The mainstream media were all over the mini-pitch invasion last night after Anthony Ralston headed that brilliant winning goal and the Celtic Support went understandably crazy for a minute or so. Some of them had already published their match reports telling those on theRangers supporters buses heading home from Ibrox the good news that they were now six points clear of Celtic.
“The fans have had a long drive up and it’s a long drive home. I hope they have calmed down and stay safe on the roads back,” Ange Postecoglou said when asked about the jubilant supporters spilling onto the park after that most significant Celtic goal of the season so far by Anthony Ralston in the 97th minute in Dingwall last night to give Celtic a 2-1 win despite both BBC Scotland (you pay a licence fee for this folks) reporting on a 1-1 draw alongside the Scottish Daily Mail.
“When you score a last second goal, not a last minute one, in front of them then you can imagine there’d be some over-exuberance there!
“It was great for them because they have had a long journey and there’s a real bond developing between the team and the fans. Nights like tonight help that as well.”
That bond is there alright but it’s not just between the players and the support. It’s as we said earlier in the week, quoting Bill Shankly it’s a Holy Trinity which also includes the manager and it’s good to hear that Ange has the supporters backs when the hacks come looking for controversy.
Anyone remember the lack of similar indignation when theRangers won the European Cup or something when they got a last minute winner at Firhill and spilled onto the pitch in much greater numbers than last night in Dingwall?
Below is an actual headline in Daily Record from 2017 after they scored a stoppage time winner.
“You would think Rangers had won the Champions League the way they celebrated beating Partick Thistle”
Speaking to BBC Scotland presumably about what they initially thought was Celtic’s 1-1 draw in Dingwall, Ange had this to say about Celtic’s dramatic late win.
“In terms of this group of players, who have been thrown together this last five months, winning like that will add to the belief they have in what we’re doing.
“It would have been easy to lose their composure when the chaos was happening, but they stayed calm and got their rewards for doing that. That just fuels them going down this road of being a certain kind of football team. I’m super proud of them, they got their rewards in the end. They had to put up with a lot of adversity but they kept playing their football and got a deserved winning goal.
“I thought with ten men we still tried to play and win the game of football, we didn’t just launch it long. It was a great ball in and it was super for Tony to get the winner.”
While Ange deserves praise for standing up for the supporters it would be however be appropriate for him or indeed the suits at Celtic to start standing up for our players. Carl Starfelt was elbowed in the face last night and the referee Alan Muir deemed not to be a free kick, never mind a caution or indeed a straight red card.
#celtic Worse than I first thought. Hart was brilliant again giving Star a wee boot calming him down. Massive result tonight 👏👏👏✅✅✅ pic.twitter.com/9QDSpe4bXq
— Joe Bellic (@joeybellic) December 15, 2021
If you put that decision to one side the fact that there was clearly blood being spilled all over the place and it was clearly a head knock then why didn’t Muir stop the play to allow the player to receive treatment as indeed is the rule?
He is going to have a lot of badly hurt players looking to leave. CCV double kick from Kane, Welsh elbow in face from Rooney, Starfelt busted nose. Not a peep of complaint from Ange, just encourages more opponents to ‘leave one on them’ when playing Celtic. https://t.co/XTPx0LmkXa
— Joe McHugh (@videocelts) December 16, 2021
Indeed Starfelt was done for several minutes as the play moved from the other side of the park back towards the edge of the Celtic area and the Swedish defender, dripping blood from his nose, was forced to get up and defend.
Should have been his last pay day in refereeing. If Lawwell was the rumoured Celtic man that some claim then Steven McLean, Muir and lino Frank Connor would have been driven out the game- with a message served to Beaton and Madden. All are thriving. https://t.co/crfrfyc3nu
— Joe McHugh (@videocelts) December 15, 2021
Pointing this out to Muir earned him a yellow and the same official who was standing behind the goal at the 2015 Scottish Cup semi-final between Celtic and Inverness Caley Thistle when Leigh Griffiths was denied giving Celtic a 2-0 lead by the most blatant handball in the history of the Scottish game with Muir having the best view in the stadium, decided to send Starfelt off shortly afterwards after he committed basically his first foul of the match.
There’s an argument for saying that Stephen Welsh should have replaced Starfelt who was clearly upset by the incident and felt hard done by try the referee over the elbowing he received. But to get a second yellow was a disgrace and it really is something that Celtic should be speaking up about, focussing on the referee not stopping play for a bad head knock especially when blood had been spilled.
Malky Mackay certainly had his moan, he was angry at the amount of stoppage time that was added, which incidentally did not seem unreasonable given the stoppage time to eventually allow Starfelt to receive treatment and the number of substitutions that were made in the second half.
It felt like the ref was going to keep playing until they scored,” Malky moaned to BBC Scotland. “I don’t know where he got the seven minutes from (we’ve just told you Malky). “I’m more disappointed for the boys than anything else.
If Celtic are to comment on referees, a video if this guys honest mistakes..neither honest nor mistakes…should be put together and widely shared before being publicly presented tothe SFA. Then again we don't need Celtic to do that. https://t.co/NsphDIwai5
— Richard McGinley (@Richiestoke) December 16, 2021
“I thought they were terrific tonight and I’m proud of them in the way they played, and they way they pressed Celtic in the second half. The challenge in the second half was to be brave and press high and we did cause them issues.
One thing that needs addressed, the standard of refereeing in this country.
Completely missing Starfelt being elbowed.
Completely missing Starfelt down with a head injury.
Completely oblivious to the penalty which should be given in added time.& then the rest.
— Everything Celtic (@aboutceltic) December 15, 2021
“We fought right to the last. It’s interesting that it’s the seventh minute of added on time that the referee gives that they score in. I think you saw the relief from both their management and their fans at how happy they were to leave with anything.
“We had chances around their goals and there was a real couple of interesting decisions tonight from the referee to be honest with you, including the seven minutes at the end to allow them to go and get the win.”
🟢| The goals from Dingwall where 10-man Celtic needed a 97th minute Anthony Ralston header to secure all three points against Ross County👇 pic.twitter.com/LqixJsLs3Z
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) December 15, 2021
Just buzzin for Tony tonight👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/zvCT5GPUNj
— Tam sellic son (@TamsellicsonIII) December 15, 2021
🎶 Watching Glasgow Celtic 🎶 pic.twitter.com/vLLIqGs6iS
— The Cynic (@90MinuteCynic) December 15, 2021
