First among sequels with script full of high drama

IN the movie business, sequels generally tend to be inferior to the original. But exceptions to the rule do exist, such as The Godfather Part II and Silence of the Lambs.

Sure enough, so it proved at Fir Park last night. If Sunday’s Betfred Cup final at Hampden was packed with intrigue and controversy as Celtic ran out 2-0 winners, what high drama unfolded here in the second half in Lanarkshire.

For so long, watching Celtic swat aside their Premiership rivals with ease in league and cup has resembled Groundhog Day. But as Mikael Lustig put through his own net with 12 minutes remaining, here was a moment of rare horror.

With the Parkhead club’s long unbeaten domestic run under Brendan Rodgers on the line, and the tension rising, there was still a sense of inevitability as the script delivered its thrilling finale.

In netting a late leveller controversially from the spot, Scott Sinclair cemented his place as the undisputed villain of the Motherwell fans and the darling of the away support.

The Celtic attacker’s act of going to ground easily under minimal contact from Cedric Kipre in Sunday’s final ended the Frenchman’s afternoon. The resulting penalty from Moussa Dembele killed the game at 2-0.

Last night, Sinclair started on the bench but as his name was read out before kick-off, it was drowned out by howls of anger from the Steelmen supporters.

The travelling Celtic fans reacted, doing their best to drown out the boos with cheers for a key protagonist in the Invincible team which has won the last four domestic trophies.

The music blaring out over the tannoy and out across Lanarkshire before kick-off also told a story of a fan base crushed by the perceived injustice of their side’s cup final loss.

Responding to pre-match requests from Motherwell fans, ‘Invisible Touch’ by Genesis was dusted off to make a point. ‘Sit Down’ by James continued the ‘going to ground’ theme.

Then, ten minutes into the match, Sinclair came out of the visiting technical area to warm up. Fir Park rained its venom down upon the former Manchester City and Aston Villa attacker. To the disappointment of Steelmen supporters, though, when Patrick Roberts soon pulled up injured it was Tom Rogic who got the nod. They would later get their wish but were left ruing Sinclair’s arrival.

As well as taunting Sinclair, the Fir Park announcer had also used his pre-match slot to express his views on these teams facing each other so often.

‘This Saturday we take on Celtic — just for a change,’ he quipped. The trouble with such a trilogy is that, with just three days between each game, the potential increases for feuds to remain festering.

With oil needed poured over troubled waters, the appointment of referee Willie Collum seemed a strange one. But the much-criticised match official took an unusually patient approach to handling this potential powder- keg figure.

Throughout an often-tousy first half, Collum kept his yellow card in his pocket when all of his natural instincts will have been to flash it to Motherwell’s Kipre, debutant Deimantas Petravicius, Allan Campbell and Celtic’s Stuart Armstrong.

The best chance of a scrappy first half fell to the visitors. On Sunday, Craig Gordon’s wonder save from Louis Moult broke Motherwell hearts at 1-0.

Last night Steelman keeper Trevor Carson did his best impression of Superman in somehow saving from Kieran Tierney from close range before half-time.

This sequel was crying out for more action and it arrived after the break. Callum McGregor then Leigh Griffiths both came close to scoring with angled drives.

Then it was time for Sinclair to make his belated cameo, to cries of: ‘cheat, cheat, cheat,’ from the fuming Motherwell fans then deafening boos as he took to the field. Celtic fans, once more, tried to drown out the din.

Before kick-off, Motherwell boss Stephen Robinson had proclaimed that ending Celtic’s long unbeaten domestic run would be almost as good as lifting a trophy.

After Lustig put through his own net that feat looked on, until Sinclair’s late intervention made it 66 unbeaten domestic matches and counting.

The champions had survived a real fright. But we have all seen this movie before: Celtic remain The Untouchables.