TOETAL FOOTBALL
Christie’s kick or Jullien’s touch? It doesn’t matter as Hoops rack up 34th straight cup win to see off Saints
THE Big Game Hunter won his side the first trophy of the season and kept them bang on course for another clean sweep of silverware.
But Christopher Jullien claimed the glory for the winner at McDiarmid Park rested with set-piece specialist Ryan Christie.
His kindness failed to sway the bookies who showed a rare spirit of generosity of their own by paying out on both.
Big toe or big no – Jullien hasn’t half been involved with some of the strikes that have mattered most to his club this season.
Rangers in the League Cup Final at Hampden, Lazio in the Europa League at Parkhead and Kilmarnock in the Premiership at Rugby Park? The £7million
Frenchman added to his tally of vital contributions at McDiarmid Park with his role in a pulsating Scottish Cup quarter-final just nine minutes from time.
Christie or Jullien? It mattered not a jot to Celtic fans who are revelling in an undefeated run in cup competitions that stretches to 1415 days and 34 consecutive victories over four years.
In reality Celtic are only two games away from their fourth consecutive grand slam of the Scottish game as they bounced back from their Europa League exit just four days earlier. Neil
Lennon will surely concede his old pal Tommy Wright did more than almost anyone else to bring their domestic run to an end as Saints made a mockery of recent below-par performances against the Parkhead club.
Ultimately Celtic deserved their victory on the back of their second-half display even if wastefulness in front of goal threatened to cost them before Jullien arrived at the front post to cause chaos at Christie’s free-kick.
Saints fought tooth and nail but Celtic have proved time and again they have the mettle and street-smarts to keep winning in all conditions and form.
Saints were keen to address the damning stats that had seen Celtic rattled 30 goals past them in the last nine fixtures without reply. The Hoops were three goals up after half an hour on league business here only last month.
But Wright’s side played with much more discipline and purpose this time around.
The conditions were something of a leveller and ground staff had frantically shovelled green sand over the heaviest parts of the pitch in the buildup to improve the aesthetics for a live TV audience.
The wind was howling, the playing surface was sodden and the rain swirled in all directions,
with the all-round quality suffering as a consequence.
In fairness it was entertaining enough and Saints had the best of a first half in which they were sprightly in attack.
Callum Hendry forced a save from Fraser Forster after only five minutes, with Wright’s adventurous decision to play with two men up front almost reaping an instant reward.
Saints were finding purchase in wide areas, with Drey Wright particularly lively, and Forster was alert to push a looping cross over the top from the winger.
Wright also seized on a slack pass across the middle of the park by Christie as half-time approached and drew another save from Forster who was also at full stretch from the resulting corner to push a header from Jamie McCart over the top.
Celtic’s best chance in the opening half fell to Callum McGregor but his 12-yard effort stuck in the mud and nestled between Zander Clark’s legs.
Conditions were more benign in the second half – and suddenly it was the away side who decided to kick up a storm.
Within two minutes the Saints defence had been carved open by a exchange of passes between Christie and James Forrest.
But former Inverness playmaker Christie drew his shot inches wide of the post.
Moments later a rare slip from Jason Kerr allowed Odsonne Edouard to drive into the box but the French striker, normally so sure-footed, fired over the top with only Clark to beat.
Forrest had a shot spilled by Clark but it appeared to be one of those days for Celtic when the ball dropped the wrong side of Leigh Griffiths in the six-yard box.
But the Scotland frontman, should have done better when he ran on to a pass from Kris Ajer after the defender galloped into the final third but blazed over.
Celtic’s afternoon appeared to be summed up when Clark brilliantly saved from Christie before the keeper also denied Edouard as Jullien’s follow-up was deflected past the post from pointblank range.
Matt Butcher had earlier gone close with a turn and shot from the edge of the box and while Stevie May and Hendry continued to test the Hoops defensive line, Celtic were much more assured.
Justice was done at the winner as it came off a freekick, conceded when McCart was fortunate only to be cautioned for a shocking tackle on Forrest wide right.
The scorer may have been up for debate but there was no mistaking the sense of celebration, tinged with a relief, as Celtic players took the bow from their fans.