1972-10-04: Celtic 5-2 Stranraer, League Cup

Match Pictures | Matches: 1972 – 1973 | 1972-73 Pictures

Trivia

  • There was a lingering threat of a players strike in the air. The SFA had continually refused to meet the Players Union (chairman Alex Ferguson) over their wish to have a union representative on the Referees Disciplinary Committee.
  • The draw was made for the next round of the European Cup with Jock Stein getting what he wanted which was a hard tie. Celtic were drawn against Ujpest Dosza against whom they had played the previous season.
  • Celtic rested Connelly who was returning from a hip injury. Tommy Callaghan continued in his position. Up front Bobby Lennox, Vic Davidson and Paul Wilson were called in with Dalglish Macari and Hood dropping out. A return too for Jimmy Quinn at left back.
  • Celtic won 7-3 on aggregate and will play Dundee in the next round.
  • The fans roar with delight when it's announced that Stenhousemuir have beaten Rangers 2-1 at Ibrox.
  • Connelly, Dalglish and Macari are all named in the Scotland squad for the WC tie in Copenhagen. McNeill is on standby.

Review

Deans wins in the air

The game started with a shock with Stranraer scoring in the 9th minute.

After that normal service was resumed and the Bhoys ran out easy winners. Deans and Davidson replied to the early goal and Bobby Lennox added a further to put Celtic 3-1 up at half time.

After the interval Bobby Lennox scored the best goal of the match and Bobby Murdoch added a fifth from the penalty spot.

Teams

Celtic:-
Williams, McCluskey, Quinn, Murdoch, McNeill, Callaghan, Johnstone (McLaughlin), Davidson, Deans, Lennox, Wilson.
Goals: Deans (18), Davidson (23), Lennox 2 (37,79), Murdoch (pen 70)

Stranraer:-
Whiteside, Hopkins, McAuley, Collings, Heap, Hay, McColl, Duffy, Meechan, Campbell, Traynor
Goals: Meechan (6), Campbell (53)

Referee: I Foote (Glasgow)
Attendance: 9,000

Articles

  • Match Report (see end of page below)

Pictures

Articles

Glasgow Herald 5 October 1972
Celtic 5, Stranraer 2 (agg.: 7-3.)
Stranraer put up a brave show at Parkhead and it was not until Bobby Murdoch, with a penalty, and then Lennox scored Celtic’s fourth and fifth goals late in the second half that the Second Division side’s challenge was finally extinguished.
Stranraer, in fact, gave Celtic an eighth minute surprise with a goal by Meechan which levelled the aggregate score. They continued to play skilful football – until Deans hit Celtic’s first goal in 20 minutes. Davidson and Lennox were the other home scorers before the interval.
Stranraer scored another goal soon after the restart when Campbell beat Murdoch and went through on his own.
The same player could have snatched another when Celtic goalkeeper Williams was stranded outside his own box and only the intervention of Murdoch saved the home team.
CELTIC—Williams; McCluskey and Quinn; Murdoch, McNeill and Callaghan; Johnstone, Davidson, Deans, Lennox and Wilson. Substitute—McLaughlin.
STRANRAER—Whiteside; Hopkins and McAulay; Collings, Heap and Hay; McColl, Duffy, Meechan, Campbell and Traynor. Substitute—Evans.
Referee—B. Padden (Ardrossan).

1972 Celtic 5-2 Stranraer report