ANYONE who was there at Celtic Park on a Monday night in May 1979 will never forget the exhilaration as Celtic, needing a win to be Champions, one behind and down to ten men, fought back to win 4-2 to become Champions.
Today was one of those days.
A linesman apparently screaming ‘Red card, red card!’ at Willie Collum as Simunovic, with his eyes on the ball, headed into touch. His arm was up but there was zero intent.
Earlier Declan John has survived an early booking when he cynically took out Forrest and then again when he went studs showing knee high into Rogic who read it and got out the way. Not even one yellow from Willie Collum.
Celtic had been behind twice. Boyata gifted the ‘host Club’ in the first few minutes but Tom Rogic, who comes alive in the big games, answered emphatically.
Then John, lucky to be on the park, got into the space that Lustig would have occupied, crossed and Candeias scored via a Kieran Tierney deflection. Rangers, without a corner all match, had two goals and a narrow lead.
Celtic pressed and corner after corner followed as the half time whistle neared. Rangers seemed to have survived a battering, 7 Celtic corners, Simunovic should have scored and Foderingham saved well from Dembele then McGregor.
Just when they had thought they had survived Scott Brown cleared from deep and was taken out. Collum played the advantage, credit to him for that, and Moussa Dembele was there and in a moment of Larssonesque brilliance lofted the ball over the helpless keeper and into the Rangers net just before the whistle.
Memories of 6-2 and all that.
The red card changed things in the second half as momentum swung back towards the host Club. But Brendan Rodgers, who set out a plan in his first pre-season for Celtic going down to ten men, made the change. Ad as happened at Aberdeen the plan worked a dream.
Edouard and Dembele combined and the on-loan striker from PSG – with genuine quality and a genuine transfer value, scored one of the most memorable Celtic goals in years when he curled his shot into Foderingham’s far post.
The Celtic supporters in the Broomloan partied like it was May 1979, all over again. Ten Men had won the League.
Rangers pressed on for an equaliser that in terms of the destiny of the flag, would have meant little. But the player surely now valued at at around £10,000 after THAT miss, made Sebo look a player as Scott Bain gathered on his line. It was the most remarkable miss in the host Club’s six years in business.
We told you that Scott Bain would start – and don’t buy the ankle knock stuff either as we knew on Friday that Bain was playing – and he didn’t let anyone down.
We also told you that this would be a Beautiful Sunday. And Celtic didn’t let us down.
Champions again as you know…remaining posts on The Celtic Star should be read with a alcohol may have been consumed warning..
The Celtic Star Man of the Match – Moussa Dembele, Moussa Dembelle, Moussa Dembelle, Moussa Dembelle…oh oh!!!
You can order a SIGNED copy of JIM CRAIG – RIGHT BACK TO 67, THE LISBON LION DIARY from our new bookstore – www.thecelticstarbookstore.co.uk and there’s a great launch offer for our OBSESSED WITH CELTIC t-shirts which are available in three colours. Order yours and you will also receive a copy of In the Heat of Lisbon for free.
