| Match Pictures | Matches: 1971 – 1972 | 1971-1972 Pictures |
Trivia
- The team for the game was not announced till just before kick off. Jim Brogan and Jimmy Johnstone were both out with knocks. Bobby Lennox, Bobby Murdoch and Harry Hood were all rested for the Cup replay against Hearts. Kick off was delayed by 10 minutes to allow all the punters to get in.
- Falkirk youngster Harley nutmegs Billy McNeill.
- Vic Davidson smashes home late winner.
- Danny McGrain fractures his skull after accidental clash with Doug Somner.McGrain played on until half time and had to be rushed into intensive care at Falkirk Infirmary.
- Celtic were drawn against Inter Milan in the European Cup semi final draw 24 hours earlier.
- The game was watched by Inter Milan manager Gianni Invernizzi. After the game Jock Stein headed for Italy to watch Inter Milan take on Bologna at home.
- Ex Celtic full back Duncan MacKay who had left for Australia after a short spell with Third Lanark had returned to Scotland and was looking to get back into football at the age of 32.
Review
A somewhat dull game full of missed chances with the Celtic team failing to catch fire. A rugged Falkirk defense which featured David Cattanach who had transferred from Celtic earlier in the season, kept Celtic out till four minutes from time. Then in a packed goalmouth, Vic Davidson shot home to give Celtic a 1-0 win.
Teams
Falkirk:
Donaldson, Abel, Gibson, Cattanach, Markie, Kennedy, Hoggan, Harley, Jack, Ferguson, Somner. Substitute: Setterington.
Scorer:
Celtic:
Williams, McGrain (Macari, 45), Quinn, Hay, McNeill, Connelly, Davidson, Dalglish, Deans, Callaghan, Wilson
Scorer: Davidson (86)
Referee: R. D. Henderson (Dundee)
Attendance: 18,000.
Articles
- Match Report (see end of page below)
Pictures
Articles
Sunday Mail, March 26, 1972
DAVIDSON SAVER FOR CELTS
By ALLAN HERRON
FALKIRK…………………………….0 CELTIC…………………………….1
(H.T. 0-0)
Scorer—Davidson (86).
MANAGER Jock Stein gave half his European Cup team the day-off, then sat back and watched his fledglings drive Falkirk to their knees in despair with an old-fashioned winner in the closing minutes.
Falkirk, who had fought the champions at Cup-tie pace with a stuffy 4-3-2 formation, looked to have gained an invaluable point. Then in stepped the most elegant player on the field, George Connelly. From the left side of the field he clipped the ball perfectly to the head of little Lou Macari in the Brockville box. The ball broke to Deans who smartly chipped it to the far post. George Gibson jumped too early—and missed.
Paul Wilson, was the kid with the old head as he held the ball on the touch-line then touched it back to another who hasn't been shaving for too long, namely Vic Davidson.
Keeper Ally Donaldson hadn't a chance with the 10-yard shot which rose no more than six inches on its way to the net.
So Celtic, or half of the Celtic team we know best, won a match which gave them a lot of trouble throughout the day and in which too many chances were missed by both sides. The only goal of the match, when it came four minutes from time, was almost a bit of a shock.
Falkirk must consider themselves a bit unlucky to lose both points but they really have only themselves to blame. They had their chances and didn’t take them.
In the first half there was a Doug Somner shot which hit Billy McNeill and shot away for a corner . . . a tremendous shot from Alex Ferguson which brought out the save of the match from Evan Williams in 17 minutes.
Chances gone
In the second half Ferguson scooped a Hoggan cross over the bar, Somner belted a right-foot shot two feet wide with Williams beaten, and Ian Harley belted a shot wildly past when under no pressure.
Not that Celtic could gloat. Deans and Wilson had a number of solid chances but their finishing was just too bad to be true.
Celtic right-back Danny McGrain was injured in a head collision with Doug Somner after only six minutes.
He had treatment from trainers Mochan and Rooney on and off the field, before resuming four minutes later. He played out the first half before being replaced by Lou Macari at half-time.
Hay moved to right-back with Davidson moving back alongside Callaghan and Dalglish in mid-field.
In a fairly scrappy, but hectic match. Celtic didn't reach any great heights of performance, but they always had more to offer than Falkirk in the way of attacking pressure.
And the match gave valuable experience to Davidson, Wilson and Quinn, who are on the fringe of the European action.
Hot handful
Skipper Billy McNeill found himself against a hot handful in young Ian Harley, who paid no respect to reputations.
He was prepared to take McNeill and anyone else on with the ball at his feet and he had a lot of success.
He got applause in one burst in the second half when he cheekily pushed the ball through McNeill's legs and left him stranded.
All the clever stuff at the edge of the box is of no value if there isn't anyone to stick the ball in the net.
Harley. Abel, Gibson, Kennedy and Hoggan in flashes were Falkirk's most consistent players.
Celtic got most out of Connelly, Hay, Williams and Callaghan, but Stein must be delighted at the way Wilson and Davidson linked up in the 86th minute to give him a win and make the League Championship no more than a mere formality.
To win without Brogan, Murdoch, Johnstone, Hood and Lennox is a fair achievement!
FALKIRK— Donaldson; Abel, Gibson; Cattanach, Markie, Kennedy; Hoggan, Harley, Jack, Ferguson, Somner. Sub— Setterington, not used.
CELTIC—Williams; McGraln, Qulnn; Hay, McNeill, Connelly; Davidson, Dalglish, Deans, Callaghan, Wilson. Sub.— Macari for McGrain in second half.
Referee —R. D. Henderson, Dundee.
Attendance—18,000.
:The Glasgow Herald, Monday March 27th 1972
McGrain ‘slightly improved` after skull fracture
By Raymond Jacobs
Celtic, in further tightening their grip on the league championship by beating Falkirk on Saturday, were the only one of the four clubs involved in tonight's Scottish Cup quarter-final replays not to lose. Their victory, however, was bought at a price.
Danny McGrain, Celtic’s right back, suffered a fracture of between three and four inches on the right side of his skull in a head – to – head collision with Falkirk's left winger, Doug Somner. McGrain was taken to the intensive care unit At Falkirk Royal Infirmary for observation and yesterday his condition was reported by Sean Fallon, Celtic's assistant manager, as "slightly improved."
This serious injury is a setback not only for the club, both in the short and long term, but is a harsh misfortune to the player who had been waiting for the chance to establish himself permanently in the senior side.
When Jock Stein nominated him for the first leg of the European Cap quarter final tie against Ujpest Dozsa only three hours before the kick-off in Budapest McGrain, who is 21, took the challenge in his stride. Ironically, only last week, in the return game, Celtic lost their left back, Jim Brogan, with a torn leg muscle.
The loss of both these players has occurred less than a fortnight before the first leg of Celtic's European Cup semi-final against Internazionale, of Milan. But Stein's first priority on his return from Italy, where he watched Inter draw 1-1 with Bologna yesterday, will be to decide on another full-back partnership for the cup replay against Hearts at Tynecastle, a 43,000 all-ticket sell-out.
Jimmy Quinn returned to left back for Brogan at Falkirk and David Hay filled McGrain's place for the second half. Jim Craig is available, but as it is many weeks since he made his last appearance in the senior team, Stein may well decide to stay with Hay and Quinn.
Certainly the side whom Inter's coach, Gianni Ivernizzi, watched at Brockville bore so little resemblance to Celtic's recognised full-strength formation that the Italian has declared his intention of returning tonight for another look. It seems his second journey will be much more worthwhile.
Bobby Murdoch, Jimmy Johnstone, Bobby Lennox, and Harry Hood, all missing from the team at Falkirk, were able to train with the others yesterday and afterwards Fallon announced that everyone was fit and consequently available for selection just before the kick-off.
Hearts whose last-minute goal at Parkhead made this replay necessary, were given considerable encouragement yesterday when Donald Ford, Tommy Murray, and Derek Renton, who had to be left out of the side at Ayr because of injury, passed fitness tests. But Hearts manager Bobby Seith, will not name his side until the last moment, either.
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Today: Scottish Cup Fifth round Replays — Hearts v Celtic. Rangers v Motherwell.
