| Match Pictures | Matches: 1978 – 1979 |
Trivia
- Both sides played it cagey refusing to name a team before the Wednesday. Glavin, Conroy, Lennox and Casey played for the Reserves on the Monday night against Motherwell at Celtic Park. The squad then travelled to Seamills on the Tuesday to prepare for the game.
- During the week Motherwell, who had been managerless following the resignation of Roger Hynd, appointed ex-Scotland manager Ally MacLeod.
- Rangers win after 30 minutes extra time.
- This defeat ended Celtic’s run of 155 successive League Cup games without being eliminated from the competition.The run stretched from the 1964/65 season until this match and includes a World record 14 League Cup Finals in a row (7 as winners).
- Tommy Burns was controversially sent off for dissent after the referee awarded Rangers a soft penalty in 26 minutes.
- Promising Celtic youngster Jim Casey scored an own goal for Rangers with only 7 minutes of extra-time to be played.
- Game was played with an unusual black and white panelled ‘world cup’ style ball.
- Aberdeen beat Hibernian 1-0 in the other semi final.
- The Reserves were going through a busy period playing Motherwell 2 days before winning 3-1 with goals from Lennox (2) and Ronnie Glavin. This game saw the introduction of Willie McStay into the Reseves as a sub for Mike Conroy.
Review
Celtic complain of refereeing decisions after Burns is sent off for dissent and Rangers are awarded a soft penalty. McNeill’s young side play the better football but do not get the breaks and a replay looked likely until Casey’s freak own goal on a bitterly cold December evening
Burns was the best player on the park until his ordering off. He created the opener for Doyle after a brilliant run and pass had carved open the Rangers’ defence.
Rangers went level with a soft penalty after Cooper went down in the area after a tackle by Edvaldsson. So incensed was Burns that the referee sent him off for dissent. Doyle was also booked. Alex Miller followed Burns later for persistent fouling and McAdam gave Celtic the lead again. Rangers equalised when a deflection from Jackson’s header fooled Baines.
In extra time Smith came on for Cooper and his runs created chances as Celtic were hanging on. Fate was unkind to young Casey who inadvertently deflected the ball into his own net for the winner although Celtic claimed Johnstone was offside when he shot at goal.
Teams
Celtic:
Baines, Filippi, Lynch, Aitken, MacDonald, Edvaldsson, Provan, Conroy (Casey), McAdam, Burns, Doyle Sub: Conn
Goals: Doyle (10), McAdam (65)
Rangers:
McCloy, Miller, Dawson, Jardine, Jackson, MacDonald, McLean, Russell, Johnstone, Watson, Cooper (Smith). Sub: Parlane
Goals: Jardine (pen 26), Jackson (80), Casey (OG 113)
Referee: H Alexander (Irvine)
Attendance: 49,432
Articles
- Match Report (see below)
