CELTIC’S SCOTTISH CUP FINAL VICTORIES – Number 41…CELTIC 3-1 INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE – HAMPDEN, 3rd JUNE 2023 – This was a strange Cup final in many ways. It was the latest ever in terms of the year (if we exclude 2020 which was actually in December), and it had a controversial kick off time of 5.30 pm so that TV viewers could see the English Cup final at 3.00 pm then the Scottish one at 5.30 pm.
The opponents were Championship side Inverness Caledonian Thistle and although the Highlanders fought well and scored one good goal, Celtic, without reaching the heights that they had attained at several points of the 2022/23 season, were more than enough for them with a first half Kyogu goal from an O’Riley cross, then a fine strike by Abada which VAR ludicrously tried to say was offside and wasted several minutes, and the final one was a good shot from Jota from an Abada cross.
The third goal effectively won the Cup because Inverness had pulled the score back from 2-0 to 2-1.
The game was played in sweltering heat throughout, and was also played with a huge question mark over the future of Ange Postecoglou.
The Celtic team was: Hart, Johnston, Iwata, Starfelt, Taylor, McGregor, Hatate (Haksabanovic), O’Riley (Turnbull), Maeda (Abada), Kyogu (Oh) Jota (Forrest).
David Potter
