LIAM SCALES was prepared to go into the unknown in his efforts to captain Celtic to Scottish Cup success at Ibrox on Sunday.
The Republic of Ireland international defender, leading the team in place of the injured Callum McGregor, watched as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Auston Trusty, Reo Hatate and Tomas Cvancara lined up in that order to take penalty-kicks in the tension-laden shoot-out following the scoreless stalemate.
Scales volunteered to take the fifth kick in the rota, a situation which may have puzzled most Hoops fans.
No-one could remember the versatile back-four performer ever being put on the spot before.
But it speaks volumes for Scales’ utter commitment to the team that he was prepared to step up in a hostile atmosphere to take what could have been a potential matchwinner.
Thankfully, the pressure was lifted on the 27-year-old 13 times-capped star when the first four penalty-takers made expert jobs of their efforts from 12 yards while Danny Rohl’s side missed the target twice.
THE WAITING GAME…Liam Scales (third from right) and his team-mates watch the penalty shoot-out with scorers Tomas Cvancara, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Reo Hatate and Auston Trusty in the line-up.
Reflecting on the two hours of hectic action and the dramatic spot-kick triumph, Scales said: “It was right up there. It would be one of the proudest moments for sure, captaining the team to win there.
“I was actually the fifth penalty-taker – so, to be fair, I’m glad it finished up before me!
“I was delighted. It was a difficult game, probably not the best. Sort of different to the previous weekend, but when we had to defend, we defended and sometimes it’s like that there.
“It’s brilliant to keep a clean sheet and then coming down to penalties, it can go either way and luckily we were better.
“However, we still need to go on and win the semis and win the Final for it to be worthwhile.”
The encounter in Govan was Celtic’s fourth away game in 10 punishing days with trips to Stuttgart, Pittodrie and Ibrox twice in a strenuous sequence for a squad ravaged by injuries with Alistair Johnston and Cameron Carter-Vickers rarely figuring in this campaign while it looks as though Filipe Jota’s entire season is about to be wiped out.
Arne Engels also joined the walking wounded and, of course, the influential double-act of McGregor and Kieran Tierney were missing from the quarter-final confrontation.
GOVAN HEAVEN…Liam Scales and Auston Trusty celebrate after Tomas Cvancara’s matchwinning penalty-kick in the dramatic shoot-out at Ibrox.
There were many observers who predicted gloom, doom and disaster for the champions over such a testing accelerated period, with crucial confrontations stacking up at breathtaking pace.
However, after victories in Germany and Aberdeen, a stirring comeback for a 2-2 draw in the Premiership at Ibrox and now a place in the last four against St Mirren at Hampden next month, Martin O’Neill’s warriors have set up what could be a granstand finale to a turbulent campaign.
Scales, speaking to the Daily Record, continued: “I think people questioned how we’d get on.
“The four away games and the 10 days, having to go to Ibrox twice and have a European game in there, as well. I just think that the character is brilliant in our dressing room.
“We know it’s there, we know maybe the quality, we haven’t got to the levels as consistently as we would like. But the character has got us through games, scoring last-minute goals and keeping a clean sheet on Sunday.
“It’s given us good momentum now to kick on.”
ON THE SPOT…Auston Trusty sweeps in Celtic’s second successful penalty-kick.
Praising team-mates Trusty, Benjamin Arthur, who lasted 61 minutes, and Dane Murray, who replaced the on-loan Brentford centre-back, Scales added: “They were brilliant.
“Benjamin, to come into a game like this, he’s only played a handful of senior games, he’s young, and just to play it the way he did with a cool head.
“He obviously hasn’t played many games, so he couldn’t finish out the game, but for the time he was on the pitch, he was excellent. Auston’s obviously experienced and played well.
“For Dane to come in, it’s not nice coming off the bench in a game like that. He made some big blocks, big headers. I think all three of them did.
“It’s hard to pick a best out of the three, they were all just brilliant.”
Now Scales and Co get a welcome breather before they prepare for that most unusual of events, a home game against Motherwell on Saturday as the quest for league points restarts.
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