2017-01-22: Albion Rovers 0-3 Celtic, Scottish Cup

Trivia

• Scottish Cup Fourth Round
• Celtic v ICT in the next round. Rod Stewart did the draw with Alan Stubbs & SFA official, and Rod Stewart definitely was a little stipsy during the draw making all laugh!
• Match played at Airdrie's stadium as bigger stadium.
• Tierney returns, and Boyata given a rare start.
• Return after long break due to scheduled winter break (first for many a year).
• In racking up 25 domestic games (inc this game) unbeaten since the start of the season, Brendan Rodgers’ team are only one match from equalling the longest such sequence in the post-war era that was set by Stein’s all-conquering side in 1966-67.
• Ex-Celt Neil Lennon manages Hibs to win vital match against 2nd placed Dundee Utd in 2nd tier to remain top in a 19k sell-out match. Great advert for Scottish game. Hibs highest aggregate attendance in around 40years. Congratulations to them, difficult time for Dundee Utd at moment but will likely make playoffs but then it’s a game of chance.
• Dembele showed his charitable side by donating 25 Celtic shirts to a football club in Republic of Djibouti, East Africa. Much respect to him and the organisers.
• Islam Feruz has once again returned to Chelsea after having his loan deal with Belgian outfit Mouscron torn up. The former Celtic prodigy has now had five separate loan deals end early in Russia, Greece, Scotland, England and now Belgium, all failed tenures. Still to score in senior football, Feruz started just once for Mouscron, and made just seven appearances in total. His career is going pear-shaped, and was once touted as a future star.
• Walter Smith says Rangers may need to take a gamble and risk going into debt if they are to catch up with Celtic and get access to the lucrative Champions League prize pot. Where have we heard that before?
• Brendan Rodgers wants to speak to Kolo Toure about a coaching role at Celtic.
• Armstrong/Lustig to sign extensions to their contracts.
• Dundee scrap plan to play Celtic league game in US. Was it ever truly ever on?
• Ex-Celtic player Josh Thompson suffered a horrific, career threatening injury at the weekend. Playing for Southport against Wealdstone on Saturday, Thompson suffered a serious knee injury and was stretchered off midway through the second half in the FA Trophy match. We wish him the best.
• Comedy gold: Man is suing Coral for not paying out as he claims that Rangers were relegated. Coral says no they were liquidated and are a Newco. Some classic quips from the court case.
• Real Madrid stopped at 40 games unbeaten run, making a Spanish record. Stopped by Seville. They were gunning for Celtic’s 62 game record (from 1910’s).
• Transfer window:
  Lots of rumours flying about Dembele (e.g. West Ham £20m bid).
  Lustig signs new contract with Celtic, good news.
  Kouassi Eboue signs for Celtic. The player’s agent, Yves Amagbenon, said that the midfielder wants to play in Spain or England, and Celtic is merely a staging post in his client’s career. Last time that was said was Bangura.
  Sky Sports caught by out twitter satirist: Aberdeen supposedly bought Yerdas Selzavon (‘Your dad sells Avon (a cosmetic product)’)
  Loans: Eoghan O’Connell sent on loan to Kilmarnock; Joe Thomson to QoTS; Ajer Joins Killie on Loan till Summer.
  Brendan Rodgers says he won’t stand in Nir Bitton’s way if the midfielder wants to leave Celtic. The Israeli international has slipped down the pecking order
  Man U monitoring Kieran Tierney and considering a £10 million bid for the Scotland international. Won’t happen this window, and no one at Celtic wants him to go.

Review

(JBC of thecelticwiki)
This may not have been one to wet the appetite yet still there was a great turnout in Coatbridge which is itself a Celtic heartland, and with the many historical links it was a fine well played occasion. Very cold it was too!

Albion Rovers defended well without resorting to being boring, but Celtic were too strong although struggled to make a breakthrough. Sinclair was hot property and scored what is probably the goal of the season, and one of the best goals he'll score anywhere, although he did admit the looping shot he thought was going over the bar. A fine goal.

Good to see Tierney back, and Rodgers spoke well of Boyata in one of his rare outings at Celtic. Not many convinced yet of Boyata, he's probably 3rd pick at the moment for Centre half.

Paddy Roberts is still excellent as ever. Armstrong continues to surprise with his upward trajectory in his form.

Anyhow, as a warm-up match, it was good going. Rod Stewart was inCoatbridge for the game, and was funny & tipsy at the post-match Scottish Cup draw which drew a lot of laughs, whilst Alan Stubbs messed up with drawing the 9 ball can calling it as 6 (or the other way around I can't remember).

Good to see Sky doing a better job of the coverage than the Hamilton game. They seriously are under the cosh from Scottish football fans.

(Gallowgate of KDS)
We strolled it as expected and plenty of positives to take from it. Sinclair is the best player in Scotland for me. Tierney was excellent and looked as though he's never been away and Roberts showed what an impact sub is all about. He was superb in the time he was on. Even the much maligned Boyata looked good.

(San Meegs of KDS)
Just back (very cold)

That was right up there with Killie away this season in the freezing stakes.

Easy enough game. Dominated possession and scored three good goals.

Bitton yet again infuriated me, far too ponderous on the ball and offering nothing in terms of trying to help us get through their solid banks of four and five. Not the type of game that suits him, in fairness.

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• Winner –

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Albion

Articles

Albion Rovers 0-3 Celtic It’s three and easy for Celtic

RONNIE ESPLIN
http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/teams/albion-rovers/albion-rovers-0-3-celtic-it-s-three-and-easy-for-celtic-1-4345801

Celtic eased into the fifth round of the William Hill Scottish Cup as expected with a 3-0 win over Albion Rovers at Airdrie’s Excelsior stadium.

Winger Scott Sinclair dampened any prospect of a shock when he opened the scoring in the 29th minute with a dipping drive.

Brendan Rodgers’ side continued their domination of the League One part-timers after the break and striker Moussa Dembele notched from close range in the 77th minute with his 20th goal of the campaign, while tireless midfielder Stuart Armstrong added a third in the final minute.

Rodgers, whose squad had returned last week from a sunshine winter break in Dubai still unbeaten domestically, treated the tie with respect, fielding a strong team to recommence the season.

With Denmark international Erik Sviatchenko suspended, defender Dedryck Boyata started for only the second time this season while left-back Kieran Tierney returned for the first time since October after recovering from ankle and shoulder problems.

The champions adapted quickly to the artificial surface although their first effort on goal did not come until the 11th minute when midfielder Nir Bitton drove over from 30 yards.

A minute later Rovers keeper Ross Stewart did well to tip Armstrong’s left-footed shot from 20 yards over for a corner – which came to nothing – before Mikael Lustig’s lofted ball into the penalty area was headed over by Dembele.

Darren Young’s side remained compact and disciplined but began to creak as the Hoops stepped up the pressure.

And just minutes after Sinclair had a close-range drive saved by Stewart at his near post, the Englishman took a pass from Tierney and fired high into the top corner from 18 yards for his 13th goal of the season.

The former Aston Villa and Manchester City attacker had the ball in the net again five minutes from the break after racing on to a Bitton pass, but was ruled offside.

Jozo Simunovic replaced Lustig at centre back for the start of the second-half which – after four minutes – saw Stewart dive down to his right to hold James Forrest’s left-footed shot from 10 yards, before Armstrong fired just over from the edge of the box.

The Coatbridge side tried to break up the park but Celtic’s grip grew tighter.

Callum McGregor replaced Tierney just after the hour-mark and Celtic kept pressing for the second goal to alleviate the prospects of late nerves.

Dembele’s header from a Forrest cross sped past the target and then he had a powerful drive pushed past the post for another corner which proved fruitless before Boyata’s header from a McGregor cross rebounded off the bar.

As the Parkhead men kept up the pressure, Rovers’ defender Ross Dunlop cleared an effort from Simunovic off the line but the second goal eventually arrived when Dembele forced in a cross from skipper Scott Brown, who was set up by winger Patrick Roberts, on for Forrest.

In the final minute Roberts burst into the Rovers box to tee up Armstrong for an easy third from a couple of yards out.

BBC

By Richard Wilson

BBC Scotland at Excelsior Stadium

2 hours ago From the section Football

Celtic eased past Albion Rovers at Excelsior Stadium and into the fifth round of the Scottish Cup.

Scott Sinclair's class separated the teams at half-time, as he found the top corner from the edge of the box with a stunning finish.

Celtic finished strongly and Dedryck Boyata headed off the bar before Moussa Dembele made it two when he turned home Scott Brown's cut-back.

Stuart Armstrong added a late third with a tap-in.
Width works for Celtic

Albion Rovers' approach was to try to crowd Celtic out. With the home side's defence sitting so deep, Celtic's most effective attacking ploy was to overload the flanks.

James Forrest, on the right, and Sinclair, on the left, encouraged this to happen by driving infield to make space for Cristian Gamboa and Kieran Tierney to surge beyond them from full-back.

Sinclair and Forrest saw plenty of the ball, with their movement and trickery a constant threat for the Albion defenders to contend with.

Sinclair saw one effort well blocked by Albion goalkeeper Ross Stewart before he made the breakthrough. His goal was a brilliant piece of improvisation, looping the ball over Stewart, who would have thought the ball was going over before it dipped sharply into the top corner.

Sinclair also created a chance for Forrest after the break, but the left-foot shot was stopped at the second attempt by Stewart. Gamboa also tried his luck from 20 yards but pulled his shot wide.
Albion apply themselves

The home side only had one viable game plan to employ: defending deep, with the back four narrow to protect the penalty box and five players strung across midfield, to reduce the space for Celtic to attack into.

The ploy worked, since Celtic seldom managed to work the ball behind the defensive line, which was well marshalled by the Dunlop brothers, Ross and Michael, in central defence. The drawback was that the home side were unable to build passages of possession to ease the pressure they were under.

Paul Willis and Ross C Stewart swapped between the centre-forward and right-wing positions throughout the game, but were always isolated when up front. The midfield three of Gary Fisher, Mark Ferry and Ross Davidson worked manfully, but mental and physical fatigue became a factor.

As Celtic penned them in during the second half, Boyata headed off the crossbar and Jozo Simunovic's effort from close range was hacked off the line by Ross Dublin.
Armstrong adds dynamism

With Brown and Nir Bitton sitting deep in midfield, Armstrong had licence to surge forward from a more advanced position.

Hard running has been a feature of his play this season, and the energy and vitality of Armstrong's display was important to maintaining Celtic's intensity. He delivered a fierce shot in the first half that Stewart tipped over and he swept another effort towards goal after the break, but the ball flew above the bar.

Even when Armstrong was not bursting beyond the attackers, the threat was still posed. One run by Brown into the penalty area ended with his cut-back being converted by Dembele.

In the final stages, Armstrong jinked past two challenges on the edge of the area before drilling a shot on target that Stewart saved. Moments later, he would not be denied, clipping the ball high into the net from close range.