2018-03-03: Celtic 3-0 Morton, Scottish Cup

Match Pictures | Matches: 2017 – 2018 | 2017-18 Pictures

Trivia

• Scottish Cup 6th Round
• Martin Compper debut
• Country has been gripped by heavy snow and this game was widely requested to be called off. Weather was called Snowmageddon & Beast from the East.
• Midweek game was cancelled. Sevco in the league next.
• Scott Brown announces international football retirement. Good for Celtic, disaster for Scotland national side.
• Celtic draw Sevco in next round of the cup.
• Dedryck Boyata is on course to return to action for Celtic in the match at Ibrox on 11 March but Stuart Armstrong and Leigh Griffiths are both facing lengthier lay-offs than initially anticipated.
• Chris Sutton has criticised his former club’s transfer policy this season in the wake of their European exit to Zenit St Petersburg. The BT Sport pundit singled out the signing of Charly Musonda on loan from Chelsea, wondering why Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has ‘discarded’ the young star.
• Owen Coyle has resigned as Ross County manager, note at one he was up for the Celtic job but turned down return to Scottish League when he was manager down south.
• Derek McInnes said to want to make another attempt to sign Ryan Christie on a permanent deal if Brendan Rodgers decides the midfielder doesn’t have a long-term future with Celtic. The Aberdeen manager failed with a similar bid for Christie last summer when his Parkhead counterpart took Jonny Hayes to Celtic in a £1.2 million deal.
• Brendan Rodgers has opened the door for Neil Lennon, his counterpart at Hibernian, to buy playmaker Scott Allan.
• Davide Astori – Fiorentina captain and Italy international found dead at their team hotel. 31 year old, absolutely tragic. RIP. He died of cardiac arrest by natural causes.

Review

(Stevieb from KDS)
About as comfortable as it gets. Slow to start but were on top after the fifteenth minute. Still a wee bit short in the first half but by half time it was clear who was winning the game. Clear improvement in n the second half but imo that was mainly due to the whole team moving up a gear rather than just the substitution.

Overall most players did fine with dembele, Forrest and Eduard shining. DeVries is still a bombscare though.

(The Gorbal's Urchin)
Just watched the recording of the game Christ the co commentator was
fecking depressing then my boy tells me it was Mark McGhee ,kinda glad I
actually went to the game now.

Teams

Articles

• Match Report (see end of page below)

Pictures

• Match Pictures

Forum

• Pre-match
• Match
• Post Match

MOTM

• Voting Thread
• Result Thread
• Winner –

Stats

Articles

Celtic 3 – 0 Morton: Second half goals see Celtic through to last four
https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/teams/celtic/celtic-3-0-morton-second-half-goals-see-celtic-through-to-last-four-1-4700040
Andrew Smith
Published: 14:24 Saturday 03 March 2018
https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/teams/celtic/celtic-3-0-morton-second-half-goals-see-celtic-through-to-last-four-1-4700040
In isolation, Celtic’s trudge through to the Scottish Cup semi-final was achieved without them ever really skating on thin ice. Their footing, though, did not seem so sure against a Morton side that performed creditably as to suggest they will be required to tread anything but gingerly at Ibrox next Sunday.

It took an hour – and the interval introduction of Odsonne Edouard for the out-of-touch Scott Sinclair – for Brendan Rodgers’ men to find a way through a stubborn Championship opponent. They did so through a fine headed strike from Moussa Dembele, who shortly afterwards netted from the penalty spot after being brought down by Michael Doyle for an offence that television pictures showed was a shade outside the area.

There was an absence of rhythm and intensity in Celtic play’s before these goals that was openly acknowledged by Rodgers afterwards. The pursuit of the never-before-achieved feat of two consecutive trebles may have moved forward another notable step with the quarter-final win. However, this was almost eclipsed by what his side’s display would mean for quelling any title insurgence from an in-form Rangers when the pair go toe-to-toe in a week’s time.

A “steady” debut for Marvin Compper – apart from a first stray pass that almost let Morton in after a couple of minutes, Rodgers noted – might bring him in to contention for a derby that sees the Glasgow clubs separated by six points, Graeme Murty’s side having played a game more. A Celtic victory in the derby would snuff out any title pretensions from their emboldened city rivals.

Edouard will have enhance his prospects of making that derby after netting in the 90th minute. Prior to that he had established a frontline partnership with Dembele that was a departure from the solitary-central striker orthodoxy for Rodgers that brought to life his fellow Frenchman.

The Celtic manager said he has “in his mind” a team for the derby with the Paris Saint-Germain loanee clearly in his thinking. ““I thought he was very good,” the Celtic manager said of Edouard. “He’s a young player I rate highly, he can play in a number of positions. He has strength, power and threatens in behind, he’s quick but he can link in behind as well. I felt that those two occupied their back four really well because they are both quick. Odsonne wants to run in behind but his link up and hold up play is really good and he had two good chances before he scored the goal. [Playing him against Rangers] is something I can consider. I’ve an idea of what we want to do if everyone’s fit next week but certainly today he provided the spark the team needed.”

The sluggish nature of Celtic as compared to the switched-on nature of Morton in the opening stages belied the difficulties encountered by the Greenock club in preparing for the occasion as the country ground to a halt amidst the white blanket that covered it. The conditions, indeed, led the club’s chief executive Warren Hawke to question the staging of the fixture yesterday.

“We had a half hour training session in a blizzard at Battery Park on Friday,” said manager Jim Duffy. “The goalie coach Davie Wylie got the shovels out and cleared a 20-yard area for us. t got us a touch of the ball but it was baltic and the snow was blowing all over the place. That’s all we did since Tuesday [and the defeat by Livingston at Cappielow].. It’s all we could do because of a lack of facilities. But we could have spent a week preparing for Celtic and they might still have won. Of course, it wasn’t ideal preparation but by Friday we wanted to play the game. Mentally we were prepared and the players were ready for it.”

They demonstrated that readiness by giving as good as they got across the opening half hour. Celtic took charge thereafter but not until neat footwork from Tom Rogic allowed the Australian to make space form himself on right before flipping over a hanging cross that Dembele rose powerfully to nod into net.

Duffy didn’t agonise over the wrong call from referee John Beaton that let Dembele drive in a penalty to wrap up a last four place come the 71st minute. A third goal was harsh on his team but they were powerless to stop that when, in the final minute of normal time, James Forrest produced an accurate cut-back from the right for Edouard, who cleverly shifted the ball from right to left foot, before chopping in an effort that looped up to beat Gaston.

BBC

By John Barnes

BBC Scotland at Celtic Park

From the section Scottish Cup

Highlights: Celtic 3-0 Morton

Celtic cruised into the Scottish Cup semi-finals as striker Moussa Dembele scored twice against Championship side Morton.

The visitors were well-drilled and disciplined as they kept the Scottish Cup holders at bay in the first half.

Dembele opened the scoring with a header after the break, though, before adding a second from the penalty spot.

Substitute Odsonne Edouard wrapped up the scoring with a third from close range in the final minute.

Edouard was 'the key' in Celtic cup win

The tie featured the two sides with the best defensive records in Scotland, and Celtic had to show patience as they worked to break down a visiting side that played with resilience and spirit.
Celtic striker Moussa Dembele against Morton
Moussa Dembele opened the scoring against Morton with a powerful header

The Morton chief executive Warren Hawke felt this match should have been postponed as a consideration for the safety of fans travelling to the match in the wake of the week's adverse weather, but the Greenock club's followers arrived in Glasgow in good numbers.

Marvin Compper, on his Celtic debut, almost made an immediate impact to forget when he gifted the Championship club an early opportunity. Gary Oliver latched on to the former RB Leipzig defender's misplaced pass – his first touch of the ball for his new club – but the Morton forward delayed in shooting and Kristoffer Ajer raced back to concede a corner.

Morton showed early promise, with manager Jim Duffy's tactics giving Celtic food for thought, particularly on the counter attack with midfielder Gary Harkins often prominent.
Celtic striker Moussa Dembele is fouled by Morton's Michael Doyle
Moussa Dembele won a spot kick for Celtic when he was tripped by Morton defender Michael Doyle

Celtic eventually found some rhythm just after quarter of an hour, when Dembele and James Forrest combined to create a good chance. The pair combined to release Forrest on a scampering run down the right, and his cross from the byline was met by the French striker, who's header was cleared off the goal line by the vigilant Morton captain Thomas O'Ware.

Tom Rogic had two efforts prior to the interval, but on both occasions he was denied by fine saves by Derek Gaston. The Morton goalkeeper's first intervention was outstanding as he reacted superbly to turn away the Celtic midfielder's strike after a sweeping move; the second he tipped round the post as Rogic fired in a left-foot volley.

Edouard replaced Scott Sinclair at the break and came close within two minutes of the restart. The ball broke his way 12 yards out, but his shot had no power and was easily saved by Gaston.
Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard scores against Morton
Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard came off the bench to good effect, scoring the third goal in the final minute

Morton, looking to reach the semi final for the first time since 1981, were not overwhelmed by the occasion and Andy Murdoch prompted a moment of alarm for Celtic goalkeeper Dorus de Vries. The midfielder showed neat skill on the edge of the box to flick the ball up before sending a right-foot volley inches wide.

But in the 63rd minute Celtic took the lead when Dembele claimed his 11th goal of the season with a fine header from a Rogic cross from the right. The striker's effort flew over Gaston and bounced in off the underside of the bar.

Seven minutes later, Celtic doubled their lead in controversial circumstances when they were awarded a penalty after Dembele was fouled by Michael Doyle just outside the box. However, the referee John Beaton judged the infringement to have taken place inside the area and Dembele scored with the spot kick.
Celtic defender Marvin Compper makes his debut against Morton
Marvin Compper made his debut for Celtic, after signing in January from RB Leipzig

That goal was a sucker punch to the visitors and Dembele came close to completing his hat-trick with another header from a Forrest cross, but Gaston reacted well to tip it over.

Edouard wrapped up the victory with Celtic's third goal, finishing well after another run and cross by Forrest, to ensure the holders progressed to the semi-finals for the seventh time in nine seasons.