Wonder strike sealed victory
Swanson’s special shot at Celtic Park
CELTIC ............................ 0 ST JOHNSTONE ............ 1
As the SPFL looks to end the 2019/20 Premiership season it seems certain Celtic will be handed their ninth title in a row.
However, on March 4 five years ago it was the mighty Saints who came out on top under the lights at Celtic Park thanks to a wonder strike from a fans’ favourite. Match report
I’ve seen bigger lucky charms dangling from car mirrors but Danny Swanson won over quick-to-judge doubters with the most sublime strike of the season.
St Johnstone victories in the East End of Glasgow are rare and treble chasing Celtic had clocked-up eight successive league wins, with 4-0 scorelines attached to their previous three home matches.
The travelling supporters were measured in dozens in an attendance given as 41,849. Thousands must have turned up at Celtic Park disguised as green bucket seats. And even more were empty long before the end, with Perth players turning in arguably the most composed St Johnstone performance ever witnessed at a notoriously intimidating venue.
Keeper Alan Mannus had a few decent saves, all of them to be expected from a keeper of his class, but this was not the Alamo. None of your brave backs to the wall, riding your luck and hoping for a smash and grab act.
No, this was a thoroughly deserved win which scared the living daylights out of top six rivals anticipating the customary Celtic win en route to the championship.
Manager Tommy Wright’s tactics were flawless, all 13 of his players carrying them out to the letter.
They were admirably disciplined, confident in possession, relentlessly competitive all over the pitch and Swanson’s stunning 54th minute halfvolley will surely go down as his best when he reflects on a career on both sides of the border.
Swanson was singled out by drink-fuelled cretins when Saints lost their hold on the cup in Dumfries.
Toiling with the cold, he flirted with crying off hours before the midweek contest.
But Wright’s game plan involved Swanson and Michael O’Halloran pressing the Hoops fullbacks, leaving tireless Steven MacLean and an advanced David Wotherspoon to harass their central defenders relentlessly.
But the goal was something special. Wotherspoon’s corner – one of many – was headed out by Van Dijk. On loan Coventry winger Swanson steadied himself and from the moment it left the outside of his right boot the strike was destined for the top corner, with keeper Craig Gordon helpless as it exploded in the postage stamp corner.
Home fans anticipated a reaction. They are still waiting. Taking their cue from Wotherspoon, Saints savoured possession in an environment where so many players shrink and pass the buck.
Chris Millar is emerging as a runaway McDiarmid player of the year and class permeated this team performance, which reclaimed their top six status.
There were no failures, only the odd 10 out of 10 rating, with Brian Easton another in that bracket, defending and bombing forward in equally effective measure, and Murray Davidson showed the qualities which earned him a Scotland call-up.
The opening minutes saw Armstrong and Stokes coming close, Mannus palmed a Mackay-Steven shot away and before halftime he leapt to push aside an Armstrong strike. But MacLean, Wotherspoon and O’Halloran all worried the Hoops.
If anything Saints stepped it up after the interval, dominating possession and taking the game to an increasingly anxious home team.
Cup final goal hero Steven Anderson could have doubled their lead from a Wotherspoon corner but sliced his shot wide.
ST JOHNSTONE: Mannus, Mackay, Easton, Anderson, Scobbie, Millar, Wotherspoon, Davidson, O’Halloran (Miller 77’), Swanson (Croft 70’), MacLean
CELTIC: Gordon, Matthews (Wakaso 45’), Denayer, Van Dijk, Ambrose, Armstrong, Brown, Mackay-Steven (Forrest 59’), Johansen, Stokes (Bitton 59’), Griffiths
REFEREE: Calum Murray was in charge
CROWD: 41,849
Mannus fended off a Denayer header and Van Dijk headed past, but four years on from their last win at Celtic Park, Saints coasted to another famous victory.
This was a thoroughly deserved win