| Match Pictures | Matches: 1978 – 1979 | 1978-79 Pictures |
Trivia
- Morton Manager and ex-Celt Benny Rooney expressed his doubt over the selection of Hugh Alexander as referee for the game and approached the Scottish League looking for a change of ref.
- Davie Provan was back fit and Tommy Burns free from his suspension. But Johnny Doyle was out with 'flu and Ronnie Glavin dropped out.
- Celtic drop to 6th place in the table after another disappointing display.
- Morton field American goalkeeper Dave Brcic.
- Freezing weather now takes hold and Celtic's next league game will not be played until March 3rd 1979.
- Referee Hugh Alexander is given a loud welcome from Celtic fans after his controversial decisions in the recent League Cup SF to Rangers.
- Two nights before the Reserves had dished out a hammering of Morton's second string at Celtic Park winning 6-0 with Burns, Reid, Glavin, Lennox, McCluskey and McPhee scoring. The full team was Bonner, Sneddon, Russell, Conroy, Young, Casey, Glavin (McPhee), Lennox, McCluskey, Burns (Ward), Reid,
Review
A late penalty by ex Celt Andy Ritchie condemns Celts to defeat and it will now be an unhappy Christmas.
Celtic made a hero of the Americam keeper Brcic who stopped everything thrown at him.
On the hour MacLeod hit the bar with a powerful shot and Conn headed past an open goal from 5 yards.
With two minutes left Edvaldsson fouled McNeil in the box and Ritchie scored the winner.
End of December table looked like this
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
| Dundee Utd | 18 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 25 | 16 | +9 | 23 |
| Partick Thistle | 18 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 19 | 16 | +3 | 21 |
| Aberdeen | 19 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 30 | 19 | +11 | 20 |
| Rangers | 18 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 22 | 18 | +4 | 20 |
| Morton | 19 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 24 | 26 | -2 | 20 |
| Celtic | 18 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 26 | 21 | +5 | 19 |
Teams
Morton:
Brcic, Hayes, Holmes, Rooney, McLaren, Orr, McNeil, Hutchinson, Scott, Thomson, Ritchie. Subs: Evans, Russell
Scorer: Ritchie (pen 89)
Celtic:
Baines, Filippi, Lynch, Aitken, MacDonald, Edvaldsson, Provan, MacLeod, McAdam, Burns (Lennox), Conn,Sub: Conroy
Referee: H Alexander (Irvine)
Attendance: 16,000
Articles
- Match Report (see below)
