Dundee Utd at home to Aberdeen. A match that promised little delivered little and honestly the highlight of the match for Utd fans was a Camara volley, beautifully taken that crashed off the post and across the Aberdeen goal before being ushered away. In the second half the usually reliable Kevin Nesbit fluffed his lines big time by rolling the ball past an open goal. Final result 0-0. A point apiece that suited no one.
On a night for draws, in the championship games between Dunfermline v Partick and Queens Park v St Johnstone finished 2-2 and 1-1 respectively, and keeps the saints top of the league by three points. Partick squandered this opportunity to close the gap.
The first of the Challenge Cup semis was played with Scott Brown's championship side Ayr United facing high flying Inverness of League One. The final result being 2-1 to the visitors. With Ayr United in a playoff spot for the SPL whilst a trophy is nice the team from the town of “Honest men and Bonnie lassies” have their eyes, I suspect, focused on bigger prizes.
Wednesday saw championship sides Airdrie and Raith rovers battle out a 1-1 draw in the second semi final of the Challenge Cup, the home side eventually coming out the victors, winning 5-3 on penalties.
Thursday and Celtic travelled to Stuttgart more in hope than expectation of restoring at least a little pride after the bruising home defeat by the Germans. An early Luke McCowan goal settled nerves and for a while what seemed impossible hours before allowed us the hope of “what if?” 30 seconds in 1-0 to Celtic. However dreams rarely if ever come true and Stuttgart progressed to the next round but the Bhoys can come away from that with their heads held high as thoughts now turned to Sunday and the Glasgow Derby.
Goals galore on Saturday in the SPL, seventeen in fact with the highlight being Falkirk's 5-1 demolition of shellshocked Kilmarnock.
First up, Dens park where 6 goals were shared between Dundee and Hibernian. In the battle for European places this was a blow for Hibernian who looked set to collect 3 points before a 95th minute equaliser by the home side's Congreve sent the Edinburgh men back to Easter road licking their wounds. The pick of the goals being a superb shot by Hib's Suto. A cross field ball brilliantly controlled, and evading two Dundee defenders and keeper, bulleted home in the 84th minute to restore parity before McGrath once again gave the visitors the lead before the late equaliser. A thrilling match and a draw being perhaps the right result as neither deserved to lose this encounter. Throughly enjoyable to watch.
Less so perhaps Hearts who faced Aberdeen at Tynecastle with the prospect of extending their lead at the top of the table. A match won by a solitary goal by Braga and the home side went seven points clear. A game of very little quality and little to get excited about but enough to send the Jambo faithful home one step closer to a title party.
Performance of the day at the Falkirk Stadium where an own goal by Kilmarnock's Brown in the 11th minute opened the floodgates and a deflated Kilmarnock were steamrollered by a rampant Falkirk. Whilst the away team managed a goal on 40 mins by Kiltie the damage was already done. 3-1 at half time adding two further in the second half and a punishing performance by McGlynn's men. It’s been a difficult eight days for Neil McCann and Kilmarnock.
Motherwell did what Motherwell do and as the sun shone on Fir Park, a touch of spring in the air, the home side ran out 2-0 winners over Dundee Utd. A double by Maswanhise, the first from the penalty spot after 37 mins, and his brace completed on 46 mins, the Steelmen can quite rightly be proud of their recent form and could yet challenge for third place.
Doomed Livingston managed to scrap out a 1-1 draw with St Mirren to take them within 7 points of eleventh placed Kilmarnock and with time running out it would take a miracle of biblical proportions to save their season.
In the Championship St Johnstone restored their five point lead with an emphatic 3-1 victory over Ayr whilst their nearest challengers Partick played out a goalless draw with third placed Arbroath.
League One, and Inverness saw their lead cut to three points after a disappointing (and for me coupon busting) goalless draw with bottom of the table Kelty Hearts. Their nearest pursuers, Stenhousemuir, getting the job done by a solitary goal over Cove Rangers.
League Two - East Kilbride maintained their 5 point lead with a 3-1 victory over Clyde whilst second placed Spartans (still with two games in hand) crushed Annan 4-0.
So to Sunday …
Now anyone that reads my social media posts will know that before Thursday I was not looking forward to the trip to Ibrox. The home side looking like they have their act together under
Röhl. and Celtics MON having to patch together a team of half fit and disinterested players the signs we’re looking ominous. However Thursday gave Celtic fans at least a glimmer of hope. So as the teams took to the pitch, the Rangers to the strains of Tina Turner and “Simply the best” (in Govan perhaps but one title in 14 years does have fans of other teams sniggering at their delusion - even some home fans cringe at the playing of the track but I digress) and the sea of colour that one comes to expect at these “games” it all looked set for an exciting afternoon.
I remember once describing my first experience of what was then the Old Firm Derby as “frightening”, and mocked relentlessly for it, (I mean how dare a five year old from the countryside get overwhelmed on such a big occasion) and now as I’m older (much older) I still feel myself charged with an electricity, as I’m sure all fans of both clubs do, at kick off. It wasn’t to last though as right from the first whistle it was clear the better team were the men in red white and blue. Celtic's passing was sloppy, their marking way off, and were made to pay in the eighth minute when a spectacular overhead kick from Chermiti sent the majority of the 50,000 watching and millions around the world into raptures. In fairness, sat by the TV, even I applauded the goal. A piece of individual skill and brilliance from a player whom the Rangers will do well to hang on too as surely his numbers have not gone unnoticed from bigger teams and leagues.
A comedy of errors continued for Celtic in the first half, and in the 26th min the big man from Santa Maria capitalised on an error by Celtic defender Dane Murray and stole the ball from Arajuo before firing home from close range to give the Gers a 2-0 lead. Jubilant Rangers fans and despairing Celtic fans at half time as three points looked certain to stay at Ibrox.
At half time I phoned my son to talk about the game but found out he’d chosen to make a cheesecake instead as he was far from optimistic of a result. In fairness I couldn’t argue with him as right now the only thing Celtic were cooking up was a whole load of trouble and a league season ending humiliation. As the teams came out for the second half I feared more of the same and with a scuffed shot by Moore in the 47th minute landing comfortably in the arms of Sinisalo it all looked ominous for Celtic. The footballing Gods had other ideas though and Celtic pressure began to force the Rangers to defend and finally in the 56th minute a cross from Nygren was nodded into the net by Kieran Tierney.
The clock in Ibrox showed 13-13 and the game swung Celtic's way. Relentless pressure from the Hoops but from some world class keeping from Butland the Celts could easily have had two or three more.
Then the controversy. The 88th minute a header from Maeda judged to have been handled by Rangers' Sterling and John Beaton was called to VAR to make a very big decision.
Penalty to Celtic!!
Up stepped Reo Hatate with the whole of Celtic's league season on his shoulders, the eyes of millions of fans on him. Prayers offered up to various deities for him to score or miss depending on your viewpoint.
The penalty taken and two magnificent saves by Butland kept the ball out before finally being bundled into the net by a much relieved Hatate.
The comeback complete and with stoppage time looming could a winner be found?
The final whistle and a 2-2 result that certainly suited the away fans more who with a game in hand now see second as a real possibility, some even still believe the league can be won.
The frustration boiled over after the final whistle. Clearly the most frustrated being Rangers who snatched a draw from the jaws of victory.
We go again next weekend but this time in the Scottish Cup.
And whilst I was happy with the point as the dust settled a message from a friend reminded me who the big winners were this weekend - Heart of Midlothian.
The title is theirs to lose now .. the run in will be interesting.
Celtic with a rearranged midweek match against Aberdeen can now regain second spot, however. But for me, now hanging onto second and perhaps a Scottish cup victory will be an achievement in itself.
Let me add purely from a footballing point of view the job Danny Röhl has done at Rangers this season is well worthy of praise and I’m sure success is just around the corner even if it is some time before they’re “simply the best” again.
Til next time ….
🐼 Gary Robertson is the TPQ Scottish football correspondent.
A tale of two halves indeed. We owned the first, you lot owned the second.
ReplyDeleteRaskin lost who he was marking for your first and (through gritted teeth) it was a penalty though absolutely not deliberate. He knew nothing about it.
A draw was fair though we need a lot more experience in defence.
Chermiti is clearly up for the big games, what a goal.
Watched the Stuttgart game, thought you lot played well but Stuttgart didn't seem overtly interested. Ah well, always next season!
But you have the sheepshaggers tomorrow and everyone knows they lay down for ye so you'll have a win soon! lol