2012-01-08: Peterhead 0-3 Celtic, Scottish Cup

Match Pictures | Matches: 2011 – 2012 | 2011-2012 Pictures

Trivia

• Fourth Round
• Anthony Stokes gets his first senior match hat-trick for Celtic.
• Beram Kayal announced out for around 4mths with foot injury following challenge with McCulloch in the game v Rangers. Note: McCulloch should have been suspended for the match but due to quirks in the appeal rules got to play. In fairness, it was a near 50/50 challenge.
• Rumours grow that Commons is gone to Southampton.
• Kano foundation announced that they have now had over 1000 children helped to get to Celtic matches!

Review

(Arsene P of the KDS forum)
Competent performance against a team sent out to hassle, harry hand hack hat hall hopportunities.

Although Samaras and Stokes combined for the first goal, they'll never be a pairing, so was that 4-5-1, or 4-6-0 we played today, and Stokes' hat-trick doesn't absolve him from the amoiunt of offsides he gets pulled up for.

Never in any danger, but not sparkling.

Izzaguirre's looked a wee bit rusty on his full game comeback but showed what we've been missing, so that was worthwhile. I hope Ledley's broo is Ok – that elbow is a sending off normally.

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Peterhead 0 Celtic 3: match report-Celtic striker Anthony Stokes puts Peterhead to the sword with a hat-trick

By Telegraph staff and agencies

5:33PM GMT 08 Jan 2012

An Anthony Stokes hat-trick helped Celtic into the fifth round of the William Hill Scottish Cup against a stubborn Peterhead at Balmoor.

The Hoops had struggled to break down a well organised Peterhead defence before the Irishman slotted the ball home eight minutes before the break.

And Stokes drilled home a second after 57 minutes after linking up with Emilio Izaguirre before netting a third in the closing stages to end any hopes of a Blue Toon comeback.

Celtic made six changes, with Paddy McCourt replacing top scorer Gary Hooper who was out with a groin injury while Izaguirre also started following his return from a broken ankle.

Lukasz Zaluska was handed a rare outing in goal for the Hoops, while Cha Du-ri, Kelvin Wilson and Ki Sung-yueng were also drafted in, with James Forrest rested and Victor Wanyama and Adam Matthews dropping to the bench.

Peterhead boss Jim McInally opted for an attack-minded line-up with striker Rory McAllister leading the line supported by Martin Bavidge, while midfielder Jamie Redman passed a late fitness test to take his place in the side.

This was the first competitive match between the two sides but the part-timers looked far from over-awed in the opening minutes and were eager to test the Celtic rearguard.

However, it was the visitors who carved out the first real opening after 15 minutes when Georgios Samaras fed Stokes but Ryan Strachan made a vital block to deny the Irishman.

Celtic should have taken the lead after 27 minutes when Cha cut the ball back for Stokes at the near post but the Celtic striker blasted high over the crossbar.

McAllister picked up the first booking of the match a minute later for a late challenge on Mulgrew before Ki rattled the woodwork with a rasping drive from the edge of the area.

Peterhead continued to weather the relentless Celtic attacks, with Stokes once again was unable to find the target having been picked out by McCourt before Paul Jarvie did well to keep out a curling Mulgrew free-kick.

However, the opening goal arrived after 37 minutes when Samaras latched onto McCourt's diagonal pass and the Greek picked out the unmarked Stokes, who had the easiest of finishes.

The Irishman thought he had doubled the lead two minutes before the break when he netted from another Samaras cross but the goal was chalked off for offside.

Celtic had the ball in the net once more within three minutes of the restart after a neat finish by Stokes but again the striker had strayed into an offside position.

However the Irishman finally got his second after 57 minutes when he linked up superbly with Izaguirre before drilling the ball expertly into the bottom corner past the helpless Jarvie.

The visitors were dominating possession against a tiring Blue Toon, with Stokes curling a free-kick over the bar from the edge of the area as he searched for his hat-trick.

Scott Brown saw his powerful shot deflected over as Neil Lennon's side continued to press for a third.

Stokes duly completed his hat-trick seven minutes from time after Brown picked him out at the back post in plenty of space and the former Hibernian man made no mistake as he fired the ball past Jarvie to the delight of the noisy travelling support.

Peterhead0-3Celtic

Page last updated at 16:54 GMT, Sunday, 8 January 2012 By Clive Lindsay

BBC Scotland Stokes left goalkeeper Jarvie with no chance after 36 minutes Anthony Stokes' hat-trick ensured that holders Celtic progressed to the fifth round of the Scottish Cup at the expense of hard-working Peterhead.

The side sitting second-bottom of Division Three rarely threatened but bravely kept the score down.

Stokes tapped in when strike partner Georgios Samaras set him up in front of goal after 36 minutes.

The Irishman fired his second on the turn after 57 minutes and drilled another eight minutes from the end.

The only consolation for Peterhead, who had built temporary stands for the visit of the Scottish Premier League leaders, was a sell-out crowd and the breaking of their 3,700 record attendance.

Celtic manager Neil Lennon had made six changes, giving starts to Lukasz Zaluska, Cha Du-ri, Kelvin Wilson, Ki Sung-Yueng and Paddy McCourt along with Emilio Izaguirre as last season's player of the year continues his return from long-term injury. Stokes was the main threat from Celtic before finally opening the scoring And Zaluska was the first goalkeeper called into the action, nipping the ball off the toe of David Ross as the striker looked to finish off a fine passing move on the edge of the penalty box.

The Blue Toon's manager, former Celtic midfielder Jim McInally, had promised not to simply pack his defence and retained strikers Rory McAllister and Martin Bavidge in his unchanged starting line-up.

However, McInally altered his formation to five at the back as he looked to stifle high-scoring Scottish Premier League leaders who quickly showed their own menace when Stokes burst into the box and had a goalbound effort blocked.

Celtic's play was laboured and it was not until the 26th minute when they created a clear-cut chance, Stokes scooping a first-time effort over from 15 yards after Cha had thrust his way to the bye-line.

Ki was given acres of room on the edge of the box from a Charlie Mulgrew corner to crash a thundering drive off the crossbar.

Peterhead were now camped in their own half and goalkeeper Paul Jarvie did excellently to turn away a curling Mulgrew free-kick destined for the bottom corner.

However, Jarvie was left exposed in Celtic's next attack as Samaras burst past his marker into the box and turned it across the face of goal for Stokes to side-foot home.

Stokes sent a clever lob just over and was then caught offside as he turned a low Samaras cross into the roof of the net.

Celtic had been exploiting the space wide of the three in Peterhead's central defence and McInally attempted to counter that by bringing striker Bryan Deasley on for midfielder Graeme Sharp at half-time.

Stokes again had the ball in the net but was clearly offside before his clinical finish after being put clear by McCourt.

Celtic lost Joe Ledley to an injured cheekbone after 56 minutes, with Victor Wanyama his replacement, but the visitors made the game safe seconds later.

Stokes seemed to be moving away from goal when he swivelled superbly to bullet his drive from the edge of the box into the far corner.

Moments later, the Republic of Ireland striker went close to completing his hat-trick, having a low drive saved by Jarvie then slicing wildly wide from close range.

Celtic boss Lennon took the opportunity to give Filip Twardzik, whose twin Patrik is also on the Glasgow club's books, his debut in place of Samaras.

Peterhead finally had a shot on goal after 77 minutes, but Deasley's effort trundled well wide from 25 yards.

A twisting run into the box by substitute Dylan McGeouch caused havoc in the Peterhead defence and the move ended with Stokes firing the ball low into the far corner from 16 yards.