SHEER RELIEF ON ROUTE 66...
Cup villain Sinclair’s late spot-kick keeps Bhoys’ record intact
ON a perishing night in South Lanarkshire, Motherwell came within a hair’s breadth of serving up the dish which is always best served cold.
For Stephen Robinson’s men to be denied so late here by any of the players who defeated them at Hampden on Sunday would have been hard to take.
That Scott Sinclair, condemned and vilified by all of the claret and amber over the past four days, was the man to thwart them was almost beyond cruel.
The Englishman had only been on the field for six, second-half minutes when a chaotic episode in Celtic’s box brought us to the brink of the almost unthinkable.
By common consent, Mikael Lustig got the last touch on Craig Tanner’s free-kick, but all that truly mattered was that Brendan Rodgers’ side were at that point only 12 minutes from losing a domestic football match for the first time in 66 games.
Motherwell blocked and tackled as if their lives depended on it. When Tom Rogic’s shot hit the inside of the post and went into Trevor Carson’s arms, it seemed like a degree of vengeance would be theirs. We should have known better.
Sinclair’s every touch upon entering the fray brought extraordinary levels of abuse and support in equal measure. When Andy Rose bundled Callum McGregor over in the box with two minutes remaining, you wondered if he might even abdicate responsibility.
In a tempestuous atmosphere, you had to admire his nerve. He placed the ball beyond the reach of Carson from 12 yards and whirled away in delight. Somehow, Celtic’s unbeaten domestic run moves on.
Motherwell can only console themselves with the knowledge that no side in this astonishing run could have pushed them closer.
Robinson sought to freshen matters up with the introduction of Elliott Frear, Deimantas Petravicius and Allan Campbell to the side which started at Hampden. Liam Grimshaw, Ryan Bowman and Andy Rose sat it out.
Motherwell fans hoping to see Sinclair’s name on the Celtic team sheet were to be disappointed. Patrick Roberts started ahead of the Englishman with Leigh Griffiths also in for the injured Moussa Dembele.
Sinclair’s absence at the outset didn’t allow the ill-feeling that emanated from Sunday’s final to disperse altogether.
Cedric Kipre, the man who might well have seen red for clattering Dembele long before the tangle with the Englishman, rather gamely coming to the fore with an early crunching of James Forrest.
How the Motherwell fans roared their approval. The Frenchman seemed to be loving the attention. Sinclair briefly took it off him when he warmed up down the track in front of the main stand ten minutes in. The abuse from the home support was predictably vitriolic.
Amid all the cheers and jeers, a game of football threatened to break out. Carl McHugh guided a header on to the roof of the net with many supporters yet to take their seats with Leigh Griffiths’ opportune effort at the other end deflected wide.
Just as Celtic looked like they were building momentum, the early withdrawal of Roberts required them to recalibrate. Rogic was sprung from the bench with McGregor shunted out to the right. McGregor was the beneficiary of Rogic’s first deft touch. The Australian found Griffiths who sought out McGregor with a reverse pass. The midfielder forced Carson into a smart stop and drove the rebound the wrong side of the post. As predicted, it was feisty and physical yet never excessively so. Louis Moult and Petravicius went in late on Dedryck Boyata and Kieran Tierney respectively.
Stuart Armstrong prevented Cadden making progress down the Motherwell right. Scott Brown did likewise to Moult.
Despite the howls imploring Willie Collum to produce a card on each occasion, he correctly declined to do so.
The first half was a carbon copy of that witnessed at Hampden. With Motherwell diligent and drilled, try as they might, Celtic could not get into their rhythm. The play was punctuated by cheap fouls.
Not that Robinson, sporting a natty claret and amber scarf, would have been complaining.
McGregor’s floated free-kick did offer Rodgers some hope of a breakthrough. Ghosting in at the back post, Boyata briefly evaded Kipre’s attentions. The Belgian rather snatched at his shot and buried it in the advertising hoarding.
Motherwell’s French defender seemed to be everywhere. Arriving late for a corner at the other end, he did well to get a shot away after Celtic had only half-cleared their lines. Jozo Simunovic charged at the ball to block.
Only a quite astonishing save by Carson maintained parity at the interval, though. Robinson’s men were narrow, compact and offering no signs of encouragement when Forrest worked the ball into Rogic. Not only did the midfielder see a pass no one else did, he executed it.
The overlapping Tierney was its recipient. The full-back picked his spot in the far corner. It looked in all the way. Quite how the home keeper managed to get a toe to it, only he will know.
Celtic resumed like they meant business. Tierney left Richard Tait for dead with a surge down the left. His cross found Motherwell’s defence hesitant, but neither Griffiths nor Forrest were able to find a way past their telescopic legs. The increase in Celtic’s tempo brought more openings. McGregor’s low strike from the edge of the box was bound for the bottom corner until Carson excelled again.
Moult’s first real opening of the game arrived via a Cadden pass after a poor kick by Craig Gordon. With the Celtic keeper scrambling to get back in his goal, though, the local favourite volleyed over.
As on Sunday, Motherwell tired. Tierney’s pace was too much as he advanced to feed McGregor. The midfielder’s exquisite first touch wasn’t matched by his shot beyond the far post.
Craig Tanner replaced Frear and what a chance for instant glory he passed up. Tait’s cross dropped perfectly onto his head only for him to freeze and nod wide.
Sinclair’s belated involvement then arrived with Armstrong making way.
His every touch, his every breath, came with an almighty din. More positive cause for celebration was not long in coming, though. Brown’s foul on sub Bowman allowed Tanner to arc a free-kick towards Gordon’s goal. A scatter of players contested it. The hapless Lustig inadvertently, glanced it beyond his keeper.
When Rogic clipped the inside of the post, with the ball rebounding into Carson’s arms, you felt it had to be Motherwell’s night.
The same feeling dawned when Carson raced from his line to deny McGregor with three minutes remaining. But in the follow up, the Celtic midfielder was bundled to the turf by Rose. Collum signalled a penalty.
What followed next was the essence of high drama. Sinclair, who else, spotted the ball. With Fir Park akin to a cauldron, he placed the ball high to Carson’s right. You could not make it up.