. I commented on it. But it never lasts and it won’t last.
I have a sneaking feeling that 3-3 v killie may prove to have been a turning point.
we are still fragile, but one game at a time, build on the wins v the sheep, the embra Irish and the draw in Rennes and maybe, just maybe, we can start to think of the light at the end of the tunnel……
MadMitch
What change do you want mate?
madmitch:
Don’t waste your breath mate. All this “we need support” stuff is the same-old-same-old from people who take every good result as proof that things are rosy whilst the problems mount up on all sides.
And we accuse the Huns of having deluded fans??
This is not a well organised team we have here. We have no clinical 30 goal a season striker. We have no target man. We have no reliable central defence and a midfield which is easily bullied off the ball. We have a rookie coach, an inexperienced backroom team and a CEO more interested in the balance sheet than the team sheet.
And a team about to enter administration, and maybe even vanish completely, is ten points clear of us in a two-team league.
All rallying round the campfire will sort that though, eah?
RT / SBSP
Get a grip.
You two are giving blind faith a bad name.
We haven’t won the league in three years and we are struggling this season.
What will it take for you to demand change at CP?
Anyone see WGS on Saturday football focus, he was talking about Huddersfield I think, young manager has went in, got experienced people around him, Terry McDermott etc..
What Gordon said was The sort of person, who will know and tell him that – just now isn’t the time to speak with that player, calm down speak to them in the morning etc.
Just like he had, When he was a young manager with Garry Pendrey, i think WGS talked a lot of sense on football focus.
At this level, man management is the most important aspect a manager needs. IMO.
Robert Tressell
Is it possible that the Buns you speak of are Aliens who are able to regenerate an injury within a much lesser time than….. let’s say….hmmm an Earthling…….?
;)
JD
‘GG,
Its all about cash now and people become selfish when cash is involved. No one really cares about a cheating football team if they can’t fill thier yacht with bollinger
MadMitch @ 23:32
Do me a favour, stop referring to Lenny’s health.
He’s more healthy than, dare i say it, 95% of the posters on CQN, who would probably agree with me on that. If you must, come back with it at the end of the season. Your posts reek of a DR feigned concern for the “poor Neil Lennon against whom we have created a succesful hate campaign”.
If you really were concerned about our Manager’s health, you’d be lobbying against the bigotry that is running rampant in this country. One of the things keeping Lenny happy besides his family (who have also been threatened by what can only be described as the scummiest of utter SCUM) is bringing success to Celtic. Last season he brought a trophy against the odds given by your own ilk. This season, we are still competing for 4 trophies. If you’re a Tim, you’ve a funny way of showing it. Forgive my anger, but i found your post disgusting.
MadMitch says:
26 October, 2011 at 23:32
There is a lot in what you say.
HOWEVVA (att Kojo)
I think we should wait until we have no chance of winning the SPL, are out of the Scottish Cup before conducting a post mortem and witch hunt.
Although if we lose at the weekend Monday might be a good time.
We as Celtic fans are notoriously reactive and over critical of our club.
We have a Barrowfield load of injuries and the defence that was so tight last year is reminiscent of Tommy Burns’ tenure.
Let’s be patient and keep the pitchforks for gather hay in the short term.
‘GG
tonight’s game
http://youtu.be/B4L6gBFxL6A
Mullet and Co says:
26 October, 2011 at 23:43
So I am being paranoid then? I will see what the semi final brings.
‘GG
BB @ 23.37
If we are to have a team meeting to clear the air then so be it.
However the outcome might surprise you.
PL to be shown the door and a real bean counter to replace him, not a fan of CM who likes dabbling for bonuses.
The coaching staff to be driven to the nearest AA meeting by CK and left there until the end of the season.
If that happens and we get in a new coaching staff with a recognisable pedigree then we may have a chance.
RobertTressell @ 23:33
Aye, those medics must surely have great careers lined up in certain footballing arenas. Splendid job. If they were suffering from a usual (sorry, UNusual) amount of injuries, you’d might forgive them for asking some close pals what drugs were on offer.
Paul 67
Well put…what a strike from “Ferocity Forrest”….
” on this occasion his victim escaped punishment”…It may be the lowest form of wit , but I’m so glad that someone else seen it exactly the same way as I did:)
TAL
And before anyone starts with the “Oh my God James is on another anti-board rant …”
Look at my post. I am not saying we have bad players, but maybe not enough good ones. What I am angry about tonight is the way a second half performance is being talked about as if it makes us invicible. The first half was dire, like the first half against Kilmarnock. We play like that in other games, we will lose points and that will end the title race.
My anger comes from seeing us making the same mistakes EVERY WEEK. Unable to mark at set pieces. Players falling out of games for long, long stretches. Lack of cohesion in the constituent units that make up the team. An inability to convert from our own set pieces … all proof that something is NOT right on the training ground.
We lost a goal tonight that was preventible. Yes, Griffith failed to convert when one on one with the keeper, but it was a shocker that he was in so much space in the first place and THAT was preventible. It’s the same issues that haunted us at Ibrox, that haunted us at Hearts, that haunted us at Killie …. HOW MANY MORE TIMES?
If people think some of us are wrong to question that, I don’t know what else to say.
would like to have heard the half time talk…hopefully it will be recycled to be pre match talk next game..
For the first time in ages – I’m looking forward with confidence to next game. We MUST build on the 2nd half performance..
Actually, Moisty has proved to be an excellent manager so far for them. If he wasn’t that good, who could blame the medics for feeding them with steroids so they could belt up the park after long balls on the counter attack every 30 seconds, more effectively at the very start of either half…
But luckily for them, Moisty has proven to be an excellent manager purely on his own merit. Tactical genius actually, with an opening record to make even the Myth a wee bit jealous.
James Forrest is Lennon says:
26 October, 2011 at 23:41
woh woh
man if you were saying that after some performances this season I would have found it hard to disagree
not after tonight
we were very good tonight in an entertaining football match and that is what the sport is meant to be
Who is this 30 goal a season striker you speak of?
How much would he cost?
And more importantly…..
where did he school to become that player?
Yes my friend – they need support
Fortunes Favour Mibbes says:
26 October, 2011 at 23:33
praecepta @ 23:21
…..how Lenny had dealt with that in the 2nd half (before Victor came on)..and Henr1k may have spotted it with his observance that Ledley was switched to CMF, as he’s a much better defensive MF than Ki?
Your points are pretty much in sinc with mine – playing the right players in the right position to do a job that they are naturally suited to. :-)
A no-nonsense settled midfield can protect a shakey defence and should enhance an attack.
I honestly believe that our 2 CBs (whatever combination) would play better (in open play at least) if the same basic 4/5 midfielders were playing week-in-week-out (allowing for tactical changes during the game depending on the score).
Mathews/ Wilson (Cha in an emergency) can look after RB – Izzy at LB and cover for him should be a priority in January.
James
1 swallow does not a summer make..but it is something to build upon…at last?
MadMitch, am starting to think you are becoming as active again
MadMitch
I just don’t think speculation on the manager’s health is at all appropriate. When the manager was honest enough to admit to health problems I’m sure he never suspected a Celtic supporter would use this in evidence against him.
And why should Clark Kent have to dive the coaching staff to the AA meeting. Shoorlay he could fly there?
CultsBhoy:
Well mate, my post when we scored the fourth tonight said something similiar … but it will only happen if we START games as ruthlessly as that. This chasing teams, chasing games, is going to land us in bother.
Yes, it’s something to build on, definitely. But we need to start learning from our mistakes and right now we’re making some shockers.
Tell you what though, Lenny seems to have sussed that Stokes and Hoops are the main men up front.
Not much choice mind you in that we are in the midst of a diabolical injury crisis. What IS going on at Lennoxtown?
madmitch,
would that be all the coaching staff ??
I earlier dismissed someone referring to you and the dreary retard, but that last dig at the coaching staff set alarm bells ringing.
bzzzzzz