| Match Pictures | Matches: 1999 – 2000 | 1999-2000 Pictures |
Trivia
- Paul Lambert had started full training again for the first time since a stress fracture in his ankle was diagnosed in early February.
- It was confirmed that Dmitri Kharine’s twisted knee injury during the Hibernian game had resulted in a torn cruciate ligament and he was out for the rest of the season.
- Stubbs was out with a calf strain and thigh bruising, Moravcik was rested or had an ankle injury depending on which source you take, and Mjallby had an unspecified injury. Berkovic came back in (and had a good game) and Tebily was included along with debut maker Stephen Crainey who had been raising expectations in Under 18 and Under 21 games. Healy also made the bench.
Review
A first start for Rafael Scheidt but he only lasted to half time going off with a thigh injury. St Johnstone came to play 10 men behind the ball which stifled the game.
Teams
Celtic:
Gould, Riseth, Boyd, Rafael (Tebily 46), McNamara (Crainey 77), Petrov, Wieghorst, Berkovic, Mahe (Blinker 70), Viduka, Burchill.
Subs Not Used: Kerr, Healy.
Goals: Burchill 17, Viduka 65, 68, Burchill 70.
Booked: Mahe (Celtic)
St Johnstone:
Robertson, Dods, Weir (McAnespie 46), Griffin, Bollan, Frail, O'Halloran, O'Neil, Kane, Connolly (Lowndes 65), McBride.
Subs Not Used: Cuthbert, McMahon, Jones.
Goals: Connolly 34.
Booked: O'Halloran, Frail. (St Johnstone)
Referee: John Rowbotham (Scotland).
Attendance: 59,530
Articles
- Match Report (see below)
Pictures
Stats
| Celtic | St Johnstone | |
| Bookings | 1 | 2 |
| Red Cards | 0 | 0 |
| Fouls | 11 | 14 |
| Shots on Target | 8 | 4 |
| Corners | 7 | 6 |
| Offside | 7 | 8 |
Mark two version helps lift the gloom
Sunday Herald 12/03/2000
Michael Grant at Celtic Park
Celtic 4 St Johnstone 1
THE determination of Celtic season-ticket holders to extract full value for money from their investment was demonstrated by the 59,530 attendance at yesterday's championship wake.
Bright sunshine over Celtic Park contributed to a sluggish atmosphere engulfing a match enlivened only by three Celtic goals in seven second-half minutes. St Johnstone performed gamely, but the mood had been set by the performance of another side in blue four days previously.
Celtic's starting team even contained the elements of experimentation – Rafael making his first start and teenager Stephen Crainey making his debut from the bench.
One of the afternoon's more dramatic moments came before a ball was kicked. Henrik Larsson, in a radio interview, seemed to rule himself out of involvement in next Sunday's CIS Insurance Cup final against Aberdeen. There had been an outside chance of Larsson returning against St Johnstone, but yesterday he surprisingly admitted it would be "dangerous" for him to come back for the final.
The funereal despair generated by slipping 12 points behind Rangers in the championship race overshadowed a game which, routinely, would have been viewed by Celtic as a valuable last run-out before the cup final. Rafael, Eyal Berkovic and Mark Burchill came into the starting line-up as Kenny Dalglish, albeit contending with injuries to Alan Stubbs, Johan Mjallby and Lubomir Moravcik, shuffled his pack. Berkovic seemed to enjoy the sunshine as he orchestrated Celtic's most attractive moves from a position just behind the front pair – who each scored twice. Burchill similarly scored a double in a win just before last season's Scottish Cup final, only for Jo Venglos to drop him. With Larsson out and Moravcik doubtful, the young Scot has an enhanced prospect of inclusion under Dalglish.
His play has none of the prowling, physical menace of Viduka, but he took his goals impressively, particularly with a crisp finish to a practised move for the opener. Berkovic sent a through ball into the inside right channel which gave Viduka the angle to deliver a cross to the far post. Burchill peeled off to collect the pass and, keeping his eye on the ball as it dropped at an awkward height, hooked a right-foot shot beyond Stephen Robertson.
Fate has propelled the young Saints goalkeeper into the spotlight. The 22-year-old was called from the bench eight days ago and excelled himself after Allan Fer-guson suffered knee damage at Ibrox. Yesterday he was in Glasgow's other cauldron, and while the outcome was predictable his confidence and handling were admirable.
Saints began at Parkhead with the team which had held Rangers to a goalless draw. They stifled Celtic too, and only in the second half were holes picked in Sandy Clark's defence. Although there were lengthy quiet spells within his performance, Berkovic proved bothersome to St Johnstone. Whenever the Israeli manoeuvred himself into a few yards of space he attempted to thread a through ball which might spring the offside trap for Viduka or Burchill. He was involved in both of the Australian's goals and the young Scot's first.
Saints' first-half equaliser had unsettled Celtic and encouraged rumbling among the stands. But the scoreline shot from 1-1 to 4-1 in seven decisive minutes. Stilian Petrov was fouled in 64 minutes and from Berkovic's left-wing free-kick Viduka rose above Danny Griffin – Jim Weir, a more formid-able barrier, had gone off suffering from concussion at half-time – to send a header past Robertson. Viduka's second goal was a strike of high quality. He gathered a Berkovic pass, teased Darren Dods, then induced a groan from supporters by passing back to Berkovic rather than going for a shot. The Israeli's thought-process was similarly unpredictable and, instead of shooting, he played a return ball to Viduka, who smashed a shot into the net from 20 yards. It was the 27th goal of what seems certain to be his only full season in Scotland.
Viduka created Celtic's fourth with a short through ball into space for Burchill to slash a left- foot shot high past Robertson.
"It was an incredible result when you consider the performance," said a smiling Dalglish. "I think everybody expected that after the effort they put in on Wednesday night. But to score four goals against St Johnstone is no mean feat.''
Dalglish admitted he substituted Stephane Mahe for his own protection. The Frenchman was booked for raising a fist to Keith O'Halloran, who was also carded for his initial foul. In an apparent reference to rash reactions by referees towards Mahe, Dalglish said: "It seems to be like a pop-up toaster with the yellow card when he goes near anybody. But as well as him being able to help himself, we have to be willing to protect him because he's an important player to us."
St Johnstone's equaliser epitomised the soporific nature of the first half: Celtic's defenders dozed as Keith O'Halloran outjumped Vidar Riseth to knock down a John O'Neil cross. The ball took a bounce before Paddy Connolly reacted to head it into the net.
"The disappointing thing for me is that we defended excellently last week and we didn't do that here," said Clark. "It's difficult to come to a stadium like this with 60,000 people behind their team. Their second goal gave the crowd a lift and we lost it for a bit."
Rafael made an innocuous full debut although the suspicion that his half-time substitution was punishment for slackness during Saints' goal was unfounded. The Brazilian had suffered a knock to his thigh. In fact, Gary Bollan was the real villain. He was booed with pantomime enthusiasm for hitting a vicious clearance into a section of the Celtic supporters. For the jeering fans Bollan provided an ideal outlet for frustration. He did, after all, once play for Rangers.
- Manager Interview
"We admit that we didn't play well, but we expected a reaction after the effort we put in on Wednesday night."
"Stephane seems to be a pop-up toaster with yellow cards whenever he goes near someone.
"He can help himself in these situations but we have to be vigilant for him too and try to protect him because he is an important player for us.
"It was an unbelievable result considering the performance wasn't great. I expected a reaction from the effort we put in on Wednesday night but we got a good result and scored some good goals."
Celtic 4 St Johnstone 1 By Simon Buckland, PA Sport
Mark Viduka again emerged as Celtic's saviour to rescue a match against St Johnstone which was drifting away for the Parkhead outfit in a season in danger of doing the same.
Next week's CIS Cup final with Aberdeen now represents Celtic's most realistic hope of silverware this term given Rangers' commanding lead at the top of the Scottish Premier League.
But after claiming his 26th and 27th goals of a prolific campaign it is difficult to see a stronger contender than Viduka for Scotland's Player of the Year.
It was his junior striking partner Mark Burchill who put Celtic ahead after 18 minutes, but Paddy Connolly levelled matters before the interval to leave the home side reeling.
Still shaken by Wednesday's vital 1-0 home loss to title rivals Rangers, Celtic needed inspiration midway through the second half and, as so often this year, Viduka provided it.
A double strike, the first a header on 64 minutes, the second – just five minutes later – a clinical strike to complete a move he started himself enlivened a sluggish display.
For long periods this match resembled an end-of-season contest, the bright sunshine only adding to the illusion, but when Burchill made it 4-1 after 71 minutes at least the mood had been lifted.
Now Kenny Dalglish's Celtic must hope they can repeat the energy and poise of that second-half scoring burst at Hampden Park next Sunday to take something from a troubled season.
Injuries to Johan Mjallby and Alan Stubbs meant Brazilian international Rafael made his first Celtic start since his £4.8million switch from Gremio despite lacking match fitness.
With Lubomir Moravcik rested after his midweek exertions, Eyal Berkovic made a rare start and his threaded pass almost put Mark Viduka through only for youngster Stephen Robertson to pass his first test by moving smartly from his goal.
Robertson is third choice at McDiarmid Park but Alan Main's groin operation and Allan Ferguson's severe knee injury means he has been given his chance.
Burchill came close to opening the scoring on 16 minutes when he cut inside after being fed by a clever Berkovic flick, but his snap shot was sent into the side-netting.
A mere two minutes later however and the Scotland international made no mistake netting with a low volley when picked out unmarked at the far post by Viduka's searching deep cross.
At 1-0 down Saints' limited gameplan looked in danger of collapsing around them, Robertson needing to clutch a fierce angled drive from Viduka at the second attempt.
Celtic were showing signs of relaxing and their play started to show some much-needed fluency, Morten Wieghorst's quickly-taken free kick setting up Berkovic for a 20-yard shot well saved.
Yet Celtic's makeshift defence were found wanting in Saints' first attack of note, Stephen Frail's cross headed down by Keith O'Halloran for Connolly to beat Jonathan Gould to the ball.
The keeper looked slow to react to the danger and Connolly, re-established as first choice striker for Saints after a long battle with injury, seized his opportunity to level the scores.
Viduka was clean through after 36 minutes but, as in midweek, his usually reliable finishing was absent as he flicked a shot wide of the mark when clean through on Robertson.
Rafael was replaced at the break by Olivier Tebily while St Johnstone took off Weir and brought on Kieran McAnespie – both changes presumably prompted by fitness reasons.
By the hour mark, Celtic were looking badly short of ideas, a woeful shot wide from distance by Stilian Petrov summing up their lack of invention, likewise a wayward Mahe effort.
However on 64 minutes, Berkovic delivered a superb free-kick for Viduka to rise above the Saints defence and nod past Robertson for 2-1.
It was a goal which brought the contest back to life, Mahe playing in Viduka again moment later for a well-struck shot just wide as Celtic finally clicked into gear.
After 69 minutes, the match was effectively won when Celtic moved 3-1 ahead after more impressive play from Viduka who started and finished a goal out of virtually nothing.
Beating Dods in the air to hold up the ball, Viduka's immense strength won the time to introduce Berkovic to the play and the Israeli returned the pass for the Australian to fire home.
There was a sour note for Celtic after 70 minutes when Mahe was needlessly booked for an off-the-ball altercation with Frail and when play resumed he was substituted for Regi Blinker.
Celtic next act was to stretch their lead still further, Viduka finding Burchill's run and the youngster slotting confidently beyond Robertson for an emphatic 4-1.
Saints still had more to offer, substitute Nathan Lowndes hitting the side-netting, then a Gary Bollan free-kick troubling a nervy-looking Gould, but their cause was lost.
Lowndes missed badly with 10 minutes remaining when he should have picked out John O'Neil's run, but still it was Celtic who were holding the real threat.
Viduka was only denied a deserved hat-trick by an astonishing save from Robertson in the 87th minute, but attention was already shifting to what might happen next Sunday.
Teams
Celtic: Gould, Riseth, Boyd, Rafael (Tebily 46),McNamara (Creaney 77), Petrov, Wieghorst, Berkovic,Mahe (Blinker 70), Viduka, Burchill.
Subs Not Used: Kerr, Healy.
Booked: Mahe.
Goals: Burchill 17, Viduka 65, 68, Burchill 70.
St Johnstone: Robertson, Dods, Weir (McAnespie 46), Griffin,Bollan, Frail, O'Halloran, O'Neil, Kane, Connolly (Lowndes 65), McBride.
Subs Not Used: Cuthbert, McMahon, Jones.
Booked: O'Halloran, Frail.
Goals: Connolly 34.
Att: 59,530
Ref: John Rowbotham (Scotland).