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HOOPS LIFT CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY BUT WILL NEED TO UP THEIR GAME FOR SCOTTISH CUP FINAL CELTIC 0 DONS 1
THE conspiracy theorists would have enjoyed it.
Celtic’s failure to beat Aberdeen will be seen in some quarters as a favour to ensure that the Pittodrie side held off Rangers’ push for second.
It won’t take account, however, of the manner in which Celtic pushed to get back into this game after Andrew Considine’s opening goal just two minutes after the break.
At one point Brendan Rodgers looked to have buckled his foot at one stage in the game as he booted the water bottles in frustration while his opposite number was a perennial jack-in-the-box as he barked and shouted from the touchline.
Certainly, by the time the full-time whistle went and tempers boiled over there was little love lost as Aberdeen’s Shay Logan lost the plot entirely, beating the badge on his chest and battering back and forward with the Celtic players before heading into meltdown.
After exchanging words with Mikael Lustig, Logan slapped the Swede across the face before rampaging around the pitch remonstrating with the Hoops support.
The red card was flashed by Craig Thomson but still it went on, as Logan shouted to his own team’s supporters and the home side’s. It ended in ugly scenes with the player huckled up the tunnel by one of the watching cops.
Not that it lasted for long. Within minutes a sun-drenched stadium was privy to a rousing rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone as the party tunes and celebrations got underway.
The support and the sunshine set the scene but ultimately the flat performance on the pitch couldn’t match the surroundings.
There was a nod to past and present before the game with Scott Brown’s contribution lauded this season i n the stands – “iconic, invincible, irreplacable” read one banner – while there was a fitting tribute to the 10th anniversary of Tommy Burns’ passing this week.
On the park, though, the performance was largely in keeping with those as a whole this term. They have got the job done but without the same fluency and panache as last term.
Moussa Dembele (inset) started the game after missing out midweek and in the early stages he looked lively and in the mood.
There was a surging run into the box but his shot was blocked by Aberdeen keeper Joe Lewis.
The Frenchman looked like being a handful for the Dons defence but despite Celtic dominating much of the possession in the opening period they couldn’t find a breakthrough.
There were just 10 minutes on the clock when Aberdeen, pushing for that second place berth, had cracked an effort off Scott Bain’s crossbar after Gary Mackay-Steven had been felled at the edge of the box. Greg Stewart’s effort bounced off the woodwork but it served as notice of the Pittodrie side’s intentions to fight for the required points to get them their second spot in the table. Still, though, there was a little shell-shock in Celtic’s defence when Considine gave the Dons the lead. Kenny McLean’s run caused all sorts of consternation but as Mikael Lustig was caught sleeping, the Dons defender nipped in to drill an effort low into the net past Bain. Dembele, inevitably, was taken off with just over 40 minutes of the game still to go. With Griffiths coming back from illness and Odsonne Edouard’s season prematurely over with a hamstring injury, it was always unlikely that Rodgers would risk the striker
It was a lethargic showing from Celtic with one eye on Final
picking up a knock before the William Hill Scottish Cup Final on Saturday.
Griffiths was barely on the park when he received a pass from the roving Krisotoffer Ajer but his final effort was tame as Lewis collected.
With j ust two goals required for Griffiths to hit his century for the club, the Celtic striker was desperate to try and get the Parkhead side back into the game.
The forward’s season has been interrupted by illness and injury and Griffiths looked short on energy as the sun beat down on the pitch.
In fairness, it was a lethargic showing all round from Celtic with one eye on the Cup Final next weekend while there was also a fair bit of intrigue with what was going on at Easter Road.
Celtic probed for the opening to get back into it with Olivier Ntcham having a shot blocked by Lewis before Anthony O’Connor’s intervention on Callum McGregor blocked the Hoops midfielder as he went to claim the rebound.
At one point Brown put a ball through for Sinclair but the winger hesitated and the chance was lost as Aberdeen got reinforcements back. The Englishman has been Celtic’s top scorer this season but he has played without the same level of belief and swagger that were his hallmarks last term, encapsulated in the indecisiveness which marked the way the chance went away from him.
Brown himself tried to find a leveller with an effort that was blocked and went wide well of the post. Interestingly, among all the plaudits and personal awards that the Celtic captain has received this year he has not managed to score a goal.
The Hampden stage is set for him for next Saturday.