2011-05-04: Inverness CT 3-2 Celtic, SPL

Trivia

• Celtic effectively now go behind in the league, 1pt behind Rangers with no games in hand. This was the much delayed cancelled match.
• Most now believe we've lost the league.
• Kayal believed to have broken his wrist.
• Celtic fan John Higgins wins Snooker world champs for 4th time; ex-Celt Paul Lambert guides Norwich to Premiership as manager (two consecutive promotions).

Review

Poor pathetic and unacceptable performance. The less said the better….however.

Inverness has had a reputation for being thorns in our side for a while now. Ever since the infamous night that signalled the end of John Barnes` time as manager, in turn that brought about the glorious Martin O Neill era, but even the great man himself slipped up on a miserable sunday evening in the highlands back in 2003.

This was our 3rd trip to Inverness this season having won 1-0 and 2-1 there previously. Arguably though this was by far the most important game of them all.
We started the game pretty well and looked to have a sense of ugency about us, however in the 7th minute disaster struck as a hopefull cross diverted off a helpless Charlie Mulgrew and past Fraser Forster.
How would we react?

Pretty blimin well actually. Kris Commons had us level almost instantly with a wicked shot from 25 yards or so which also took a wee nick from an ICT defender.
From there on in we couldn`t press home the advantage and we got to half time still locked at 1-1.

The second half was as depressing a 45 minutes as we have seen in a long long time. For some reason the majority of our players chose this game as the game to produce the worst performance of the season, ICT made it 2-1 and then quickly 3-1.
As we pushed and pushed in desperation more than anything else, ICT should really have scored more. Only good goalkeeping from Fraser Forster kept the score down.
As the clock passe the 90 minute mark we had a lifeline when the ref awarded us a penalty, Commons clinically dispatched it and we raced back up the park in prayer.
94 minutes gone and Paddy McCourt bursts into the ICT box past a few defenders, he takes a wee tumble, millions of Celtic supporters around the world simultaneously scream PENALTY.

Alas not, in hindsight it was probably the correct decision.

To make matters worse Beram Kayal was clattered by an oaf disguised as a centre half and suffered a fractured wrist and concussion which put him our for the rest of the season.
We didn`t even get a free kick from that.

Trooping away from the game that night was as low as I`ve ever felt in all my years following Celtic. We have all been through our fair share of misery over the years but this defeat was as sore as they can possibly come…

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Rangers have been handed a huge fillip in the race for the championship but it was the personal nature of Grant Munro's victory which resounded throughout the hills. The defender had only just been informed by manager Terry Butcher that his long Inverness career will end in just nine days' time. Yet he picked himself up last night, adorning his man of the match performance with a stunning goal to re-establish his side's lead in the second-half.

Having surrendered an early advantage given to them by a Charlie Mulgrew own goal, Inverness this time held on. Indeed, the lead was extended to two thanks to a Shane Sutherland strike and, although Celtic snatched a goal through a last-minute penalty from Kris Commons, who had also scored his side's early equaliser, their mission to recover at least a point proved beyond them. Indeed, they could easily have conceded four or five goals last night.

The home fans' hearts – and probably those of watching Rangers fans – did leap into their mouths in the dying seconds as Celtic claimed another penalty, after substitute Pat McCourt had fallen under Munro's challenge. Fortune favoured the defender, who had earned it after such a brave, committed performance. Neil Lennon kicked out at some water bottles in a show of frustration which only served to increase the home fans' delight.

One club was formed in 1994, the other in 1888. But Inverness and Celtic share a remarkably storied history of encounters with each other, and the early stages suggested this was to be another of those seismic meetings. The second half simply confirmed we were witness to another dismantling of Celtic's hopes by a rampant Inverness side, who, in another delicious aside, are managed by that old Ibrox war horse, Butcher.

It was a compliment to Inverness that Lennon chose to play a full quantity of ball players, with Shaun Maloney handed a first start this year. He lined up alongside Anthony Stokes, Gary Hooper and Kris Commons in a potent mix of guile and goal-threat.

Lennon recognised that Inverness can play a bit too and, on a late spring evening in the sun-dappled Highlands, why not aim to play the beautiful game?

This was another of those occasions when one is moved to think that, when the conditions are right, there is no better place in Britain to watch football than the Tulloch Caledonian stadium, Inverness.

Butcher had invited criticism by announcing the names of ten players he had decided to free on the eve of the match. But it wasn't possible to detect any sense of players downing tools, despite the likes of Munro and Chris Innes having also been named in the starting line-up. Both will be leaving Inverness in the summer, with the long-serving Munro among the biggest surprises on the axed list.

Here was a night when Inverness backed up their contention that they belong in the top six. This twice-postponed match had been allowed to stray into the post-split segment of the season, yet such was its tightness that it might easily have passed for a bona fide top-six clash.

Lennon had been right to be wary, although the Celtic manager needs little reminder of the dangers posed by Inverness. He placed a heavy emphasis on his mercurial players, though they struggled to fashion chances that were nearer than about 20 yards from goal.

Surprisingly, they were quickly required to go in search of an equaliser. Inverness, having survived an early series of Celtic attacks, mounted one of their own and Mulgrew was forced to clear the ball towards the Kessock Bridge.

But the danger remained after the throw-in and another clearance saw the ball land at the feet of Kenny Gillet, who slung a good ball towards Sutherland at the back post. His cross was intended for Rooney, and although it found him, a further deflection off Mulgrew meant Forster was never likely to get his hands to the ball.

Just seven minutes had passed and already Celtic were behind. For the first time since the League Cup final defeat to Rangers Lennon's side had to chase the game, and it was a task they tackled with admirable relish. Just two minutes more had passed when Commons collected the ball and moved towards the Inverness goal. This surge forward was made easier due to the absence of opposition challenges, with Commons then deciding to let the ball do the work. He unleashed an angled shot from 20 yards and saw it fly into the corner of Ryan Esson's net, via another deflection, this time off Innes.

Two goals in the opening ten minutes certainly whetted the appetite. It could easily have been three goals in 11 minutes had Rooney managed to force the ball past Forster following a flick from Aaron Doran. Forster read the situation well, however, and made a good block.

Celtic could not stage such an impressive response this time around. They toiled to create an opening inside the Inverness box. Commons went close with another effort from just outside the box while Maloney saw a free-kick tipped over the bar by Esson. But it was far from what the Celtic fans would have expected from a team boasting such an array of attacking riches.

The first-half had finished in fairly tame fashion, especially considering its explosive start. The game quickly re-ignited after the interval, however. A Doran corner after 53 minutes was not cleared effectively enough by Majstorovic. But Celtic might not have been overly concerned as the ball fell to Munro, just inside the box. His half-volley, which flew past Forster into the corner of the net, took everyone by surprise, possibly even himself.

His reaction was that of a player who does this every week. Perhaps in his undemonstrative march back to his own half could also be detected the deep satisfaction of a man who sensed he had made a point.

Inverness were not content with a one-goal lead and sought the comfort which their second-half performance merited. Just eight minutes later, they increased their lead and, again, Majstorovic played his part, courtesy of a poor clearance. Nick Ross played a fine first-time ball towards Sutherland, whose shot bashed off the far post before nestling in the net.

Celtic pulled one back, through Commons again, but they must now re-train their sights on clawing back an older enemy.

Inverness: Esson, Tokely, Munro, Innes, Gillet, Duff, Cox, Ross, Sutherland (Odhiambo 82), Rooney (Morrison 90), Doran. Subs not used: Tuffey, Golabek, Duncan, Sanchez, MacDonald.

Celtic: Forster, Izaguirre, Majstorovic, Wilson, Mulgrew, Brown, Kayal (Ki 71), Commons, Maloney, Stokes (Murphy 58), Hooper (McCourt 66). Subs not used: Zaluska, Samaras, Rogne, Forrest.

BBC

Inverness CT 3-2 Celtic

Inverness Caledonian Thistle derailed Celtic's title challenge with a well-deserved victory in the Highlands.

Charlie Mulgrew nudged in Adam Rooney's seventh-minute flick to give Caley the lead, but Kris Commons's 18-yard strike two minutes later restored the balance.
Grant Munro's screamer restored Caley's lead on 53 minutes, then Shane Sutherland volleyed home for the third.
Commons converted for Celtic from the spot when Shaun Maloney was felled in stoppage time, but it came too late.

Story from BBC SPORT:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/9474278.stm

Published: 2011/05/03 15:38:30 GMT

© BBC 2011