Deja vu again for McInnes as Celtic move onwards
Kilmarnock manager left to lick wounds after semi defeat
DEREK McINNES looks to the heavens. He’s searching for a bit of fortune, a touch of quality, something to reward his team’s tireless endeavour. But there’s only rain, a relentless downpour and, as the final whistle goes, the Kilmarnock manager is left to soak up the pain of what could have been.
It tends to be the case when he meets Celtic at Hampden. The Parkhead side have broken his heart more times than he will care to remember on this venue. Giorgos Giakoumakis’s stoppage- time tap- in confirms a place in the Viaplay Cup final once again for its reigning champions.
His goal is the final act of an arduous 90 minutes, played in atrocious conditions on a pitch buckling under the deluge. It will provide little comfort just now for McInnes, but his side more than played their part in what became a thoroughly enjoyable semi- final.
Perhaps not one for the purists, the conditions saw to that, but something of an old- school battle; two teams giving absolutely everything for the right to return to the national stadium on February 26. The contest goes all the way to the very end, something many did not expect of Kilmarnock. That probably required Celtic to be short of their sumptuous best, which they were, but the Ayrshiremen did just about everything asked of them by their manager, all except that final finishing touch.
And then there were the cries for a penalty in the final moments that went unanswered, turning McInnes’s frustration into downright anger. Giakoumakis’s clumsiness in bundling over Joe Wright could well have resulted in a spot- kick to take a gripping cup tie into an extra 30 minutes.
But it was not to be, and Kilmarnock were left to ponder what- ifs. They could have been ahead in the opening minute, the sliding Kyle Vassell inches away from turning in Danny Armstrong’s ball across the six- yard box.
That right- hand side offered Kilmarnock’s greatest source of encouragement, aided by an unsettled Alexandro Bernabei. Armstrong got the better of the leftback no fewer than three times in the opening period, but Killie were unable to really make it count.
As expected, Celtic began to settle and dominate the football. But time and again they were met by a wall of blue and white shirts offering little sight of Sam Walker’s goal. Kilmarnock appeared content to leave Carl Starfelt on the ball, even allowing him to step forward as far as the final third, perhaps deducing the centre- back was least likely of all Celtic’s threats to open them up.
It worked, for the most part, but getting a breather was becoming a problem. McInnes gambled with the inclusion of Kyle Lafferty, back from a 10- game ban for making a sectarian remark, but as the half wore on the manager became increasingly exasperated with the striker not being where he wanted him to be when his rearguard managed to clear.
Ironically, he ended up exactly where Celtic wanted him for the opening goal. Aaron Mooy, the best player on the pitch, hoisted a freekick to the back post and Lafferty’s attempt to clear did not consider the presence of Daizen Maeda behind him. The ball cannoned off the advancing forward and into Walker’s net, undoing Kilmarnock’s good work.
Given how animated McInnes had become with Lafferty, it was little surprise that he did not emerge for the second period. The rain, however, was ever present and beginning to take a toll on the surface. “The conditions were tough,” said Celtic’s Jota. “The pitch wasn’t great, and we had to adapt to that. The rain didn’t help as well.”
Neither was Kilmarnock’s compactness and work rate. “It was a tough game like we expected,” the winger continued. “Last week was the same and we knew it would be a difficult game. We always try to play our game and stick to our principle and deliver. Today was the same.
“We had to stay patient and believe our game would be good enough eventually. It’s something that that we are already used to with Scottish teams because we know that a lot of them will sit back and play man to man. We just need to find the solutions for that and today was no different.”
And that’s the thing about this Celtic team, they always seem to find a way. The conditions were not particularly conducive to the liquid football Postecoglou demands, but they showed themselves capable of buckling down and winning the fight against an opponent more than up for a scrap.
It will force their rivals to wonder just how you stop them. They did not click into top gear here and yet, not
even Kilmarnock launching the kitchen sink at them was enough, which is testament to an iron- clad mentality.
They had the ball in the net twice more than the two which were allowed to stand. First, Reo Hatate was denied by the offside flag, although Celtic might just contend they could have had a penalty for the ball striking Ash Taylor’s arm before it dropped to the Japanese midfielder. Then, Maeda was denied an excellent goal by Kyogo Furuhashi drifting beyond in the build- up.
Nobody inside Hampden celebrated the second decision more than McInnes, perhaps believing the stroke of luck his team required might just fall out of the sky. They should have levelled when Armstrong connected with a backpost cross, only to find the wrong side of the net.
Doidge had a shot saved, too, and Jordan Jones was dreadfully wasteful after getting in behind Celtic’s backline as time ticked away. The simple fact is you cannot pass up such opportunities against Postecoglou’s ruthless collective.
The hottest talking point afterwards was the potential penalty Kilmarnock were denied – and you’ve seen them given – but their inability to convert at the crucial moment was their ultimate undoing. As they continually failed to capitalise, Giakoumakis’s late clincher felt inevitable.
It’s what Celtic do, and now they have another shot at silverware next month. Victory here was the first box ticked in a week in which they will compete on three fronts. It’s Premiership duty in midweek, then a Scottish Cup tie with Greenock Morton on Saturday.
They took a moment to soak up another Hampden success with the fans who lingered beyond the final whistle, but afterwards their focus was only forward.
“At this football club, we always aim for the victories and for the trophies,” Jota said. “This one is no different. Every competition we enter we always try to do our best to win and this one is no different.
“We will now put the final top the back of our minds. That’s something that’s in the future and we can only focus on the next game and that’s what we’ll try and do.
“We don’t look at statistics in terns of what we have been doing. We focus on the present and that’s what we’ve been doing. Fortunately for us, that’s led to a good run so we want to keep it that way.
“Everyone is just ready to deliver in every game and that’s what we are trying to do.”