Trivia
- The conference on football violence called by Glasgow went ahead, the main conclusion being that the predominant cause was drink! There was pressure from a number of academics and authorities to make grounds all-seated.
- Celtic announced a mini-break away in Jersey where they would play a challenge match on the following Monday. The fixture had been set up some time before.
- Jim Craig, who was in fact still under contract at Celtic despite his leaving at the end of the last season, headed south to talk to Sheffield Wednesday.
- Jock Stein appeared in front of the Referees Disciplinary Committee and was duly fined £100 for his confrontation with Bobby Davidson in the League Cup game against Dundee
- Bobby Murdoch and Lou Macari were both in the squad for the game, both playing. Tommy Callaghan dropped out with a niggling injury and Jinky was on the bench.
- First visit for a non-friendly game to Boghead for 50 years.
- Dixie off injured after 9 minutes and Jinky comes on to play a stomer. Willie Wallace scores against his old mates.
- Celts fans cheer at the end as Rangers lose 1-0 to Hearts at Ibrox. This will be their last defeat of the season…
- Geir Karlsen plays trial with Celtic reserves on same day v Albion Rovers and fails to impress in 2-2 draw.The Celtic team was Karlsen, Davidson, Watt, McNamara, McDonald, Lapinski, McLaughlin, Hancock, Franchetti, O’Hara, Prentice. Sub O’Hara. The Celtic scorers were Prentice and O’Hara.
- A young Pat McCluskey scores his one and only Celtic hat trick.
Review
Harry Hood kicked off this rout with a raging free kick with four minutes on the clock. Dixie went off with a pulled muscle and on came Jinky. Harry Hood supplied the cross that gave McCluskey his first goal. Jinky was next up tearing past ex-Celt John Cushley and playing a 1-2 with Macari before blasting home. It was all-out attack from Celtic. McCluskey got his second and Celtic’s fourth on 36 minutes.
In the second half Dumbarton pulled themselves a little bit more together and Celtic eased off the pressure. On 74 minutes a shot from Harry Hood was deflected into the net for an own goal against Cushley and McCluskey added his hatrick soon after. Willie Wallace pulled a consolation goal back for Dumbarton before the end.
Teams
Dumbarton:
Williams, Menzies, Wilkinson, Jenkins, Cushley (Coleman), Graham, Wallace, C McAdam, McCormack, T McAdam, Wilson
Goal:- Wallace (84)
Celtic:
Connaghan, McGrain, Brogan, McCluskey, Connelly, Hay, Hood, Dalglish, Deans (Johnstone 9), Murdoch, Macari
Goals:- Hood (4), McCluskey 3 (15, 36, 78), Johnstone (23), Cushley (OG 74).
Referee: A S McDonald (Livingstone)
Attendance: 15,000.
Articles
Pictures
Articles
Glasgow Herald Monday December 4 1972
Celtic tantalise, then destroy
By WILLIAM HUNTER
Dumbarton 1, Celtic 6
Dumbarton played this game under the worst possible circumstances – the Celtic team bus failed to lose the way on its first trip to Boghead in half a century. As soon as the visitors made it through the houses to the cosy little ground, that meant the end of any sporting uncertainty the afternoon might bring.
Celtic found that the trip down the river had a tonic affect. They scored in four minutes. They added three more at 10-minute intervals, so precisely phased some unstoppable mass-production schedule seemed to be in operation. And that was the end of the first half.
Dumbarton dutifully returned to the second. That took heroism of the quality which earns medals for young men in other fields of human effort and gets their names carved in marble.
In fact, after the interval Dumbarton had their best patch – less than deep purple but rich in character and courage, Williie Wallace switched more through the middle from the wing. The change made Dumbarton’s attack more coherent and also sometimes more congested. At least it gave Celtic’s goalkeeper a touch of the ball. Connaghan had to move nippily to field a quick shot by Wallace.
Having tantalised, Celtic then totally destroyed. They helped themselves to a couple more goals. Then, easing up to the whistle, they allowed Wallace through again. This time he put Dumbarton on to the score sheet. It rounded this non-match off decently, for Dumbarton never looked like getting on to anything else.
They had perhaps a bit of bad luck. A couple of chances in the first half looked as if they should have been taken. The ball did not run in a kindly way for Lawrie Williams in goal. But if Dumbarton had come into the game the result might only have been to put Celtic more murderously on their mettle.
BRAVE PLAY
Graham had a brave captain’s game leading a workmanlike enough side. Perhaps they have too many promoters. It was not clear why they feel a need of both Wilson and Wallace for their experience. They cannot be the youngest side in the league and they might do better if they had more workers in the boilerhouse.
Celtic, simply were superb, with Johnstone – on for Deans after only nine minutes – Macari, and Dalglish outstanding in distinguished company. McCluskey’s thoughtful strength promises to be a major asset. Murdoch playing a deep No 10, looked out of things. He may not have been fully fit. But the signs all pointed sadly to the approaching majestic end of a marvellous career.
McClulskey had three goals, Hood two, and Johnstone one, while their supporters had ample leisure to improve the afternoon with light exercise, rehearsing the choir for Saturday’s league cup final.
Dumbarton—Williams; Menzies and Wilkinson; Jenkins, Cushley and Graham; Wallace and C. McAdam; McCormack; T. McAdam and Wilson. Substitute—Coleman.
Celtic—Connaghan; McGrain and Brogan; McCluskey, Connelly and Hay; Hood and Deans; Dalglish, Murdoch and Macari. Substitute—Johnstone.
Referee—A. S. McDonald (Livingstone).
