2020-01-18 : Partick Thistle 1-2 Celtic, Scottish Cup

Match Pictures | Matches: 2019 – 2020 | 2019-20 Pictures

Trivia

• Scottish Cup Fourth Round
• First competitive game of the calendar year, first of the new decade!
  Back after the 2-3 week winter break.
• Young Polish striker Patryk Klimala signed on a four-and-a-half year contract.
• Debut for: Kilimala. he was hacked down after his first touch, welcome to Scottish football.
• Return for Arshvin after over 1 year, Griffiths (on-off)
• Griffiths returns and scores, wonderful to see and it shows it means to much to him. His return has been on & off.
• England: Premiership Rugby have just issued statement saying ‘Saracens Rugby Club will be relegated from the Premiership at the end of the 2019-2020 season’. Embarrasses Scottish Football as SFA did poor job and denies all issues on Rangers RIP.
• An operator has been lined up for the 14-storey hotel proposed for a high-profile Glasgow City Centre site occupied by businesses including the Blue Lagoon chippy, O Sole Mio restaurant and the Iron Horse Bar. Celtic's accounts used to be done in an office above the chippy! https://t.co/6RueWuTbo0?amp=1
• Reports: Eboue Kouassi is edging closer to a move to Belgian outfit Genk.;Celtic are reportedly interested in taking Hearts’ Aaron Hickey from Tynecastle to Parkhead.
• Celtic Takeover: Gerald Weisfeld: A key investor & notable advisor back in the Celtic Takeover period has sadly passed away. RIP
• Celts for Change: One of the organisers of the seminal Celtic takeover group, Matt McGlone, has had a heart-attack, we wish him all the best and a speedy recovery.
• Reports:
• Genk have made a bid for reported Celtic target Ismaila Soro.
• Leicester are reportedly readying a £30 million bid for Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard.
• Scott Sinclair has left Celtic for Preston NE. Good luck to him.
• Leigh Griffiths deleted his Twitter account he posted a cryptic message amid uncertainty over his Parkhead future.
• Celtic's move for Ismaila Sora has been held by a dispute over the transfer fee. However, it has nothing to do with the Scottish champions. Celtic have agreed a £2m deal for the Ivorian but his Israeli club Bnei Yehuda and the player's representatives are in disagreement about the slice of fee the latter receive.
• Darts: Scots born Peter Wright defeated the legendary Michael Van Gerwen to win the PDC world championship. Congrats.
• Global Warming: major fires spreading thru Australia, tragic damage.
• Ryan Christie given three-match ban for grabbing Alfredo Morelos' genitals in the recent Sevco match.
• Aberdeen have completed the signing of Ex-Celt Dylan McGeouch from Sunderland on a two-and-a-half year deal.
• Ronny Deila, ex-Celtic manager, appointed as head coach of New York City FC. Good luck to him.
• Celtic are the only Scottish team to break the top 100 of the Deloitte Money League. Despite annual revenue falling by 17 per cent to £83.4million, Celtic reached the top 70 of the annual rankings of the richest football teams.
• Women’s football: Celtic have made a "significant investment" to make their women's team professional with immediate effect. Several existing players have agreed full-time deals for the 2020 season and will be supplemented by new signings, modern apprentices and amateurs. A new head coach will be named soon to replace Eddie Wolecki Black, with a full-time assistant coach and dedicated sports science and medical staff. Under Wolecki Black last season, Celtic finished third in the SWPL.
• Former Ibrox chairman Alastair Johnston has questioned the mentality of Celtic fans over their references to Rangers dying. He said even if they did, it would take Celtic 120 years to reach the level of Rangers. We all laughed at him.
• SFA plan to ban heading for children U-12 following recent discussion/research on heading the ball.
• Rugby: Scottish Rugby in 2019 they had a shambles of a 6 Nations, their club side lost in the PRO14 (Italian/Keltic/SAF) league final match despite home advantage, profits sharply down U20s relegated to second tier and not in the U20 Rugby World Cup, the national team were humiliated in the Rugby World Cup in Japan. So what did they do? They awarded their directors near double pay rises/bonuses, and to near £1m for top earners! What a shambles.

Review

(MLE of KDS)
Good to have the football back. We didn't play particularly well but we also didn't really ever look like we'd be found out either. I'm hoping that was a game where we found our range again before the serious ones roll on (starting on Wednesday).

The shape looked very good at points and also way too open at others; i'm assuming that's an experience thing as much as anything else although I don't think we'll see exactly that too often. What I will say is i'm a much bigger fan of Broony in that role than the one he's been playing for the majority of this season.

Ntcham is going to be a big player in these 6 months and I hope Rogic will be as well. Also good to have Griffiths looking useful in the first half.

I suspect that this might be one of the better refereeing performances we're going to see in the latter stages of this season. Strap yourselves in.

(Brian McNally on Twittter)
Celtic make it 32 straight cup wins but again a dire refereeing display is the big talking point. 2 dodgy calls by Alan Muir were absolutely indefensible. The stonewall pen Frimpong didn't get & the penalty awarded against him were diabolical. Muir should face SFA action & a ban

Twitter:

Teams

Partick Thistle

• 22Fox
• 43Saunders
• 4O'Ware
• 6McGinty
• 3PenriceBooked at 86mins
• 12Cole
• 8Bannigan
• 16MacKinnon· Substituted forSlaterat 59'minutes

• · 15Robson
• · 9Miller
• · Substituted forHarkinsat 81'minutes
• · 23RuddenSubstituted forZanattaat 69'minutes Substitutes

• 1Sneddon
• 7Cardle
• 10Jones
• 11Harkins
• 17Slater
• 19Zanatta
• 77Austin

Goals

• Bannigan (90'+3 minutes pen)

Celtic

• 67Forster
• 30FrimpongBooked at 90mins
• 2Jullien
• 6Bitton· Substituted forSimunovicat 8'minutes
• · 3Taylor
• · 8Brown
• · 21Ntcham
• · 42McGregor
• · 18Rogic Substituted forArzaniat 85'minutes
• · 22Edouard
• · 9GriffithsSubstituted forKlimalaat 79'minutes

Substitutes

• 1Gordon
• 5Simunovic
• 11Klimala
• 13Bauer
• 14Arzani
• 15Hayes
• 23Bolingoli-Mbombo

Goals

• · Griffiths (12' minutes),
• · McGregor (78' minutes)

Referee:
Alan Muir
Attendance:
9,542

Articles

• Match Report (see end of page below)

Pictures

• Match Pictures

Forum

• Pre-match
• Match
• Post Match

MOTM

• Voting Thread
• Result Thread
• Winner –

Stats

Home Team
Partick Thistle
Away Team
Celtic

Possession
Home36%
Away64%

Shots
Home6
Away20

Shots on Target
Home2
Away11

Corners
Home2
Away4

Fouls
Home9
Away7

Articles

Leigh Griffiths: This is a message for the pundits and ex-pros who think my time at Celtic is finished

The Scotsman
ANDREW SMITH
Published: 22:56 Saturday 18 January 2020
https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/celtic/leigh-griffiths-this-is-a-message-for-the-pundits-and-ex-pros-who-think-my-time-at-celtic-is-finished-1-5077220There was nothing unusual about watching Celtic successfully negotiate a cup tie last night. The stubborn resistance of Partick Thistle at Firhill was insufficient to prevent the holders moving into the Scottish Cup last 16 courtesy of a record 32nd straight cup tie victory.

Novel in these times, though, was them being sent on their way by a goal from a sprightly Leigh Griffiths. The performance of the one-man news generator, in his first domestic start since September, brought him a first goal in five months and helped turn the tie in favour of the visitors.

Following a 2019 lost to the player requiring to take time away from the game with personal issues before injury problems derailed a summer comeback, Griffiths was determined to press home that reports of his demise have been greatly exaggerated. They certainly have been voluminous since the 
£3.5 million signing this week of striker Patryk Klimala, who replaced him for a debut late on.

The Scotland striker placed fingers in his ears to celebrate a typically opportunistic strike that broke the deadlock in the 12th minute – slamming in from eight yards when Thistle’s James Penrice inadvertently slid the ball towards him when looking to deny Odsonne Edouard.

Griffiths was asked if this celebration was directed to the many who have expressed doubts over his future. “Correct,” came his emphatic reply. “There are a lot of pundits and ex-pros who think my time at Celtic is finished. But that’s a message to them. The only way I can shut them up is by scoring goals and playing well. My time at Celtic is far from finished, believe me. Hopefully this is just the start again.

“I’ve had to bite my tongue, I’m not going to lie. I keep seeing and reading the same stuff on social media – or I get sent the same things.

“It’s not nice to see and I wish people would just let me get on with my game. I just want to play football. But everyone wants to talk about me, saying because Celtic are bringing in another striker I’m finished at the club. Today I’ve shown I’m still around and I can still score goals. It feels like the old Leigh Griffiths is back. In the last couple of weeks at training I’ve felt brilliant, really sharp.

“The more chances I get to play the fitter I’ll become. Game time will be helpful because I want to be back in the Scotland fold come March. That’s a big aim for me as well. The more games I get, the better chance I have of getting into that squad. Physically and mentally this is as good as I’ve felt in a long time.”

Thistle did well to frustrate their visitors after struggling to contain a side that included the quicksilver Tom Rogic for the first time in six weeks. They were fortunate to do so, Neil Lennon putting that down to his team over-elaborating as they utterly dominated. It is a charge that could certainly be levelled at Edouard, despite the Frenchman cracking the bar with one effort.

Yet, aside from on-loan Manchester City winger Daniel Arzani featuring for the first time since sustaining a knee ligament injury on his Celtic debut 14 months ago and Thistle veteran Kenny Miller thumping the post on the stretch from two yards to miss the chance of levelling on the stroke of the interval, two penalty decisions provided the talking points.

Both involved Jeremie Frimpong. The Celtic full-back was left aghast when referee Alan Muir failed to penalise a Penrice elbow that sent him sprawling in the box before the break. The Dutch defender was left even more slack-jawed when, in the closing seconds of the tie, Muir decreed he had been guilty of an illegal challenge after he hared back to go shoulder-to-shoulder in the area with Dario Zanatta.

With almost the last kick, Stuart Bannigan tucked away the resultant penalty, the goal largely irrelevant as a result of Callum McGregor, inset, making it 2-0 in the 77th minute courtesy of a long-range drive that deflected off Steven Saunders to outfox keeper Scott Fox.

The two decisions, that did not stand up to television scrutiny, left Lennon groaning. “The first one was a push on the back, a definite penalty, Jerry is at full pace and he has gone over – he has not dived – so I don’t know how that can’t be a penalty,” said the Celtic manager.
Celtic's latest signing Patryk Klimala is unveiled at Parkhead. Picture: Paul Devlin/SNS
Celtic now looking for ‘experience and…

Jack Hendry has made only one first team appearance for Celtic this season. Picture: SNS
Celtic defender Jack Hendry linked with…

Frimpong] has got his body across Zanatta. His recovery was terrific and he didn’t deserve that.”

Partick Thistle 1-2 Celtic: Leigh Griffiths scores in Scottish Cup win
Callum McGregor also on target as Hoops ease into last 16
https://www.skysports.com/football/partick-vs-celtic/421468
Last Updated: 18/01/20 11:39pm

Leigh Griffiths celebrates after scoring for Celtic to make it 1-0 against Partick Thistle
Leigh Griffiths celebrates after scoring for Celtic to make it 1-0 against Partick Thistle

Leigh Griffiths' first goal in over five months helped Celtic see off Partick Thistle 2-1 in their Scottish Cup fourth-round tie in Maryhill.

The 29-year-old striker, back in the starting line-up on Saturday evening for the first time since a Europa League dead rubber in Cluj last month, pounced in the 12th minute.

Neil Lennon: Ismalia Soro deal close to finalised
Scottish Football news

Despite the Jags being on the back foot for most of the first half, veteran striker Kenny Miller had a couple of chances to equalise for the Scottish Championship side.

Ian McCall's side fought to remain in the game after the break but Parkhead midfielder Callum McGregor made it 2-0 with a drive in the 78th minute.

In added time, referee Alan Muir awarded a penalty to Partick when Celtic defender Jeremie Frimpong was judged to have fouled substitute Dario Zanatta as he set to slip the ball into an empty net.

Stuart Bannigan converted from the spot but it was too late as the champions won their 32nd domestic cup game in a row.

In Celtic’s first game since returning from warm-weather training in Dubai, Neil Lennon mixed and matched his squad.
Callum McGregor celebrates after scoring to make it 2-0 to Celtic
Callum McGregor celebrates after scoring to make it 2-0 to Celtic

Greg Taylor, Nir Bitton and Tom Rogic were handed rare starts as was Griffiths, bedevilled by personal problems and injury this season, who teamed up with Odsonne Edouard in a two-pronged attack.

Fit-again duo Jozo Simunovic and Daniel Arzani – out since October 2018 after being injured on his debut at Dundee – and Poland Under-21 striker Patryk Klimala, who signed on a four-and-a-half-year deal from Jagiellonia Bialystok, started on the bench.

Midfielder Darian MacKinnon, recently signed from Hamilton, made his Jags debut and fellow new arrival, forward Zak Rudden, partnered former Celtic and Rangers striker Kenny Miller.

Lennon was forced into a change after just seven minutes when Bitton sustained an injury tackling Rudden, with Simunovic called into action for the first time since August after recovering from a knee problem.

However, Celtic looked in no mood to be put off their stride and when Jags defender James Penrice’s intervention from an Edouard pass saw the ball land at the feet of Griffiths, he steered the ball past Thistle keeper Scott Fox from 10 yards.
Stuart Bannigan and Daniel Arzani battle during the Scottish Cup game
Stuart Bannigan and Daniel Arzani battle during the Scottish Cup game

Celtic were in control and in the 35th minute, Edouard narrowly missed the target with a 30-yard free-kick. Moments later, Miller broke free of the Hoops defence momentarily but his attempted lob from outside the box was not executed well enough to bother Fraser Forster too much.

Just before the break, there was a Celtic penalty claim when Frimpong went down in the box under pressure from Penrice but Muir pointed for a goal kick to the anger of the travelling support.

Thistle came close to levelling seconds before the break when skipper Scott Brown and Simunovic got in a tangle, leaving Rudden racing down the right but when his cross came to the back post, the stretching Miller’s shot crashed off the woodwork.

BBC

By Tom English

BBC Scotland

From the section Scottish Cup

Goals: Partick Thistle 1-2 Celtic

Leigh Griffiths scored his first goal since August as Celtic beat Partick Thistle to record a 32nd consecutive win in domestic cup competition.

Neil Lennon's side eased into the Scottish Cup last 16 at Firhill as they target a fourth consecutive treble.

Callum McGregor added a second after Kenny Miller had earlier rattled a post for the Scottish Championship side.

Thistle scored a late consolation when Dario Zanatta won a penalty, which Stuart Bannigan converted.

But they had no time to try to find a leveller as Celtic secured a place in Sunday's fifth-round draw.

Reaction & as it happened

Familiar outcome to humdrum tie

The clash of the top of the Premiership and the next to bottom team in the Championship was never likely to produce an upset. Not with Celtic having won every domestic cup tie they've played in three-and-a-half seasons and every game bar two against Thistle since 1995. The two they didn't win, they drew.

Celtic were never close to their best, but they were too good for hard-working Thistle, who had the consolation of that late penalty. Griffiths got a lucky break for the first goal and McGregor got a fortunate deflection for the second and that was the game.

They owned most of the contest, their only moment of worry before the penalty being a Miller effort that hit a post when the score was still 1-0.

Griffiths had gone into this tie having failed to find the net for nearly five hours, stretching back 13 games and five testing months. He made sure that 13 games did not become 14 games and he did it early.

Only a dozen minutes had been played when he struck. Celtic had lost Nir Bitton to injury by then – Jozo Simunovic replaced him – and had created decent chances for Tom Rogic and Odsonne Edouard, but it was Griffiths who got the job done.

In attempting to deny Rogic of a chance to shoot, James Penrice merely cleared to Griffiths, standing free close to goal. The striker coolly side-footed past Scott Fox to put the champions ahead.

They'll argue – with justification – that they should have been given a chance to make it two not long before the break when Jeremie Frimpong went down in the box after a shove in the back from Penrice. To Frimpong's astonishment, referee Alan Muir ignored the appeal.
Patryk Kilmala made his Celtic debut in the final few minutes
Patryk Kilmala made his Celtic debut in the final few minutes

Celtic had been in little or no danger until the dying seconds of the half when Thistle broke down the right through Zak Rudden. When his cross came fizzing across goal, Miller turned it on to a post from a tight angle.

It was a scare for the visitors, a reminder that if, in this case Frimpong, went to sleep in defence then the Championship side might get punished.

Lennon's team continued to own the ball but they didn't have the accuracy or the dynamism they so often have.

Christopher Jullien put a header on goal, but Fox was equal to it. McGregor found himself in space on the edge of the box but fired a shot wide. Edouard pulled a free-kick out of the sky and rattled a shot on goal that was touched on to the crossbar by Fox.

The second goal arrived courtesy of McGregor and a nick off Thomas O'Ware that gave Fox no chance of stopping it. At that point, Lennon sent on his new striker, Patryk Kilmala, for his debut. He was soon followed on to the pitch by the lesser-spotted Daniel Arzani for only his second appearance for the club and his first since October 2018.

Thistle got one back at the end when Jullien made a desperate hash of things and gifted Zanatta the chance to run away from him and round Fraser Forster. Frimpong was adjudged to have barged him and Bannigan swept home the penalty to bring an end to a humdrum cup tie.