HI all,
It is vital that anyone travelling over this weekend attends a
meeting this evening in CG05 at 6pm. It will be a short meeitng and we
will discuss details of departure times, rules, and a party before we head
off in which plenty of beer is waiting. So please do try and come along.
Last night Celtic marched on to the semi-finals of the CIS Insurance Cup
defeating Dundee 1-0 at Celtic Park, the very team who defeated Rangers at
the weekend. Rangers received their second consecutive defeat bowing out
of the Cup to lowly Aberdeen at Pitordie.
**********************************Match Report*****************************
WE'RE NOT DUN' FOR YET
CIS Insurance Cup - Round 4
CELTIC.....1 (Weighorst 92)
DUNDEE....0
Is this the stuff that revivals are made of?
Ten-man Celtic rallied together at long last and produced a rousing
performance, one which the fans could be proud of, and one which put
them through to the semi-finals - eventually!
Morten Weighorst yet again pulled off one of his late, late specials but,
unlike against St. Johnstone, controversy was nowhere to be seen.
Not for the goal at least - Hugh Dallas became public enemy no. 1 again
after being reunited with Stephane Mahe, unsurprisingly in controversial
circumstances.
In a bizarre non-incident just three minutes before half time, Mahe was
the victim of a heavy lunge by Eddie Annand, who then mysteriously
went down, seemingly poleaxed.
Dallas consulted with his linesman before waving the red card at Mahe,
and all hell nearly broke loose.
You couldn't help but feel that this had all happened before during one
fateful May afternoon - both fans and players seemed close to the edge
at the injustice of the Frenchman's dismissal
Most were simply praying for the half time whistle, if for nothing else,
to diffuse what was rapidly becoming an ugly occasion.
Thankfully, although the passion was still there during the second half,
it was controlled, and Celtic used it to propel themselves towards the
semi finals.
It was undoubtedly the most positive performance the fans have seen
from a Hoops side in some weeks, and they could leave Celtic Park safe
in the knowledge that they had played their part too.
Braving the torrential rain, the support stayed with the team throughout,
urging them on when it was clear that their tired legs needed that little
bit extra.
Dundee were looking to complete an Old Firm double, having claimed the
scalp of Rangers on Sunday.
However, Celtic began the match the brighter and more inventive of the
two teams, as they pushed forward right from the start.
With just three minutes played, they could have had the lead, but Ian
Wright volleyed wide after a good run and cross from Jackie
McNamara.
Then, just two minutes later, Lubo Moravcik turned Fabrizio Billio inside
out before smashing a superb 35-yard curler, which came crashing back
off the crossbar.
It was a great effort from the diminutive Slovak, and effort was to
remain his watch word throughout the 90 minutes, as he worked his
socks off for the cause.
Moravcik's contribution was perhaps matched only by that of Morten
Weighorst, who brought composure and drive to the Celtic midfield.
Ironically, the big Dane might not even have been playing had Paul
Lambert recovered in time for the match, or had Craig Burley not signed
for Derby just hours before the match.
However, Weighorst proved himself to be a more than able deputy, and
he came within inches of giving Celtic the lead on 19 minutes, when he
slid in to capitalise on a slip by Robert Douglas only for Barry Smith to
get the slightest of touches to knock it wide.
Ian Wright was back in the side having been omitted from the starting
line-up against Motherwell, and he looked immeasurably sharper, as he
came agonisingly close to making the breakthrough.
Mark Viduka rose to flick on Vidar Riseth's long ball, and Wright burst
through to take it on the volley, only to see his shot drop just wide of
the
target.
Mahe's sending off put Celtic at a numerical disadvantage going into the
second half, but they had the upper hand, and they were in no mood to
relinquish it.
It was becoming apparent that this was a different Celtic to the
fragmented outfit we've become accustomed to of late, as they showed
that they had both the ability and the heart for the battle.
Right from the restart, the came out with all guns blazing, and but for
the brilliance of Robert Douglas, would have taken the lead inside five
minutes.
After some neat interplay between Moravcik and second half substitute
Stilian Petrov, the young Bulgarian curled in an inch-perfect cross which
was met by Johan Mjallby six yards out.
The giant Swede did everything right, but his powerful downward header
was somehow kept out by a magnificent point-blank stop by Douglas.
Moravcik then had a chance to use his dead-ball expertise after he was
crudely chopped down on his way through on goal, but his delicate free
kick dipped just wide of Douglas' right-hand post.
At the other end, Jackie McNamara twice had to come to Celtic's
rescue, first when he knocked Lee Wilkie's header off the line, and then
when he threw himself in to clear when it seemed certain that James
Grady would score.
Celtic pushed forward incessantly, and just when it seemed that there
would need to be another half an hour of nerve-jangling action, up
stepped Morten Weighorst.
Two minutes into injury time, Moravcik played in Mark Burchill down the
left channel, and the young striker evaded the challenge of Smith before
crossing for Weighorst to send a looping header over Douglas and into
the far corner.
The fans erupted into celebration and, suddenly, everything was well with
the world again.
Afterwards, there was much use of the words 'turning' and 'point' - John
Barnes will be hoping that this does after all mark the start of a
positive new beginning for Celtic.
CELTIC (3-4-1-2): Gould, Riseth (Burchill 60), Mahe, McNamara,
Tebily, Stubbs, Mjallby, Weighorst, Moravcik, Wright (Petrov 46),
Viduka.
DUNDEE (5-3-2): Douglas, Smith, Sharp (Robertson 86), Billio (Grady
77), Tweed, van Eijs, Boyack, Rae, Annand (Banger 44), Wilkie,
Falconer.
