| Match Pictures | Matches:1999 – 2000 | 1999-2000 Pictures |
Trivia
- Celtic announced that they were thinking of a further share issue after Fergus McCann had sold his shares. The share issue would be to raise cash for a new training Academy, long mooted and which was one of the main tasks that Kenny Dalglish was involved in organising. The spending on players this season had eaten into the cash that had been put aside for the Academy. Director Eric Riley said that it would cost £10million to build and that two sites were being looked at.
- Fergus McCann announced plans to sell his 50.3% shareholding. The shares would initially be offered to the existing shareholders and season ticket holders, the price to be 280p a share with a discount of about 10% on the then market price.
- Watford were clearly looking for a striker and clearly interested in Celtic. Having asked on the availabilty of Tommy Johnson and Mark Burchill, Graham Taylor sounded out the availability of Harald Brattbakk. Celtic meanwhile were being linked with a £6million bid for Kanu of Arsenal.
- On the day of the game the club announced that Tommy Johnson would go to Everton on loan for 3 months
- The club were in the process of installing a state-of-the-art gym costing the best part to £500k under the south west stand. The work was the culmination of two years planning on the part of Jim Henry, the club fitness coach, and Brain Scott, long-serving club physiotherapist.
- Gould was dropped to the bench for the game and Kharine installed between the sticks. Mahe was out with an ankle injury. Burley appeared to be dropped from the squad whilst Petta and Burchill dropped to the bench. In came Blinker from the start, and Petrov and Viduka after recovering from their injuries.
Review
The Dallas Show came to town again proving how big a celebrity "Scotland's Top Whistler" was.
Teams
Hibernian: Gottskalksson, Lovering, Sauzee, Dennis, Lovell (Lehmann 88), Paatelainen, Latapy, Hartley (Crawford 67), Renwick, Jack, Brebner (Dempsie 89).
Non Used Subs: Colgan, Miller.
Celtic: Kharine, McNamara, Riseth, Stubbs, Tebily, Moravcik, Blinker, Petrov, Viduka, Lambert, Larsson.
Non Used Subs: Gould, Brattbakk, Burchill, Petta, Wieghorst.
Goals: Viduka 56, 66.
Bookings: Renwick, Brebner, Sauzee, Dennis, Lovering (Hibernian) McNamara, Stubbs, Larsson (Celtic)
Sent Off: Sauzee (55), Lovering (80).
Referee: Hugh Dallas (Scotland).
Attendance: 14,743
Highlights Goals
Articles
- Match Report
Celtic win Franck exchanges
Sunday Herald 26/09/1999
Simon Pia
HIBERNIAN 0 CELTIC 2
56min Viduka
66min Viduka
THE defining moment in any match is rarely so clearly illustrated as it was at Easter Road yesterday when Hibs sweeper Franck Sauzee received a red card for a reckless challenge on Vidar Riseth 10 minutes into the second half and thereafter a Hibs defence that had held Celtic at bay opened up with alacrity.
As the Frenchman trudged off an unease spread amongst the home support as it had been so evident the sweeper had been shoring up a defence that has all too often looked on its last legs this season. But even then they probably didn't realise retribution would be so swift as Lubomir Moravcik swung in a free kick, Henrik Larsson connected with his head at the near post and Mark Viduka got another touch as it flew across the goal striking the inside of the post and crossing the line. The desperate lunge in vain by Shaun Dennis to hook it out the back of the net symbolised the crumbling hopes of Hibernian.
That it should end so badly for Sauzee and his manager Alex McLeish was a cruel twist as for the first 45 minutes Hibs defence had looked at its best all season. McLeish had made a bold move after losing three goals at home to Kilmarnock last Sunday and dispensed with his at times leaden-footed back four formation. Instead Sauzee slotted in for the role McLeish had first considered for him when he brought him to Hibs last February, but never utilised until yesterday, and it seemed to work. With Mathias Jack and Dennis in front of Sauzee, Viduka and Larsson got little leeway in the first half while Hibs' unrelenting pace in midfield ensured Celtic couldn't settle into their preferred rhythm. It was not pretty but it was effective.
Indeed Sauzee was excelling as the most cultured user of the ball in the defence at Easter Road since Jock Stein played a young Pat Stanton there over 30 years ago. He also combined the steel of Stanton's tackles attacking the ball with two lethal but legal efforts on the Celtic front two who now knew they were in a game.
However, there was a portent of what was to come just before half-time when Larsson slipped by Sauzee for the first time, albeit heading away from the danger zone and the former European champion hacked the Celtic striker down receiving a yellow card. The red one in the 55th minute was a minor tragedy for Sauzee as it came from an act of folly. Showboating in his own box he was teasing Viduka before scooping a chip over the striker's head. Riseth anticipated, intercepted and was preparing to cross when Sauzee flew in with a wild tackle to try and compensate for his slackness and cracked into the Celtic fullback.
It did not take long for Celtic to wrap the game up with a second for Viduka 10 minutes later and although it was now all over for Hibs matters went from bad to worse when Paul Lovering received another red card in the 80th minute.
By now the Hibs defence were all over the place as had been evident in the second goal when Moravcik cut towards the middle and instead of pushing the ball to Regi Blinker who was in an offside position he placed it in the yawning gap between Jack and Dennis for Viduka to take it under control and drive his shot unfettered past Ole Gottskalksson. Along with his striking partner Larsson, Viduka had ample opportunity to double the final score and on another day may have regretted such profligacy in front of goal. But although Hibs will look for the obvious excuse they had not really opened Celtic up again after they had made two early chances.
There was also something ominous about the manner in which Celtic finished the first and started the second half. However, if Paul Hartley had taken advantage of the sweet through ball by Russel Latapy that caught Riseth napping in the eighth minute the game could have taken on a different complexion. But the winger seemed to take half a dozen touches, at least three too many, as he moved in on goal and Olivier Tebily raced back to make a sliding tackle. It took the heart out of the Hibs striker and a fresh air shot shortly after Mixu Paatelainen had headed on a chance summed up the rest of his game.
Hibs were also accumulating yellow cards with three in the first half but they knew they had to thwart Celtic's midfield. However, coach John Barnes' insistence on patience from his side paid off as they tightened up after Hartley's two chances and this gave Moravcik the opportunity to start creating their own chances and Celtic almost scored from the free kick when Sauzee received his first yellow card as Alan Stubbs headed narrowly over the Slovak's cross.
Then, five minutes after the restart, Moravcik again cut into the heart of Hibs' defence and his shot looked goalbound, but it took a double deflection off Jack and then the goalkeeper. Blinker, who his manager rated as man of the match, also showed signs of turning the game because as well as his defensive duties his one-twos were taking out Hibs' extra man in midfield. A crunching tackle on Hibs fullback Renwick also saw him set Larsson clear but the striker's chip was wasted. Then the tide that was turning came crashing through with Sauzee's dismissal.
Celtic, for all the criticism directed at them away from home this season, have now won four of these fixtures and lost only one.
Barnes was also keen to stress the introduction of Dmitri Kharine in goal for Jonathan Gould and Blinker for Craig Burley was not a case of them being dropped but taking an opportunity to look at these players.
"I was not taking a chance in a Premier League game as this is still our most important objective this season but I wanted to have a look at them and there are 18 to 20 players who have as much right as anyone to a place."
While McLeish was resolutely upbeat about the performance this may give little succour to their support. They have lost their last four games, have won only one in the league and have yet to do so at home.
- Manager Interview
John Barnes post match
"If I felt the players that came in today were not as good as the ones I left out I would not have done it. The league is most important to me and I did not take any risks today by changing the selection.
"The players that were left out know why – I wanted to see the other players in action and they deserved the chance.
"We always knew it would be a tough game today and although the first sending off made it a bit easier to penetrate their defence, I still think we would have scored the first goal if it had been 11 against 11."
(On Regi Blinker) "I know the history of all the Celtic players and the fans but I think that if the game against Hibs had been at home he would have been a fans’ favourite. The way that we play now, not that I'm saying he'll play in the next game, will suit Reggi."
Pictures
Stats
| Hibernian | Celtic | |
| Bookings | 5 | 3 |
| Red Cards | 2 | 0 |
| Fouls | 15 | 18 |
| Shots on Target | 1 | 5 |
| Corners | 4 | 4 |
| Offside | 3 | 0 |