| Match Pictures | Matches:2007 – 2008 | 2007-2008 Pictures |
Trivia
Review
Teams
Celtic team:-
Mark Brown, Caldwell, Pressley (Riordan 79), McManus, Naylor, Scott Brown, Hartley, Donati (Jarosik 64), McGeady, Vennegoor of Hesselink, McDonald.
Subs not used:- McGovern, Conroy, O'Dea, Sno, Killen.
Goal:- Jarosik 78.
Booked:- McManus 38
Hibs team:-
Makalamby, McCann, Murphy (McCormack 73), Hogg, Jones, Kerr, Zemmama (Morais 65), Benjelloun, Beuzelin, Stevenson (O'Brien 65), Chisolm.
Subs not used:- McNeil, Shiels, Donaldson, Noubissie.
Goal:- Murphy 21.
Att:- 58,016
Ref:- M. McCurry.
KDS:- MOTM – McGeady (Link to MOTM Winners)
Articles
- Match Report (see end of page below)
Pictures
Articles
Murphy's law keeps Celtic on the slide
Patrick Glenn at Celtic Park
The Observer, Sunday 23 December 2007
The thought of playing Barcelona in the Champions League will be enough to turn Celtic fans to stone. Gordon Strachan's team, apparently deteriorating by the week, have shown themselves in recent times to be incapable of beating four of the SPL's lesser teams, let alone the Catalan maestros.
Until substitute Jiri Jarosik's late equaliser, they seemed likely to succumb to the first-half strike by Hibs left-back David Murphy. Given that the visitors' were playing a primarily containing game, that goal from Murphy could not be said to have been predictable. But the largely unconvincing nature of Celtic's attempts to impose themselves – entirely in keeping with their mediocre form in recent matches – had hinted at the possibility of calamity.
Tommy Craig, the caretaker manager of Hibs following the abrupt departure of John Collins in midweek, had deployed his forces in a 4-1-4-1 formation, with Ross Chisholm, the highly promising teenager, in the role of the sitting midfielder and Brian Kerr, normally a thrusting force from the middle, detailed to police Aiden McGeady on Celtic's left.
For long periods it was a wholly effective strategy, although the strangulation of some of the champions' attempts at creating alarm in the Hibs defence was attributable to their own mediocrity. On the first occasion McGeady broke free on the left and delivered an inviting cross, for example, Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink headed wide.
Yves Ma-Kalambay, the Hibs goalkeeper, was made to work just once before Murphy gave his team the lead and it was the result of the only moment of genuine incisiveness produced by Celtic throughout the first half. It came from Scott Brown, who suddenly burst through the midfield and, from 20 yards, hit a powerful, waist-high drive to the right of Ma-Kalambay, the goalkeeper diving and stretching to push it clear.
At the other end, Mark Brown was given no opportunity to intercept Murphy's missile. The left-back began the move with a powerful run through the inside-left channel before playing the ball forward to Abdessalam Benjelloun. As the full-back continued his run, the Moroccan played the return pass with perfect weight, allowing Murphy to take it on the run and hit a ferocious drive high to the right of Brown and in off the underside of the bar from 16 yards.
If there was the expected resurgence from Celtic after the interval, it tended to lack subtlety. With Paul Hartley continuing the moderate form that has made him less effective than usual in recent weeks and Massimo Donati also lacking authority in midfield, too much reliance was placed on the forceful running of Scott Brown.
This almost yielded a reward when Brown worked his way into a promising position on the right side of the penalty area, but he drove the ball right-footed just wide of the far post. Brown would also be blocked soon after, at the end of another push into the area.
In the circumstances, few were surprised that Celtic's equaliser came from a set piece. Brown played the corner from the right high to the far end of the area, where the ball was met by Stephen McManus and headed back into the goalmouth. Vennegoor of Hesselink, his target blocked by challengers, simply played it back to Jarosik, who calmly side-footed it low to the left of Ma-Kalambay from eight yards.
Even without the goal, Jarosik could be said to have been one of Celtic's few effective players. The quickness and accuracy of his passing improved the fluency of the home team's movement, even if there remained the problem of a shortage of inventiveness in the vicinity of Ma-Kalambay.
Of more significance, however, was the profligacy of Scott McDonald on the rare occasion when he enjoyed a clear opportunity. The little striker did well to hold off Rob Jones and turn to face the target, but, from only 10 yards out, he slid the ball wide of Ma-Kalambay's left post. There was no luck, either, when McGeady's forward chip from the left was headed by Vennegoor of Hesselink against the foot of the same post.