| Match Pictures | Matches: 1999 – 2000 | 1999-2000 Pictures |
Trivia
- Bertie Vogts and John Toshack were the latest hats into the ‘Next Celtic Manager’ sweepstakes. Vogts was then employed as a coach by UEFA and FIFA having resigned as manager of Germany in September 1998. Toshack was available after sorting out his legal dispute with Real Madrid.
- John Barnes immediately set about getting back into management by addressing the Oxford Union. "I always look forward not back," said the man who always had a lot to say. "It's not important what happened at Celtic.” Some people begged to differ.
- Jorge Cadete turned up on loan to Bradford City.
- Celtic sacked Sports Psychologist Tom Lucas. Lucas had been employed by the club as a consultant for three years and he immediately went to the Press with tales. Lucas has since run a Sports Psychology and Motivational practise open to whoever will pay him the most and is quite happy to work as rent-a-quote to any newspaper.
- Tebily and Kerr both dropped out. Tommy Johnson, after his hat trick against Dundee, had strained a hamstring
Review
A chance to win some points back against Rangers, who had drawn the previous day, was thrown away. Gould got back into the team earlier than anyone expected when Kharine twisted his knee. No luck and no composure in front of goal.
Teams
Hibernian:
Colgan, Collins, J. Hughes, McIntosh, Smith, Lovell, Sauzee, McGinlay, Miller (Jean 89), Paatelainen, Lehmann.
Subs Not Used: Gottskalksson, Hartley, Brebner, Murray.
Goals: McGinlay 22, Miller 63.
Booked: McGinlay (Hibernian)
Celtic:
Kharine (Gould 31), Mjallby, Stubbs, Boyd, McNamara, Petrov, Berkovic (Burchill 46), Wieghorst, Mahe, Viduka, Moravcik.
Subs Not Used: Riseth, Blinker, Rafael.
Goals: Viduka 73.
Booked: Mjallby (Celtic)
Referee: Jim McCluskey (Scotland)
Attendance: 12,236
Articles
- Match Report(see below)
Pictures
Stats
| Hibernian | Celtic | |
| Bookings | 1 | 1 |
| Red Cards | 0 | 0 |
| Fouls | 19 | 7 |
| Shots on Target | 7 | 7 |
| Corners | 1 | 16 |
| Offside | 3 | 2 |
Hibs put brake on as Celtic flounder
The Scotsman 06/03/2000
TOM LAPPIN
Hibernian2 McGinlay (22), Miller (63)
Celtic1 Viduka (73)
THE February crisis was pretty profound, now we might be in for the March crisis.
Celtic, tantalised by the prospect of a return to the top of the Premier League by winning three times in a week, fell at the first hurdle.
Now they face an Old Firm game on Wednesday that could provoke another outburst of discontent from their demanding supporters.
For them, this performance won't be acceptable. An awkward-looking team, lacking in fight, was punished thoroughly by a Hibs side that easily surpassed them in fighting spirit and, occasionally, looked the classier outfit.
A first-half goal from Pat McGinlay set the hosts on the way. Only Kenny Miller's second-half strike for Hibs awakened Celtic's players to their plight and a Mark Viduka goal sparked a comeback that threatened to swamp Hibs.
Instead, a combination of staunch defending, fortuitous interventions from the woodwork, and an appalling miss from Morten Wieghorst gave the home side a remarkable victory.
Kenny Dalglish, back from a midweek bout of food poisoning that coincided with the 6-2 demolition of Dundee, wasn't about to come over all cavalier. Deprived of the hat-trick man Tommy Johnson, who had tweaked a hamstring (presumably during a Wednesday night post-match jig of delight), the stand-in manager took the opportunity to deploy an extra midfielder in Eyal Berkovic.
The Hibs line-up, by comparison, looked positively reckless. A three-man attack cast Mixu Paatelainen as the chunky filling between Miller and Dirk Lehmann, while the defender Mark McIntosh was given the daunting task on his debut of shadowing Mark Viduka. All four excelled.
The manager Alex McLeish's boldness had its reward in a first half in which Hibs regularly sallied upfield in numbers, keeping Celtic sufficiently occupied to prevent them exerting sustained pressure on the home goal.
After an early save by Nick Colgan from a low shot by Viduka, the expected onslaught failed to materialise.
For Hibs, Miller, who had tormented the Rangers defenders in the last Sky Sunday match at Easter Road, set about doing the same to Alan Stubbs and Johann Mjallby.
Every time he had the ball at his feet, the young striker scampered goalwards with a verve that seemed to unsettle the Celtic defence.
One swaying run, in particular, culminated with a pass towards Lehmann that deserved a better finish than the German was able to provide.
The manpower Hibs were prepared to send upfield paid off with a goal midway through the half. Derek Collins' free-kick from wide on the Celtic left found its way through to Paatelainen. The Finn beat Dmitri Kharine to the ball and flicked it wide of the goalkeeper before directing the ball across the goalmouth. Stuart Lovell's header was blocked, but McGinlay was following up for a simple tap-in.
The Celtic defence, confused enough at the goal, took a while to recover their composure. Lovell was denied twice more, a saving tackle from Stilian Petrov rescuing Celtic as the midfielder was about to shoot, and a block from Stubbs deflecting the ball over the bar from a Lovell strike from outside the area.
Kharine twisted a knee attempting to anticipate Lovell's shot, and was taken off on a stretcher to be replaced by Jonathan Gould. Hibs had the ball in the net immediately from the restart but the whistle had gone, after goalmouth jostling, and McIntosh wasn't allowed to celebrate a debut goal.
Celtic, Viduka in particular, rallied in the last ten minutes of the half, and squandered their best chance of the game just before the interval.
Viduka's low cross from the right side of the penalty area rolled invitingly for Petrov, but the Bulgarian's wild swing completely missed the ball. Lubomir Moravcik, following up, struck his shot high and wide.
Dalglish immediately took the hint, sending on Mark Burchill to replace Berkovic, whose contributions had been fitful.
Celtic's energy levels picked up, but too often they lacked the know-how to get behind the Hibs defence. After a nervy moment when McIntosh's attempted clearance came back off his own post, Hibs reasserted themselves, and enjoyed a superb 15-minute spell in which they outplayed their eminently more expensive opponents.
One neat combination between Miller, Lovell and Lehmann down the left resulted in a spectacular volley from Franck Sauzee that had the crowd gasping in anticipation before the ball flashed just past the post.
No matter, as Hibs soon had their second, after 64 minutes. A Sauzee free-kick was driven in low and hard. Lehmann and Gould lunged for the ball, and as it bounced free the Celtic defenders were again too sluggish. Miller drove it left-footed into the net, and set off on an ungainly dance of delirium towards the Hibs dug-out.
Celtic frantically looked for a way back, flooding forward and setting up camp in the Hibs half. McLeish's team always seem vulnerable when defending the lead, and a lapse in concentration let Celtic back into the game in the 73rd minute.
Tom Smith appeared to play Burchill onside as the substitute raced on to a Mjallby pass and although Colgan managed to block at Burchill's feet, Viduka was following up and he kept his balance to steer the ball into the unguarded net.
The Australian's finishing prowess remains undiminished by Celtic's recent travails.
Celtic sensed a reprieve and at last looked like they had a desire to get something out of the match. Hibs survived by a combination of determination, luck and their opponents' profligacy.
Smith cleared off the line, and a Stubbs drive came back off the underside of the crossbar as Celtic sought an equaliser.
They appeared to have contrived one, when Viduka flicked the ball over the onrushing Colgan and into the path of Wieghorst, a couple of yards out from goal.
How the Dane failed to put the ball in the net could provide fruitful discussion for a whole team of psychologists. The important thing for Hibs is that the ball didn't go in, and their reputation as Scotland's showbiz team, only at their best when there are ten TV cameras trained on them, remains undented.
That Miller celebration dance will linger in the memory for some time.
- Manager Interview
"The way we started the game was the biggest contribution to us getting nothing. They made it difficult, closed us down very quickly, but they are allowed to do that, and we should be able to handle it better than we did."
Hibernian 2 Celtic 1 By Simon Buckland, PA Sport
Kenny Dalglish has made a dramatic impact in his short time at the Parkhead helm but there is one Celtic trait which seems beyond repair and it cost them badly again at Easter Road.
With Rangers held by St Johnstone at Ibrox here was Celtic's moment to capitalise, but as so often in recent years they failed to punish their Old Firm rivals.
Hibernian moved ahead through Pat McGinlay's 22nd-minute strike and after 63 minutes left Celtic reeling as Kenny Miller outlined his promise with a smartly taken second.
Celtic, who lost keeper Dmitri Kharine on the half-hour through injury, needed an emergency recovery act and were given hope by the prolific Mark Viduka 10 minutes later.
A frantic finish saw Celtic give everything, but crucial chances were missed, not least an open goal by Morten Wieghorst, and history duly repeated itself for the Glasgow club.
In 1996/97 Rangers lost at home to Hearts but Celtic were held at Kilmarnock, last term another Rugby Park stalemate frustrated them after Dundee United surprised the Ibrox outfit the day before.
As recently as last November, under John Barnes, Celtic lost 3-2 at Motherwell a matter of hours after Rangers had been defeated 2-1 on home soil by Dundee.
Hibernian were without a league win since December 19 at Hearts, but were not to be denied and Rangers' Scottish Premier League lead remains nine points ahead of Wednesday's Old Firm derby.
Scottish record signing Eyal Berkovic made his first start under Dalglish's temporary charge, the £5.75million summer signing from West Ham having been out of favour.
His recall was prompted by a hamstring injury to Tommy Johnson, who claimed a midweek hat-trick over Dundee, while Jonathan Gould, now off the transfer list, was restored to the bench.
Brazilian international Rafael was also among the Celtic substitutes, while Hibernian offered a belated debut to Martin McIntosh, hit by a stomach problem since joining from Stockport.
Celtic created the game's first opening after seven minutes, Berkovic's quick free kick finding Jackie McNamara who in turn set up Viduka for a shot pushed away well by Nick Colgan.
Celtic's worst case scenario became a reality after 22 minutes when hesitant defending, notably from keeper Kharine, saw Hibernian move ahead through a former Parkhead player.
The visitors failed to clear a Derek Collins free kick allowing Mixu Paatelainen to head back across goal and though Stuart Lovell was unable to convert McGinlay was on hand to tap in.
Lovell had a shot deflected over on the half-hour which wrongfooted Kharine causing him to twist badly in mid-air sustaining a freak injury which forced him to be carried off.
That meant Gould, who looked to have ended his Celtic career when he demanded a move after being left out of Dalglish's first game in charge at Dundee, was suddenly back in the spotlight.
At the other end, Colgan needed to be alert to hold McNamara's drive but Celtic were looking surprisingly short of ideas, though Wieghorst's glancing header went close on 44 minutes.
In first-half injury time, Viduka's cross was missed entirely by Petrov but ran kindly for Lubomir Moravcik only for the Slovakian to snatch at the chance and blaze wide.
Dalglish made a telling switch at the break replacing Berkovic with striker Mark Burchill joining Viduka in attack and Moravcik adopting the creative midfield role.
That is bound to be read as a vote of no-confidence in the player bought by deposed head coach John Barnes in the summer, but Viduka had looked isolated before the interval.
After 53 minutes, Moravcik exchanged passes with McNamara before scuffing his cross, but with the Hibernian defence confused, Wieghorst pounced on the loose ball only to fire wastefully over.
Yet it was Hibernian who missed the next clear opportunity, Miller's shot blocked but falling to Franck Sauzee who sent his volley wide and moments later Viduka was inches away for Celtic.
Miller continued to worry Celtic, Mjallby hauling him back to be booked after 63 minutes, but the youngster was not to be denied as he scored from the resulting free kick.
Sauzee drilled the ball into the middle where Gould did well to deny Dirk Lehmann, but Miller was the first player to react and fired a powerful shot home for 2-0.
Celtic were shaken but given a glimmer of hope after 73 minutes when, after Burchill raced onto Mjallby's pass, he played in Viduka who kept his balance adeptly to make it 2-1.
Gould was almost caught out by a stunning 35-yard free kick from Sauzee which drifted just over, but now it was Celtic who were turning on the pressure as time ebbed away.
Viduka burst clear on the right and as Colgan advanced he chose to be unselfish and squared for Wieghorst only for the Dane to stumble in front of an open goal and somehow put the ball wide.
Celtic seemed destined not to level when with five minutes remaining a Moravcik corner fell to Stubbs whose powerful drive crashed against the underside of the bar and away to safety.
In the 88th minute Tom Smith was on hand to deny the visitors heading away a Viduka effort on the goalline, but at the finish it was Hibernian, and of course Rangers, who were celebrating.
Teams:
Hibernian: Colgan, Collins, J. Hughes, McIntosh, Smith, Lovell, Sauzee, McGinlay, Miller (Jean 89), Paatelainen, Lehmann.
Subs Not Used: Gottskalksson, Hartley, Brebner, Murray.
Booked: McGinlay.
Goals: McGinlay 22, Miller 63.
Celtic: Kharine (Gould 31), Mjallby, Stubbs, Boyd, McNamara, Petrov, Berkovic (Burchill 46), Wieghorst, Mahe, Viduka,Moravcik.
Subs Not Used: Riseth, Blinker, Rafael.
Booked: Mjallby.
Goals: Viduka 73.
Att: 12,236
Ref: Jim McCluskey (Scotland).