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Trivia
- Celtic set up a CIS Insurance Cup final with Dunfermline.
- A booking for Hartson rules him out of the Final.
Review
Motherwell were rewarded for an enterprising start when Richie Foran headed them in front after 11 minutes. They went ahead following a blunder from Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc. Kevin McBride looped a high cross into the penalty area and the Polish international stumbled as he came to gather, allowing Foran to head into an empty net.
Celtic responded with a Hartson header which was comfortably gathered by Smith and a Maloney free-kick that flew high over the crossbar.
Strachan's side were hopelessly out of sorts in the opening period but found themselves level on 29 minutes when Maloney split the Motherwell defence with a pass and Zurawski ran through to score.
Smith did well to hold a vicious shot from Shunsuke Nakamura as Celtic started the second half in a much brighter mood.
Hartson was guilty of barging into Smith as the keeper gathered on the edge of his area – and the booking he picked up will rule him out of the final on 19 March.
In the last few minutes Corrigan foolishly stabbed the ball back to Smith and the keeper had to catch it to prevent an own goal. Hartson rolled the ball back to Maloney from the six yard line and the Scotland star smashed it through the massed ranks of Motherwell players charging from the goal-line.
Teams
Motherwell:-
Graeme Smith, Corrigan, Craigan, McLean, Hammell, McBride (O'Donnell 89), McCormack, Kerr, Foran, Scott McDonald, Hamilton (Thermeus 89).
Subs not used:- Meldrum, Fagan, Reynolds.
Goal:- Foran 11.
Booked:- Craigan.
Celtic:-
Boruc, Virgo (Keane 89), McManus, Varga, Camara (Pearson 72), Nakamura (Thompson 65), Petrov, Lennon, Maloney, Zurawski, Hartson.
Subs not used:- Marshall, Dublin.
Goals:- Zurawski 29, Maloney 88.
Booked:- Hartson.
Att:- 32,595
Ref:- C Thomson.
Articles
- Match Report (see end of page below)
- Match Report (BBC)
- Nervous win infuriates Strachan. (BBC)
Pictures
Articles
Motherwell 1-2 Celtic
BBC
Celtic set up a CIS Insurance Cup final with Dunfermline thanks to a late free-kick from Shaun Maloney.
Martyn Corrigan was punished for a deliberate pass-back to keeper Graeme Smith, and Maloney blasted the ball home from John Hartson's set-up.
Motherwell were rewarded for an enterprising start when Richie Foran headed them in front after 11 minutes.
But Maciej Zurawski raced on to a smart Maloney pass to fire Celtic level before the interval.
SPL leaders Celtic are 28 points better off than Motherwell in the championship but it was the Fir Park team that dominated the first-half at Hampden.
Nervous win infuriates Strachan
And Motherwell went ahead following a blunder from Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc.
Kevin McBride looped a high cross into the penalty area and the Polish international stumbled as he came to gather, allowing Foran to head into an empty net.
Celtic responded with a Hartson header which was comfortably gathered by Smith and a Maloney free-kick that flew high over the crossbar.
Gordon Strachan's side were hopelessly out of sorts in the opening period but found themselves level on 29 minutes when Maloney split the Motherwell defence with a pass and Zurawski ran through to score.
The striker's shot from the edge of the penalty area hit the advancing Smith but flew off the keeper's legs and into the net.
Richie Foran scores for Motherwell
Foran gave Motherwell an early lead at Hampden
Boruc blocked a strike from Scott McDonald after the Motherwell forward broke in behind the Celtic rearguard and Foran sent an ambitious volley whizzing over the top.
McDonald then missed a golden chance when he met Brian McLean's headed pass inside the six yard box but could only steer the ball straight at Boruc.
Smith did well to hold a vicious shot from Shunsuke Nakamura as Celtic started the second half in a much brighter mood.
The Celtic defence had improved from their wretched opening 45 minutes but Jim Hamilton found space to warm the hands of Boruc from 25 yards.
Hartson was guilty of barging into Smith as the keeper gathered on the edge of his area – and the booking he picked up will rule him out of the final on 19 March.
Hampden loss is sore for Butcher
Chances were few and far between as the game grew increasingly scrappy but Boruc was at full stretch to beat away a long range free-kick from Brian Kerr.
All of Motherwell's good work was undone in the last few minutes when Corrigan foolishly stabbed the ball back to Smith and the keeper had to catch it to prevent an own goal.
Hartson rolled the ball back to Maloney from the six yard line and the Scotland star smashed it through the massed ranks of Motherwell players charging from the goal-line.
Motherwell: Graeme Smith, Corrigan, Craigan, McLean, Hammell, McBride (O'Donnell 89), McCormack, Kerr, Foran, Scott McDonald, Hamilton (Thermeus 89). Subs Not Used: Meldrum, Fagan, Reynolds.
Goal: Foran 11 Booked: Craigan.
Celtic: Boruc, Virgo (Keane 89), McManus, Varga, Camara (Pearson 72), Nakamura (Thompson 65), Petrov, Lennon, Maloney, Zurawski, Hartson. Subs Not Used: Marshall, Dublin.
Goals: Zurawski 29, Maloney 88. Booked: Hartson
Att: 32,595 Ref: C Thomson
Nervous win infuriates Strachan
BBC
Celtic manager Gordon Strachan saw his side stutter into the final of the CIS Cup with a lucky win over Motherwell.
"I'm not happy with the place in the final yet because I'm still angry and disappointed with the performance," he told BBC Sport at Hampden Park.
"It was a first semi-final for some of my players and there was a nervousness that spread like wildfire.
"But thank goodness for Maloney, Maciej and Hartson – who just kept running for us and were brave."
Celtic trailed to Richie Foran's early header only for Maciej Zurawski to equalise before the break.
And it was Shaun Maloney who smashed in an 88th minute winner from an indirect free-kick to send Celtic through to the final against Dunfermline.
John Hartson will miss the return to Hampden on 19 March after picking up his third booking of the tournament.
"I don't think big John knows yet," said Strachan. "But maybe the signing of Dion Dublin is not as mad as some have suggested."