2007-01-28: Inverness Caledion Thistle 1-2 Celtic, Premier League

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Trivia

  • Celtic went 19 points clear in this game v 2nd placed Rangers who could only draw with the Hearts at Ibrox with no goals scored in their game the previous day.
  • WGS’s first win away at Inv Caley on his fourth attempt in his reign.

Review

Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink struck in the final minute to snatch victory for Celtic before being sent off.

A truly tragic game with Celtic lucky to get away with a win, two lucky strikes with the winner coming in the 91st minute of the game, and both came from scrambles.

Caley deserved a win, and we were poor.

WGS’s team at the start also didn’t makes sense with various people bamboozled by him not playing either Maloney or McGeady in the game.

Also, Jan was sent off for celebrating!!! The match was over! He was already yellowed earlier on in the game, a complete farce.

Teams

Inverness CT:-
Fraser, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Hastings, Wilson, McBain, Duncan (Black 74), Rankin, Bayne, Wyness (McAllister 2), McAllister (Paatelainen 84).
Subs Not Used:- Ridgers, McCaffrey, Morgan, Soane.
Goal:- Bayne 57.

Celtic:-
Boruc, Telfer, Pressley (O’Dea 39), McManus, Naylor, Nakamura, Gravesen, Lennon, Riordan, Vennegoor of Hesselink, Beattie (Miller 45, Jarosik 60).
Subs Not Used:- Brown, McGeady, Sno, Maloney.
Goals:- Riordan 37, Vennegoor of Hesselink 90.
Sent Off:- Vennegoor of Hesselink (90).
Booked:- Vennegoor of Hesselink, Jarosik.

Att:– 7,484
Ref:- I Brines.

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Articles

Inverness CT 1-2 Celtic

By Colin Moffat

BBC
Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink struck in the final minute to snatch victory for Celtic before being sent off.

Derek Riordan was handed a simple tap-in when the Inverness defence got themselves into a tangle.

The home side hit back after the break when Graham Bayne headed home from a Grant Munro delivery.

But in injury time more bad defending allowed Vennegoor of Hesselink to shoot home before he was shown a second yellow card for rushing into the crowd.

Interview: Celtic manager Gordon Strachan
Interview: Inverness manager Charlie Christie

The Dutch striker’s celebration was deemed over zealous by referee Iain Brines and he was dismissed, having earlier been booked for disputing a throw-in.

And a scrappy game finished with both management teams exchanging heated words and a scuffle in the tunnel.

Inverness were without top scorer Craig Dargo, who could face another six weeks on the sidelines after dislocating a shoulder.

Within a minute of play, fellow forward Dennis Wyness was forced off with a similar injury.

Celtic had captain Neil Lennon and defender Stephen McManus back in the side and they were first to threaten when Vennegoor of Hesselink flashed an angled volley narrowly wide.

Rory McAllister replaced Wyness and the substitute fizzed in a shot from 20 yards which Celtic keeper Artur Boruc pushed away in less than convincing style.

Riordan was handed a rare start for Celtic and he claimed a penalty when his shot struck the outstretched arm of Ross Tokely.

Celtic were enjoying the bulk of possession but it was the home side who conspired to gift their opponents a goal after 37 minutes.

Steven Pressley moved out of defence to race down the right flank and deliver a cross which Richard Hastings intercepted at the near post but foolishly headed back into a crowded penalty box, while Roy McBain could only scoop an attempted clearance on to his own crossbar.

The ball fell kindly for Riordan to volley into an empty net.

Inverness responded well to the setback and a Graham Bayne header flew wide before John Rankin stung the palms of Boruc with a fierce shot from a narrow angle.

Celtic, who lost Pressley to a back injury in the first half, replaced Craig Beattie with Kenny Miller after the break.

But the Scotland striker was hurt immediately and limped off after 14 minutes.

Boruc made a good diving save to keep out a long range effort from Barry Wilson and Lee Naylor’s sliding challenge prevented McAllister from reaching the loose ball.

The home side were level on 57 minutes when Munro was given time to pick out a cross and Bayne rose unchallenged to glance a header beyond Boruc.

A neat pass from Shunsuke Nakamura found Vennegoor of Hesselink with time to size up a shot from 18 yards but the striker’s effort flew straight at keeper Mark Fraser.

However, the Dutchman was not to be denied and, with just a few seconds remaining, he lashed home a shot following more calamitous defending from the home side.

Celtic’s joy was soured when the goal-hero was dismissed and manager Gordon Strachan will be concerned by the injuries picked up by Pressley, Beattie and Miller.

Inverness CT: Fraser, Tokely, Dods, Munro, Hastings, Wilson, McBain, Duncan (Black 74), Rankin, Bayne, Wyness (McAllister 2), McAllister (Paatelainen 84). Subs Not Used: Ridgers, McCaffrey, Morgan, Soane.

Goals: Bayne 57.

Celtic: Boruc, Telfer, Pressley (O’Dea 39), McManus, Naylor, Nakamura, Gravesen, Lennon, Riordan, Vennegoor of Hesselink, Beattie (Miller 45), Miller (Jarosik 60). Subs Not Used: Brown, McGeady, Sno, Maloney.

Sent Off: Vennegoor of Hesselink (90). Booked: Vennegoor of Hesselink, Jarosik. Goals: Riordan 37, Vennegoor of Hesselink 90.

Att: 7,484

Ref: I Brines

Christie stunned to take nothing

BBC
Christie was proud of his team’s efforts against Celtic
Inverness manager Charlie Christie was frustrated to emerge empty handed after losing out to a late Celtic goal.

“It’s a really sore one to take,” he said. “The players are really feeling down. But if we keep playing like that we are a match for anybody.

“There are a huge amount of positives to take. We matched the league champions face to face, toe to toe.

“But Celtic are champions and, to be fair, can go back to front, they have got that aerial threat.”

Interview: Inverness manager Charlie Christie

Christie lost striker Dennis Wyness to a dislocated shoulder early in the game – just one week after the same injury robbed him of top scorer Craig Dargo.

Substitute Rory McAllister played well and Graham Bayne scored a great header but the manager would like to add to his forwards.

“It would be nice to get a new face that would give us a bit more cover,” he added.

Strachan has no red card grumble

BBC
Strachan’s side have now gone 24 games unbeaten in the league
Celtic manager Gordon Strachan did not dispute the red card match-winner Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink was shown after the last-minute win over Inverness.

“We can’t complain,” he told BBC Sport after the striker was shown a second yellow card for racing into the crowd.

“We know the rules. But it’s different from stadiums where the crowd is miles away from you. It’s right beside you at the back of the net.”

The Dutchman’s first yellow card came for disputing a throw-in decision.

Interview: Celtic manager Gordon Strachan

Strachan saw Steven Pressley, Craig Beattie and Kenny Miller leave the field with injuries in a hard-fought match.

“There was a lot going on but not a lot of good football,” he continued after the 2-1 victory.

“We got disrupted three times because of injuries and it’s not easy to change your plan three times.

“We had to handle an exuberant, frantic Inverness side and we handled it.

“If we’re lucky, we’re lucky. But our goalie didn’t have too many saves to make.

“But the players are very quiet because they know they’ve let themselves down with their performance level.”

Stats

Caley – Celtic
Possession
55% – 45%
Shots on target
6 – 4
Shots off target
5 – 6
Corners
5 – 6
Fouls
10 – 11