Celtic booked our place in the 2025 Premier Sports Cup final with a 3-1 extra-time win over theRangers, in a game we should have had well and truly wrapped up in the regulation ninety minutes…
The latest Ibrox club had Theo Aasgaard deservedly sent off in the first half after a vicious high challenge on Tony Ralston with Celtic already a goal to the good, but let’s not them use that as the predictable excuse for their failure, as Celtic by far the better team and were deserved winners in the end.
Martin O’Neill’s side started brightly and we thought we had taken the lead due to a comical own goal, but VAR intervened to rule it out after spotting a very questionable offside in the build up with Andrew Dallas drawing the VAR lines.
Johnny Kenny soon had us back celebrating with a fine bulleted header via a superb corner kick delivery from the foot of Arne Engels.
We survived a scare just on the stroke of half time when Auston Trusty caught the head of Jack Butland, albeit accidentally, but he was shown a yellow which was perhaps the right call, despite the raging Bears whining about it deserving to be a red.
That fighting spirit and fluency we witnessed against Falkirk was evident once again from Martin O’Neill’s Celtic side although we failed to convert a host of good chances, and you just knew what was going to happen next as Nick Walsh gave the latest Ibrox side a helping hand as he pointed to the spot after judging Tony Ralston to have blocked a goal bound effort with his ticked in elbow. It was a disgraceful decision which Willie Collum is going to struggle to justify.
It was a harsh call so we thought VAR would at least ask Nick Walsh to go to the monitor but Andrew Dallas wasn’t interested and the penalty King James Tavernier made no mistake from the spot to get his side back in the game.
Extra time it was to be, and the Hoops made their man advantage count by scoring through Callum McGregor and substitute Callum Osmand to give the game the scoreline it deserved.
TheRangers will no doubt cry injustice, but they got what they fully deserved, and that was nothing. See you all at Hampden again next month. Bring on the Buddies.
By the way Johnny Kenny and Callum Osmand are decent players. Well done to St Martin for giving them their chance.
Now let’s win in Denmark.
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
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If you think beating an average ten man current bun side a major achievement then think again. MON and Maloney are only masking over the real problems at our club, and until Desmond and the present board are in place we won’t improve
Ref missed a few incidents for them that were conveniently overlooked, but Trusty was an idiot at HT.
The penalty was a joke, and as usual it was all hands to the pump to “sell the product”.
Great result and performance and shot in the arm for us – it feels like a real lift.
Pleased for Johnny Kenny (and Trusty to be fair) and although it should have been buried in the 2nd half (my poor heart!!!) it’s another beautiful Sunday 🍀
It is becoming clear that Rodgers either could not spot talent, or was reluctant to take a chance with young players.
Just goes to show Osmand and Kenny just needed a run to show what they can do. Would like to see Yamada get a chance of a few games going forward. We have and are still the dominant force in Scotland, and have been for what the last 15 years or so . May i add with this board in charge and the millions spent on transfers over last 2 to 3 years.
You have to laugh at the Huns crying about Trusty’s ( very silly ) foot onto the head of Butt Land . About 50 yards away was a banner for the Sam English supporters club .. they really don’t do irony do they .
This article just about correctly sums up the game. But you left out a really important fact, the 3 or 4 penalty claims that Celtic had. And, of course, all denied. 2 Handball’s in their penalty area, a blatant shove on Osmand and a blatant foul earlier in the game, i think it was on Hatate. The usual though, these major incidents will not get a mention because “we won anyway”. It’s major blunders by two of the worst referees we have in Scotland , Walsh and Dallas, AGAIN. Walsh was also card-happy when it came to us but took him an eternity before he finally booked Ratskin (and no, that’s not a spelling mistake in his name). A fitting name for the pint-sized ned.