2009-11-08: Falkirk 3-3 Celtic, SPL

Match Pictures | Matches: 2009 – 2010 | 2009-2010 Pictures

Trivia

  • Celtic drop 2pts, Rangers won 2-1 v St Mirren day before. Celtic still top but Huns have game in hand and Hibs are breathing down our neck also (but they dropped pts yesterday also).
  • Celtic players each wore a poppy on their jerseys.
  • A minutes silence is held for remembrance day.

Review

A disappointing match… for Falkirk! They were the dominant side in the first half and more than deserved to be clearly in the lead. Celtic didn't even get a shot on goal till the 30th min. Falkirk dominated and seemed to pass the ball a lot better. Then a stroke of luck as Celtic were awarded a penalty which we blew and allowed Falkirk to come back into the game and take the lead.

Second half was a bit better and roles were reversed and we equalized before then throwing ourselves off the roof and went behind 2-1!!!!

Inspired sub with Skippy coming on and he grabbed a double to put us back into the lead. Should have been it and then Falkirk grabbed a third!

3-3 it finished. Unbelievable.

Teams

Falkirk

  • 01Olejnik
  • 02Barr
  • 06McLean
  • 18Allison
  • 10Arfield; yellow card
  • 11Flynn; (Murdoch 87)
  • 14Mitchell
  • 21MacDonald; (Stewart 78)
  • 23Lima
  • 07Moutinho; yellow card; (Bullen 75)
  • 22Danijel Marceta

Substitutes

  • 29Wagenaar,
  • 25Bullen,
  • 39Stallard,
  • 35Murdoch,
  • 09Finnigan,
  • 12Stewart,
  • 15Moffat

Goals

  • Arfield (pen) 61
  • Moutinho 64
  • Stewart 83

Celtic

  • 24Zaluska
  • 02Hinkel
  • 05Caldwell
  • 11Fox; yellow card
  • 22Loovens; (McManus 46)
  • 06N'Guemo
  • 19Robson; (Zhi 67)
  • 20McCourt; (McDonald 67)
  • 46McGeady
  • 09Samaras; yellow card
  • 10Fortune

Substitutes

  • 47Cervi,
  • 04McManus,
  • 52Caddis,
  • 17Crosas,
  • 27Zhi,
  • 07McDonald,
  • 49Forrest

Goals

  • Caldwell 55
  • McDonald 72
  • McDonald 79
Ref: Winter
Att: 6,795

Articles

Pictures

KStreet

MOTM

8th Nov 2009, Falkirk 3-3 Celtic, SPL, Scott McDonald

Stats

Possession

  • Falkirk 51%
  • Celtic 49%

Shots on target

  • Falkirk 6
  • Celtic 9

Shots off target

  • Falkirk 8
  • Celtic 1

Corners

  • Falkirk 4
  • Celtic 12

Fouls

  • Falkirk 10
  • Celtic 13

Articles

Falkirk 3-3 Celtic

BBC
By Colin Moffat

Bottom-of-the-table Falkirk finally found their shooting boots to share six goals in a thrilling tussle with Scottish Premier League leaders Celtic.

Robert Olejnik made a double-save to keep out Aiden McGeady's penalty before Gary Caldwell headed Celtic in front.

Scott Arfield replied from the penalty spot and Pedro Moutinho volleyed Falkirk into a surprise lead.

Scott McDonald came off the bench to restore Celtic's lead with a brace but Mark Stewart hit the leveller.

Falkirk, now four points adrift at the foot of the league, are still without a win this season but a stirring performance will have raised spirits and eased some of the pressure on manager Eddie May.

McDonald's late contribution appeared to have saved Celtic, who were sluggish in the first half, but the Bairns thoroughly merited at least a share of the spoils.

The home side made an encouraging start and captain Darren Barr went close with a seventh-minute header from an Alex McDonald corner.

The busy MacDonald fired two firm strikes over the crossbar before Vitor Lima passed up a golden chance for Falkirk.

The impressive Ryan Flynn slipped Lima in with a cute pass but he hesitated in front of goal and keeper Lukasz Zaluska was able to block at the feet of the midfielder.

Returning this week for his second spell at Falkirk, Moutinho was handed a start when Carl Finnigan was injured in the warm-up and the Portuguese forward held the ball up expertly and was full of lovely touches.

One such feint left Caldwell bamboozled and the Celtic defender tugged Moutinho as he shaped to shoot on the edge of the penalty area.

Referee Brian Winter waved for advantage and Danijel Marceta's strike was deflected wide.

Moutinho later rolled an inviting pass in the direction of Arfield but the wild finish from 18 yards did the set-up play no justice.

Olejnik had to tip a deflected effort from McGeady as it looped down under his crossbar before Falkirk full-back Chris Mitchell blazed a fierce strike a foot wide of the target.

All of Falkirk's good work was in danger of being undone when MacDonald foolishly tripped Danny Fox to concede a 43rd minute penalty.

However, Olejnik made a fabulous double-save to deny McGeady.

Having dived to his right to stop the spot-kick, the prone Austrian managed to stick out a foot and kick the Celtic star's follow-up effort over the crossbar.

The second half was ten minutes old when Caldwell rose unchallenged to powerfully head Celtic in front from a Barry Robson free kick.

Five minutes later, the goal-scorer held his head in his hands as he clipped Flynn to concede a penalty, which Arfield converted, despite Zaluska getting fingertips to the ball.

Soon after, Flynn pounced on a sloppy Georgios Samaras pass to drift forward and centre for Moutinho to finish off with a side-foot volley.

The Falkirk lead lasted all of eight minutes and substitute McDonald was the man to haul the visitors level when he nodded a good Fox delivery beyond the despairing dive of Olejnik.

Zaluska got down quickly to beat away a rasping strike from Lima but it was Celtic who struck next when Samaras found McDonald with a great low cross and the Australian applied the finishing touch on 79 minutes.

But the Bairns would not give in and once again came roaring back when Flynn flicked the ball on for substitute Stewart to drive an angled shot across Zaluska and into the corner of the net.

Celtic had the ball in the net again but McDonald was denied a hat-trick by the linesman's flag, as he tapped in after Olejnik had saved from Samaras, who did not appear to be offside.

Falkirk manager Eddie May: "It's the first time no one has asked me about the run we're on without a win. It just shows that when you get a point against Celtic it's like a victory.

"Ryan Flynn and Pedro Moutinho weren't meant to be playing but had to come in after injuries to Sean Lynch and Carl Finnigan. So, sometimes you're better being lucky because those two were excellent.

"We've got a good base to work from but we don't have much depth.

"I want a certain standard of player here and that costs money but I have to be realistic and not put the club at risk."

Celtic manager Tony Mowbray: "Disappointment and anger are a couple of the emotions I'm experiencing.

"It's as poor as we've been since I arrived. But credit to Falkirk, they played particularly well.

"We've had a few tired performances after European trips, and today was a very mentally tired performance.

"We just need to look for consistency, and if there is any excuse it is that we had to play a high-energy match against Hamburg on Thursday.

Story from BBC SPORT:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/8341443.stm

Published: 2009/11/08 14:44:11 GMT

© BBC 2011

McDonald saves face for a Celtic poor up front and frail at back: Falkirk 3 Celtic 3 Arfield 61 pen, Moutinho 64 Caldwell 55, McDonald 72, 79 Stewart 83

09 November 2009

Provided by: The Guardian

The latest glaring examples of Celtic's defensive frailties ensured Tony Mowbray's men could only extend their lead over Rangers in the Scottish Premier League to two points. But for the interventions of the Celtic substitute Scott McDonald, indeed, bottom-of-the-table Falkirk could have celebrated their first league victory of the season.
Mowbray, visibly a man feeling the heat in his new post, admitted to a "mentally tired" display from his players. "It was as poor as we have been all season," said the manager. His concerns, moreover, do not begin and end in defence with so many of his attacking players struggling for form.
There was not even a hint of things to come during a dour first half. Falkirk dominated for long spells without unduly troubling Lukasz Zaluska in the visiting goal. Zaluska's opposite number, Robert Olejnik, was the hosts' hero two minutes before the break as he first blocked an Aiden McGeady penalty before brilliantly saving the same player's rebound attempt with his foot.
Celtic's strikers had been anonymous during that opening 45 minutes, so it was little surprise when a defender, Gary Caldwell, headed them in front from Barry Robson's free-kick. Caldwell, who has endured a troubled season, soon offered up his latest misdemeanour. A foul on Ryan Flynn handed Falkirk a penalty, Scott Arfield succeeding where McGeady could not by restoring parity.
Flynn supplied Pedro Moutinho as Falkirk surged in front. McDonald, a peripheral figure under Mowbray, stepped from the bench to head home a Danny Fox cross and promptly convert a Georgios Samaras pass at the back post to hand Celtic the scent of victory. Such aspirations proved overly optimistic. The outstanding Flynn was again involved with a through pass which Mark Stewart collected before supplying an angled drive.
Celtic could at least take solace from the fact that any proposed protest from their supporters amid a pre-match minute's silence to mark Remembrance Sunday failed to materialise, inside the ground at least. Hundreds of them entered the match late and chanting was audible from outside the stadium; neither instance, though, is particularly uncommon.
Man of the match Ryan Flynn (Falkirk)
Scott McDonald, a peripheral player under the manager, Tony Mowbray, came off the bench to score twice for Celtic
© Copyright 2009. The Guardian. All rights reserved.
The Guardian

Falkirk manager Eddie May:
"It's the first time no one has asked me about the run we're on without a win. It just shows that when you get a point against Celtic it's like a victory.

"Ryan Flynn and Pedro Moutinho weren't meant to be playing but had to come in after injuries to Sean Lynch and Carl Finnigan. So, sometimes you're better being lucky because those two were excellent.
"We've got a good base to work from but we don't have much depth.
"I want a certain standard of player here and that costs money but I have to be realistic and not put the club at risk."
Celtic manager Tony Mowbray:
"Disappointment and anger are a couple of the emotions I'm experiencing.

"It's as poor as we've been since I arrived. But credit to Falkirk, they played particularly well.
"We've had a few tired performances after European trips, and today was a very mentally tired performance.
"We just need to look for consistency, and if there is any excuse it is that we had to play a high-energy match against Hamburg on Thursday.

  • Final Result
  • Full Time
  • 90:00+2:50 The final whistle is blown by the referee.
  • 90:00+1:34 The official flags Georgios Samaras offside. Indirect free kick taken by Robert Olejnik.
  • 90:00+0:42 The free kick is delivered left-footed by Danijel Marceta from right wing, clearance made by Daniel Fox.
  • 90:00+0:42 Booking Daniel Fox goes into the referee's book for unsporting behaviour.
  • 90:00+0:20 Daniel Fox gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Mark Stewart.
  • 89:04 Inswinging corner taken by Daniel Fox, Georgios Samaras concedes a free kick for a foul on Lee Bullen. Robert Olejnik takes the free kick.
  • 88:14 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Aiden McGeady by Chris Mitchell. Gary Caldwell takes the direct free kick.
  • 86:00 Robert Olejnik takes the indirect free kick.
  • 86:00 Substitution Stewart Murdoch is brought on as a substitute for Ryan Flynn.
  • 86:00 The offside flag is raised against Marc-Antoine Fortune.
  • 84:20 Inswinging corner taken by Daniel Fox, clearance by Lee Bullen. Daniel Fox takes a outswinging corner from the left by-line played to the near post.
  • 82:50 Assist on the goal came from Ryan Flynn.
  • 82:50 GOAL – Mark Stewart:Falkirk 3 – 3 Celtic A goal is scored by Mark Stewart from close in to the bottom right corner of the goal. Falkirk 3-3 Celtic.
  • 81:25 Marc-Antoine Fortune takes a shot. Robert Olejnik makes a save. Inswinging corner taken by Georgios Samaras.
  • 80:37 The assistant referee signals for offside against Marc-Antoine Fortune. Brian McLean restarts play with the free kick.
  • 78:45 The assist for the goal came from Georgios Samaras.
  • 78:45 GOAL – Scott McDonald:Falkirk 2 – 3 Celtic Scott McDonald gets on the score sheet with a goal from close range to the bottom right corner of the goal. Falkirk 2-3 Celtic.
  • 78:41 Georgios Samaras produces a cross,
  • 78:10 A cross is delivered by Andreas Hinkel, comfortable save by Robert Olejnik.
  • 77:17 Substitution Alex MacDonald leaves the field to be replaced by Mark Stewart.
  • 76:27 Robert Olejnik restarts play with the free kick.
  • 76:27 Booking Georgios Samaras goes into the referee's book for unsporting behaviour.
  • 76:22 Free kick awarded for a foul by Georgios Samaras on Brian Allison.
  • 74:38 Substitution (Falkirk) makes a substitution, with Lee Bullen coming on for Pedro Moutinho.
  • 73:48 Brian Allison challenges Georgios Samaras unfairly and gives away a free kick. Free kick crossed by Daniel Fox.
  • 72:52 Aiden McGeady takes a shot. Save made by Robert Olejnik.
  • 72:10 Vitor Lima takes a shot. Save made by Lukasz Zaluska.
  • 71:20 The assist for the goal came from Daniel Fox.
  • 71:20 GOAL – Scott McDonald:Falkirk 2 – 2 Celtic Scott McDonald grabs a headed goal from deep inside the penalty box. Falkirk 2-2 Celtic.
  • 71:16 Daniel Fox delivers the ball,
  • 69:58 Alex MacDonald takes a shot. Blocked by Landry N'Guemo.
  • 68:09 The ball is swung over by Aiden McGeady, Zheng Zhi takes a shot. Robert Olejnik makes a save. The referee blows for offside against Scott McDonald. Robert Olejnik restarts play with the free kick.
  • 65:56 Direct free kick taken by Darren Barr.
  • 65:56 Substitution Zheng Zhi comes on in place of Barry Robson.
  • 65:56 Substitution Scott McDonald comes on in place of Patrick McCourt.
  • 65:56 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Scott Arfield by Patrick McCourt.
  • 64:19 Booking Pedro Moutinho receives a yellow card for unsporting behaviour.
  • 63:45 The assist for the goal came from Ryan Flynn.
  • 63:45 GOAL – Pedro Moutinho:Falkirk 2 – 1 Celtic A goal is scored by Pedro Moutinho from close in low into the middle of the goal. Falkirk 2-1 Celtic.
  • 63:42 The ball is delivered by Ryan Flynn,
  • 60:47 Ryan Flynn provided the assist for the goal.
  • 60:47 GOAL – Scott Arfield:Falkirk 1 – 1 Celtic Placed penalty scored by Scott Arfield. Falkirk 1-1 Celtic.
  • 59:57 Penalty awarded for an unfair challenge on Ryan Flynn by Gary Caldwell.
  • 58:19 Foul by Gary Caldwell on Alex MacDonald, free kick awarded. Free kick taken by Robert Olejnik.
  • 57:38 Corner from the left by-line taken by Barry Robson, Pedro Moutinho manages to make a clearance.
  • 57:11 The assistant referee signals for offside against Pedro Moutinho. Lukasz Zaluska takes the indirect free kick.
  • 55:56 Alex MacDonald sends in a cross, clearance by Gary Caldwell.
  • 54:53 The assist for the goal came from Barry Robson.
  • 54:53 GOAL – Gary Caldwell:Falkirk 0 – 1 Celtic Gary Caldwell finds the back of the net with a headed goal from close in. Falkirk 0-1 Celtic.
  • 54:16 Brian Allison challenges Georgios Samaras unfairly and gives away a free kick. The ball is delivered by Barry Robson,
  • 53:50 Brian Allison gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Georgios Samaras. Georgios Samaras takes the free kick.
  • 52:50 Outswinging corner taken from the left by-line by Daniel Fox.
  • 52:42 The ball is delivered by Andreas Hinkel, Darren Barr manages to make a clearance.
  • 51:16 Barry Robson concedes a free kick for a foul on Vitor Lima. Free kick taken by Scott Arfield.
  • 50:35 Patrick McCourt is penalised for a handball. Robert Olejnik takes the free kick.
  • 48:37 Ryan Flynn sends in a cross.
  • 48:14 Foul by Patrick McCourt on Scott Arfield, free kick awarded. Chris Mitchell takes the free kick.
  • 46:39 Free kick awarded for a foul by Aiden McGeady on Chris Mitchell. Robert Olejnik takes the direct free kick.
  • 45:56 The ball is crossed by Danijel Marceta.
  • 45:01 The referee starts the second half.
  • 45:01 Substitution Stephen McManus comes on in place of Glenn Loovens.
  • Half Time
  • 45:00+0:03 The half-time whistle blows.
  • 44:25 The ball is delivered by Barry Robson, Marc-Antoine Fortune has a headed effort from close range and clears the crossbar.
  • 42:59 Aiden McGeady takes a shot. Robert Olejnik makes a brilliant save. Corner taken by Barry Robson from the right by-line, save made by Robert Olejnik.
  • 42:59 Penalty taken by Aiden McGeady saved by Robert Olejnik. Falkirk 0-0 Celtic.
  • 42:59 Alex MacDonald gives away a Penalty for an unfair challenge on Daniel Fox.
  • 40:31 Glenn Loovens concedes a free kick for a foul on Pedro Moutinho. Brian McLean takes the direct free kick.
  • 39:18 Effort on goal by Chris Mitchell from just inside the penalty area goes harmlessly over the target.
  • 38:03 Corner taken by Daniel Fox, save by Robert Olejnik. Gary Caldwell takes a shot. Darren Barr gets a block in.
  • 37:20 Scott Arfield takes a shot and goes over the bar.
  • 34:43 Aiden McGeady takes a shot. Blocked by Vitor Lima. Corner from the right by-line taken by Daniel Fox, save by Robert Olejnik. Short corner worked by Patrick McCourt.
  • 33:07 Scott Arfield has shot on goal from just outside the penalty box which goes wide of the right-hand upright.
  • 28:16 Scott Arfield fouled by Georgios Samaras, the ref awards a free kick. Direct free kick taken by Darren Barr.
  • 27:15 Corner taken right-footed by Alex MacDonald from the right by-line, Brian McLean produces a header from inside the area that goes over the bar.
  • 26:55 Inswinging corner taken by Alex MacDonald, save by Lukasz Zaluska.
  • 26:16 Inswinging corner taken right-footed by Alex MacDonald from the left by-line to the near post, Georgios Samaras makes a clearance.
  • 24:08 Free kick awarded for a foul by Danijel Marceta on Aiden McGeady. Free kick crossed by Barry Robson, save made by Robert Olejnik.
  • 23:43 Unfair challenge on Marc-Antoine Fortune by Darren Barr results in a free kick. Gary Caldwell takes the free kick.
  • 23:15 Vitor Lima takes a shot. Lukasz Zaluska makes a save.
  • 22:04 The assistant referee signals for offside against Marc-Antoine Fortune. Robert Olejnik takes the indirect free kick.
  • 20:54 Corner taken by Daniel Fox.
  • 18:34 Daniel Fox crosses the ball in from the free kick.
  • 18:34 Booking Booking for Scott Arfield for unsporting behaviour.
  • 18:28 Unfair challenge on Aiden McGeady by Scott Arfield results in a free kick.
  • 18:01 Free kick awarded for a foul by Georgios Samaras on Chris Mitchell. Brian McLean takes the free kick.
  • 16:38 Shot from outside the penalty box by Ryan Flynn goes wide right of the goal.
  • 14:51 Effort on goal by Alex MacDonald from just inside the penalty box goes harmlessly over the target.
  • 13:27 Andreas Hinkel challenges Ryan Flynn unfairly and gives away a free kick. Alex MacDonald produces a strike on goal direct from the free kick.
  • 12:11 Handball by Patrick McCourt. Chris Mitchell has an effort direct from the free kick.
  • 11:57 The ball is delivered by Danijel Marceta, Glenn Loovens makes a clearance.
  • 11:09 Andreas Hinkel delivers the ball, save made by Robert Olejnik.
  • 6:48 Alex MacDonald takes a inswinging corner from the left by-line to the near post, Darren Barr produces a header from deep inside the six-yard box which goes wide of the right-hand upright.
  • 5:53 Corner taken left-footed by Daniel Fox from the right by-line, save by Robert Olejnik.
  • 4:13 Darren Barr challenges Patrick McCourt unfairly and gives away a free kick. Free kick crossed right-footed by Patrick McCourt from left channel, Robert Olejnik makes a save.
  • 1:35 Unfair challenge on Marc-Antoine Fortune by Scott Arfield results in a free kick. Free kick crossed right-footed by Patrick McCourt, save made by Robert Olejnik.
  • 0:00 The match gets underway.

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