| Match Pictures | Matches: 1972 – 1973 | 1972-73 Pictures |
Trivia
- Jimmy Quinn, Davie Hay and Jim Brogan – all three left backs – were all back in training and making progress to full fitness. Jimmy Johnstone who had been absent from the club was said to be on holiday.
- With the three mentioned above the problem was filling the left back slot adequately. Tommy Callaghan moved to left back with Pat McCluskey going into midfield. Evan Williams was preferred in goal and up front Bobby Lennox came back in on the left with Lou Macari on the bench.
- Ex-Celtic Eric Smith was back managing Morton after a brief period away managing a Gree Cypriot team. Steve Chalmers was trainer and player at the club and Lisbon Lion John Clark meant that there was a good Celtic proportion in the Morton ranks.
- Unlucky Morton hit woodwork twice.
Arab terrorists kidnap, murder and hold to ransom a group of Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics.
Review
Callaghan fielded at left back.Though Murdoch was credited with the first goal a lot had to do with Anderson either putting Sorensen off or deflecting the ball past the keeper. Anderson then compounded the mistake by pulling down Dixie Deans in the area giving Celtic a penalty which Bobby Murdoch duly converted. The first half honours were Celtic's but Morton came back in the second half when Murdoch dropped below his rigorous standards and faded out of the game as did the whole midfield line.
Teams
Celtic:
Williams, McGrain, McCluskey, Murdoch, McNeill, Connelly, Hood, Dalglish, Deans, Callaghan (Macari), Lennox.
Goals: Murdoch 2 (13, pen 21)
Morton:
Sorensen, Hayes, Shevlane, Rankin, Anderson, Clark, Gillies (Lumsden), Mason, Christiansen, Chalmers, Armstrong.
Goals:
Referee: A. MacKenzie (Larbert).
Attendance: 15,000
Articles
- Match Report (see below)
Pictures
Articles
Glasgow Herald Monday September 11 1972
Celtic fall below their own high standards
By Raymond Jacobs
Morton 0, Celtic 2
By the high standards that Celtic have set themselves and consequently have to be judged they did not particularly distinguish themselves on Saturday. All the same Morton never really looked capable of pulling back the two goals they lost in the first 22 minutes when Celtic were at their best.
During this period, Murdoch, as well as scoring both goals was the complete general. Afterwards he played except in spasms as if he had been reduced to the ranks and the midline he completed with Dalglish and McCluskey, the latter struggling in an unaccustomed position, seldom again oiled the wheels smoothly.
DECISIVE
As it turned out however, Celtic had already completed the decisive damage. Murdoch was certainly fortunate when his shot from the edge of the area deflected out of Sorensen’s reach by Anderson, but there was equal certainty about the justice of his second goal, from a penalty after the centre half had brought Deans down from behind.
Then and for the remainder of the game Deans had the beating of Anderson notably in the air, even though he was conceding several inches in height, but Celtic were never able to recapture completely the verve and speed of the attacks they mounted on a well grassed pitch when the going was good on top.
Morton’s defence were gradually able to gather themselves. Hayes came on to a fine game and Anderson recovered his poise, considerably helped by the Celtic veteran Clark, still with a lively instinct for reading the play and covering accordingly. Sorensen had scarcely to deal with a direct shot again so well harnessed had Celtic become.
Indeed the two best shots of the match were delivered at the other end. Towards the end of the first half and soon after the start of the second Williams was comprehensively beaten by Mason and Armstrong, but on both occasions the ball struck the crossbar. A goal on either occasion would have enlivened the proceedings, which for a game involving Celtic were remarkably dull.
CONSTRUCTIVE
Celtic’s difficulties derived from two sources, Murdoch receding into comparative obscurity and lacking an orthodox winger their attacks were funnelled through the overcrowded middle and were frustrated there.
The strong running of Callaghan might have take some of the weight, but he was delegated to solve Celtic’s recurring left back problem and was eventually taken off when Macari substituted with some 20 minutes remaining.
The arrival of Macari took McCluskey into a more familiar and comfortable position in defence with Hood dropping back, but if Celtic were looking for a constructive contribution from Macari they did not get it. He was hardly on the field before he became involved in some aggravation with Rankin for which the wing half had his name taken.
Morton just did not have the pace at the point of attack to penetrate dangerously on Williams, but they gave a reasonable account of themselves after Lumsden, brought on at half time for Gillies who suffered a broken nose, reinforced their midfield strength.
All the same, Celtic were never in danger of losing their grip to the extent that they might have lost the match, and that despite the somewhat makeshift formation to which the side had to adapt, is a compliment in itself to their resources and direction.
Morton—Sorensen; Hayes and Shevlane; Rankin Anderson and Clark; Gillies and Mason; Christensen Chalmers and Armstrong; Substitute—Lumsden.
Celtic—Williams; McGrain and McCluskey; Murdoch McNeill and Connelly; Hood and Dalglish; Deans Callaghan and Lennox. Substitute—Macari.
Referee—A. MacKenzie (Larbert).
