| Match Pictures | Matches: 2011 – 2012 | 2011-2012 Pictures |
Trivia
- Celtic lose possible treble chance!
- Now lost 15 league cup finals and won 14!
- Rangers at Ibrox next weekend.
- Vanessa Riddle for whom the Celtic support and Scottish public had raised £500k to fund a vital operation brought out the trophy.
- Father of Kilmarnock player Liam Kelly suffered a heart attack at end of game. Sadly he passed away. Condolences to his family on the tragic death.
- Remembrance service held for Michael Dolan (with new gravestone placed). He was Celtic's first ever goalkeeper. See link.
- Rangers lost in the league again yesterday whilst Motherwell won. If Motherwell drop points Saturday coming then we can win the league at Ibrox! Nightmare scenario for police and services
Review
(Tim Quixote of KDS forum)
Very disappointed. Generally happy to see Killie lose week in/week out, but don't mind Kenny Shiels – he seems decent enough. (His son/grandson/nephew/whatever can eff right off with his perma-greetin' face). However, Killie did what they had to do, and it was the kind of performance we would be happy with in Europe, against an equivalent Kilmarnock:Celtic ratio. We were too happy to coast along, thinking we'd win it just by showing up. 1st half was dire, though I thought we had upped our game with the introduction of Ki, but that only lasted for 5 mins. I don't think Lenny really needs to say to much to the players for next week and the rest of the season, as they looked dejected at the end, but they need a boot up the arse to keep them focused – perhaps too many are KDS readers, and have gorged on too much jelly and ice-cream too soon!
Thought Forster did well, apart from the one missed catch (where Matthews cleared), but was put off by the Killie player he put his knee into.
Was Wanyama played too deep for the most part? He was reliable, but didn't do as much as he normally does.
Forrest, Stokes and Hooper all need a rest (not all at once), but maybe try alternating partenerships, bringing on Brozek for a shot (the league is pretty much wrapped up, so mix it up for next season – I know Brozek might not be here then, but why not play him?)
As some folk have already said, the League Cup is the one I'd prefer to lose out on. Double is still out there for us, so lets move off from here! Hail hai!
Teams
Celtic
01 Forster
06 Wilson
21 Mulgrew
25 Rogne (Ki Sung-Yeung – 56' )
02 Matthews
08 Brown
16 Ledley (Commons – 86' )
67 Wanyama
10 Stokes Booked
49 Forrest
88 Hooper (Samaras – 80' )
Substitutes
24 Zaluska
11 Cha Du-Ri
18 Ki Sung-Yeung
09 Samaras
15 Commons
Kilmarnock
01 Bell
03 Hay
04 Fowler
06 Nelson
19 Gordon
88 Sissoko (Kroca – 86' )
08 Kelly Booked
09 Buijs (Johnson – 20' Booked )
11 Harkins (Van Tornhout – 73' )
20 Shiels
14 Heffernan
Substitutes
17 Letheren
13 Kroca
10 Dayton
18 Johnson
27 Van Tornhout
Goals
- Van Tornhout 84′
Ref: Collum
Att: 49,572
Articles
- Match Report (see end of page below)
- Audio Report: Paradise Report
Pictures
MOTM
- Voting Thread
- Result Thread
- Winner –
- 2011-12 Winners
Stats
Celtic v Kilmarnock
Possession
53 v 47
Shots
12 v 8
On target
9 v 5
Corners
7 v 5
Fouls
4 v 6
Articles
Celtic 0 – 1 Kilmarnock: Van Tornhout goal writes Killie into history
The Scotsman
Published on Monday 19 March 2012 10:11
THEY are Scotland’s oldest professional club and at the sixth attempt, they have finally completed the full set of domestic trophy triumphs.
Five times beaten finalists in the League Cup, Kilmarnock gave their supporters an afternoon to cherish at Hampden as Celtic’s pursuit of a treble disintegrated.
Much will be made in the coming days of referee Willie Collum’s 92nd-minute refusal of a Celtic penalty claim when Anthony Stokes fell under Michael Nelson’s challenge but that does a disservice to Kilmarnock manager Kenny Shiels and his players.
They carried out his gameplan almost to perfection as the Rugby Park club became only the eighth in the country to have won all three major Scottish honours in their history. They were indebted to a faultless performance from goalkeeper Cammy Bell but this was not simply a smash and grab job from Shiels’ side.
Celtic, wretchedly ineffective in front of goal during the spells of the game they controlled, were prevented from finding the kind of compelling form which had seen them unbeaten domestically since last October.
Substitute Dieter Van Tornhout’s 84th-minute header gave Kilmarnock their first trophy success since their 1997 Scottish Cup win. While it would be stretching a point to say it was no more than Shiels’ men deserved, Celtic unquestionably had only themselves to blame.
Shiels has brought a glorious eccentricity to the Scottish game but there is more to him than the novelty value he delivers for the media. He is very much a coach with the courage of his convictions as the manner of Kilmarnock’s approach to the final proved. While Shiels’ tactical plan allowed for the midfield to be flooded in an attempt to restrict any damage Celtic could inflict from the wide areas, there was never any question of ‘parking the bus’ in the manner he so deplored of Ayr United in the semi-final.
There was a fluidity to Kilmarnock’s formation which allowed Dean Shiels and Gary Harkins particular scope to lend support to lone striker Paul Heffernan. They were confident and sharp in possession, more than matching the work of a curiously inhibited Celtic side in the first half.
It might have been very different had Gary Hooper been able to take advantage of some slack work by Momo Sissoko in only the fourth minute. The big Kilmarnock defender can be overly casual with the ball at his feet and such was the case when he presented the ball to Hooper on the edge of the penalty area. It was a golden opportunity for the Celtic striker but he directed his shot too close to Bell who made a fine save.
Having survived that early scare, Kilmarnock grew in confidence and cohesion. Even an enforced change after 20 minutes, Danny Buijs limping off to be replaced by Lee Johnson, did not disrupt their flow.
Dean Shiels was the first to threaten Fraser Forster’s goal, driving a low shot from 20 yards narrowly wide of the big Celtic ‘keeper’s left hand post.
Lennon cut an increasingly animated and discontented figure in the technical area as he demanded more from his players. They responded through captain Scott Brown’s driving run down the right, beating Garry Hay to send in a cross which Anthony Stokes met with a firm downward header. Bell was up to task once more, scrambling to his left to keep it out.
Kilmarnock continued to look just as likely to make the breakthrough, however, and Forster made a good save when he turned another Shiels shot behind for a corner. Shiels took the set piece from the right and Sissoko’s header was cleared off the line by Stokes.
Brown continued to try and push Celtic on to the front foot, forcing a fingertip save from Bell who touched his ferocious 20-yard shot over. But Kilmarnock had the final word of an absorbing first half, Forster having to race from his line to deny Heffernan’s close range effort.
Shiels wasted a tremendous chance to put the underdogs ahead four minutes after the break, completely mis-hitting his close range shot after easily beating Kelvin Wilson to leave himself one-on-one with Forster.
Lennon made his first change in the 56th minute, introducing Ki Sung Yueng in midfield. He replaced the unfortunate Thomas Rogne, with Victor Wanyama dropping back into central defence. Ki’s presence made a significant difference but Celtic remained feckless in front of goal, however, as when Joe Ledley swiped a left foot shot wide from around 12 yards and when Stokes then directed a weak effort straight at Bell from similar distance.
Bell remained equal to everything which came his way, his inspired display further enhanced when he stretched himself to touch Wanyama’s close-range header from Ki’s corner over the crossbar.
Kilmarnock had fallen out of the game as an attacking force by this stage, prompting their manager to send on Van Tornhout for the tiring Harkins. The big Dutchman immediately gave his side greater presence up front and duly stunned Celtic with his impressively finished winning goal. It was a smart and swift counter attack from Kilmarnock which saw left-back Ben Gordon surge forward and pick out Johnson’s well timed run on the left of the penalty area. The little Englishman swept over a terrific cross which Van Tornhout met with a firm header at the back post to beat the helpless Forster.
Celtic battled desperately to salvage the situation, Bell making a double save to deny substitutes Georgios Samaras and Kris Commons as Lennon’s men flooded forward. But Kilmarnock held out, confirmation that this was their day coming with Collum’s contentious denial of Celtic’s penalty claim two minutes into stoppage time.
Stokes was aghast when Collum booked him for simulation, having gone down under Nelson’s challenge from behind when he looked certain to score. On all previous evidence over the course of the afternoon, mind you, it was far from certain Celtic would have converted from the spot.
BBC
18 March 2012 Last updated at 16:59
By Andy Campbell BBC Sport Scotland
Kilmarnock won the Scottish Communities League Cup for the first time in their history and ended Celtic's hopes of winning the domestic treble.
Celtic's Gary Hooper, Anthony Stokes and Scott Brown and Killie's Dean Shiels and Paul Heffernan all had efforts saved in a frenetic first half.
Killie keeper Cammy Bell denied Stokes and Victor Wanyama after the break.
Dieter van Tornhout headed Kilmarnock ahead six minutes from the end and Celtic could not find a leveller.
Having lost in the final of this competition on six previous occasions, Killie were also trying to win their first trophy since 1997's Scottish Cup triumph.
Scottish Premier League leaders Celtic were looking for a 15th tournament win, with Neil Lennon's side also still in the Scottish Cup.
Mahamadou Sissoko presented Hooper with an early chance on the edge of the penalty area but Bell made an excellent save to spare his team-mate's blushes.
The Ayrshire side weathered the early storm and offered a threat when they moved forward, Shiels' sweeping a low drive round the post after getting the break of the ball on the 18-yard line.
Bell made another impressive save to deny Stokes after the striker met Brown's cross with a powerful downward header.
At the other end, Shiels cut in from the left and drew a save from Fraser Forster before Sissoko's header from the resulting corner was cleared near the line by Stokes.
A rasping 20-yard drive by Brown was tipped over by Bell before Forster was called upon to keep his side level.
Paul Heffernan was played in on the right-hand side of the box and the striker set himself before unleashing a shot but the keeper spread himself well to block.
Celtic players Charlie Mulgrew and Scott Brown
Shiels missed an excellent chance right at the start of the second after bustling his way through a ruck of players into the area, the forward mis-hitting his shot wildly across the box as Forster closed him down.
Minutes later, a Killie corner was cleared and then returned into the box and Sissoko headed wide from a good position.
Celtic regained the ascendancy and Joe Ledley dragged a shot wide before Stokes fired into the hands of Bell after working space inside the area.
Bell made another important save when Wanyama rose to meet James Forrest's corner and Kilmarnock's Gary Harkins soon made way for van Tornhout.
With the match entering its final 15 minutes of regulation time, James Fowler flashed a shot over the Celtic goal and Heffernan had another effort blocked by Forster.
Bell came off his line to smother the ball after Charlie Mulgrew had dribbled his way into the penalty area.
And the goalkeeper's heroics were rewarded as Killie soon moved into the lead with a determined counter-attack.
Ben Gordon released substitute Lee Johnson on the left and his whipped cross was headed into the net by van Tornhout at the back post, the Belgian's first goal for Kilmarnock.
Celtic chased a leveller and Bell made a double save to deny Georgios Samaras and fellow replacement Kris Commons.
As the match entered injury time, Stokes burst through on goal and went to ground as Michael Nelson challenged but referee Willie Collum waved away penalty claims and booked the Celtic striker.
And Kenny Shiels' side held on in injury time to claim the Cup.