A good win in the end, but a real shocker of a first half is the best way to sum this game up. My heart (and Andy Walker agreed with me) sank when I saw that awful grey rubbish of a strip. Why not the hoops when we are playing a team wearing black? Yes, yes, I know it’s all about marketing… but does anyone really want to buy that non-Celtic-looking strip?
I think there is an added point here for TV cameras. St Mirren’s ground is not good for TV coverage. The cameras are not hight enough, and insipid grey tends to merge into the background, and would a sparkling green and white strip not make a difference? Another disadvantage of St Mirren’s ground was the constant foul mouthed barrage from that buffoon in the crowd in the enclosure beneath the cameras in the first half! The commentators duly apologised, but the gentleman concerned was only shut up by the events of the second half!
VAR? Well, once again I find myself in agreement with Handy Andy about that penalty. It was outrageous. Fortunately it didn’t really matter. The other two VAR’s – the “penalty or was it outside the box”, and the shirt pull on Oh – were undeniably correct, but what a time they took! You and I could see quite clearly on our TV what happened long before Andrew Dallas did! But I am hardly likely to be the only one who doesn’t like VAR. Andy uses worlds like “awful” and “absurd”‘ Difficult to disagree.
Jota caused a little concern. He frankly had a shocker in the first half, seeming to be too easily put off by the barracking of the St Mirren supporters, and really he should have been taken off at half time. Nor can I agree with Faddy that his goal was a good one. It was scrappy, but certainly very welcome.
Alistair Johnston would be my Man of the Match. Not only did he score through sheer determination to get to the ball first, but he played superbly throughout, and full back which used to be a problem position for Celtic, is certainly not now. The other goals were well taken by Abada and O’Riley, and basically it was in the end a comfortable victory.
And so there are now only 11 League games left, beginning with Hearts at Parkhead on Wednesday night. No time for taking our foot off the gas! And let’s not believe any rubbish like “a rehearsal for the Cup tie on Saturday”. It is a game that is vital in it’s own right. Keep going, Celtic!
David Potter
