| Match Pictures | Matches: 1971 – 1972 | 1971-1972 Pictures |
Trivia
- An unchanged side for Celtic however Stein switched things around with Callaghan dropping to midfield and Dalglish going up front. This was a top -v- bottom of the table clash.
- Buzz-bomb Lennox and Jinking Jimmy Johnstone at their best are too much for Airdrie.
- Celtic play in unusual strip of green tops, green shorts and white socks.
- On the same day Celtic defeated Airdrie 3-0 in a Reserve League match at Broomfield. The Celtic team was Williams, Craig, Quinn, Murdoch, Junior, McCluskey, McLaughlin, Davidson, Wilson, White, Hancock. Sub Franchetti. The Celtic scorers were Wilson, White and Davidson. The 'Junior' may have been Jim/Frank Welsh who had been signed and farmed out to Shettleston.
Review
A competent professional job from Celtic. Dalglish opened the scoring on the twenty minute mark after finishing a move with Jimmy Johnstone and Harry Hood. Booby Lennox's goal at the end was a sensational one-man affair.
Teams
Celtic:
Connaghan, Hay, Brogan, Callaghan, McNeill, Connelly, Johnstone, Dalglish, Deans, Lennox, Hood. Substitute: McGrain
Goals: Dalglish (21), Lennox (77).
Airdrie:
McKenzie, Johnquin, Clarke, Menzies, McKinlay, D. Whiteford, Wilson (Whiteford 71), Walker, Busby, Jarvie, Cowan.
Goals:
Referee: J. W. Paterson (Bothwell).
Attendance: 27,000
Articles
- Match Report (see end of page below)
Pictures
Articles Glasgow Herald, Monday 17th January 1972
Fast raids by Lennox beat massed defence
Celtic 2, Airdrieonians 0
Bottom-of-the-league clubs can provide awkward opponents when relegation stares them in the face, and just as East Fife had shown a few weeks ago, so Airdrieonians made Celtic fight every inch of the way for the points at Parkhead on Saturday.
The gulf between the clubs was not always apparent, but Celtic’s skill and strength were telling factors and left the Lanarkshire club anchored at the foot of the championship. One is left to wonder why the Texaco Cup finalists cannot find a footing in the league.
Celtic’s greatest enemy on the run-in for the title could be complacency, and Jock Stein has more than once emphasised this point to his players. From the onset on Saturday they bombarded the Airdrie goal, which bore a charmed life on a number of occasions, but to their credit the visitors survived the storm, and with more bite in attack could have scored.
Only Drew Jarvie showed any guile in attack, and his subtle touches on and off the ball were the highlights of Airdrie’s performance. He almost scored in the first half when Dennis Connaghan failed to hold a shot from Drew Busby.
Massed defence
Airdrie’s strength lay in their massed defence, where Columb McKinlay marshalled his forces effectively and was given support on the flanks by Paul Jonquin and Derek Whiteford. The Celtic attack battered against the wall of red-and-white jerseys, and when they did pierce the battlement the woodwork came to Airdrie’s rescue.
Celtic struck woodwork three times. In the first half a header by Bobby Lennox from a Harry Hood free kick came off the crossbar and Dixie Deans just failed to reach the rebound. Then it was Jimmy Johnstone’s turn, and from that rebound Lennox’s shot was kicked away. In the second half Deans himself got the head to a Tommy Callaghan corner kick and again the crossbar was hit.
Same fate
Airdrie suffered the same fate after Jarvie’s near miss when Tommy Walker shot against Connaghan’s left hand post.
The versatility of the Celtic players was again underlined when Mr Stein fielded Kenny Dalglish in the forward line and utilised Hood in midfield. It looked an immediate success. In the first 20 minutes Hood came close to scoring on several occasions, and it was Dalglish who opened the scoring on 21 minutes. Hood and Johnstone opened up the right flank of Airdrie’s defence with some close inter-play, and when the winger crossed Dalglish swept the ball into the net.
Lennox outstanding
The outstanding Celtic player was Lennox, whose quick raids and intelligent use of the open space made him a constant danger. It was appropriate that he should score in 76 minutes when he took the ball through himself and from 18 yards hit a low shot past Roddy McKenzie.
Not far behind Lennox were David Hay and George Connelly. Connelly’s greatest asset is his ability to initiate moves from deep in defence, and his long, accurate passes have an uncomfortable effect on the opposition.
Only one substitution was made, when Billy Wilson, Airdrie’s outside right who took a knock in the first half, was replaced by John Whiteford midway in the second half.
SUNDAY MAIL, January 16, 1972
LENNOX ENDS IT
By DON MORRISON
CELTIC……………. 2
AIRDRIE…………….0
(H.T. 1-0)
Scorers: Dalglish (21 mins.), Lennox (77).
CELTIC found themselves stretched a bit to come out top against an Airdrie side which produced enough elegance and skill to make a mockery of their League status.
A flash of Jimmy Johnstone genius had laid the ball on for Ken Dalglish to give them a single-goal lead — an uneasy situation which existed until 13 minutes from the end when Bobby Lennox cleared the clouds for the home fans.
At that point Celtic should have been well ahead. Faster and slicker to the ball, they had hit wood three times with headers from Lennox and Deans and a shot from Johnstone had come back off the bar.
And Paul Jonquin cleared a Lennox shot off the line.
Yet somehow Airdrie survived and, swamping Hood and Callaghan in midfield, countered with menace.
A none-too-confident Denis Connaghan in the Celtic goal contributed to the discomfort of the home side.
A fumble
In 24 minutes he fumbled a low Busby drive to let Jarvie in with a shot which squirmed past; he was surprised by a Walker shot which hit the post; and then he hurt his hand clearing up another shot from the Airdrie centre.
With the masterful Connelly calming his defence and setting up attacks, Celtic gradually regained control.
Harry Hood, prominent with long-range shooting in the opening minutes, set up the first goal with a fine pass to Johnstone.
And it was pure vintage from the wee man as he juggled his way past three white shirts to lay the ball on for Dalglish to give McKenzie no chance from about 10 yards.
The keeper could do little about number two either when Lennox picked up a through pass 20 yards out, changed direction slightly, and hit the bail low and hard between McKenzie and his left hand post.
By way of a reshuffle from last week, Celtic had Dalglish up with Deans, with Hood partnering Callaghan in midfield.
Drive missing
It was not entirely successful. I felt they missed the drive of Dalglish in midfield where Callaghan had a very quiet match.
CELTIC—Connaghan; Hay, Brogan; Callaghan, McNeill, Connelly; Johnston, Dalglish, Deans, Lennox, Hood. Sub. McGrain not used.
AIRDRIE — McKenzie; Jonquin, Clarke; Menzies, McKinlay, D. Whiteford; Wilson, Walker, Busby, Jarvie, Cowan. Sub. J. Whiteford for Wilson in 71 minutes.
AIRDRIE — McKenzie; Jonquin, Clarke; Menzies, McKinlay, D. Whiteford; Wilson, Walker, Busby, Jarvie, Cowan. Sub. J. Whiteford for Wilson in 71 minutes.
