Penalty miss is costly for champions...
GEORGE BOND
AS he stood over the free-kick, it brought back memories of that dramatic afternoon at Hampden in June last year, when Leigh Griffiths’ two stunning strikes would come so close to earning Scotland a famous victory over England.
At Fir Park last night, however, the ball did not come close to finding the back of the net.
Motherwell would provide Griffiths with another opportunity shortly after, from a similar position. This time, the Celtic striker could only find the back of a team-mate, the ball spinning out for a goal-kick.
The home side would eventually punish Celtic for their profligacy — a late equaliser their reward for keeping the champions within reach.
To be fair to Griffiths, he has only recently returned to first-team action — a little rustiness in front of goal can be forgiven — although Brendan Rodgers would almost certainly like to see the 28-year-old back to what he does best sooner rather than later, lest other points are needlessly thrown away.
Griffiths spoke beforehand about his hopes of still being involved with Scotland, despite the recent uneasiness between him and national boss Alex McLeish.
In truth, on-form he remains a potent attacking option, one that would not easily be discarded by McLeish despite the recent upturn in form sparked by Griffiths’ team-mate James Forrest.
If goals will surely come for the former Hibs striker, it will be his well-documented fitness issues that both club and country will keep a keen eye on.
Last night, though, it was a showing where substance far outranked style. Indeed, there could be no faulting the effort.
Often isolated with Jonny Hayes sitting wide and Olivier Ntcham tucking in off the left flank, Griffiths turned focal point rather than finisher, receiving into feet and setting up onrushing colleagues. Showing capability as a target man, the job in which Steven Fletcher excelled for Scotland against Israel last month, he proved he is no one-trick pony.
Twice inside the opening minute Griffiths lay poleaxed on the turf, having thrown himself full tilt into opposing centre-halves. Guile followed guts, craftily dragging the Motherwell defence about Fir Park on several occasions to create space for Ryan Christie to charge into. Both the opening goal, and the penalty — Griffiths’ most unfortunate moment — would profit from such moves.
With Motherwell’s late equaliser, it was Griffiths’ miss from the spot that will, unfortunately, endure as his main contribution to the game. But even that showed his determination to prove his worth.
Ntcham, perhaps the most accomplished penalty-taker available to Celtic, was given little chance to put forward his case. The spot-kick was also not without effort, thumped with all requisite force to Mark Gillespie’s left. The radar, though, on his first start in two months, was still off, and the keeper made a strong save.
Fellow returnee Scott Brown struggled to make an impact on the match, decidedly off the pace himself as opposite number David Turnbull grew into the game.
With questions already hanging over the Celtic skipper’s long-term future, it was not a display to make Rodgers think twice about restoring McGregor to the starting line-up.
The end for Griffiths came on 66 minutes, entirely out of puff having chased yet another loose ball on the edge of his own box to win his side a free-kick and relieve building Motherwell pressure.
It encapsulated his evening — a feisty, gritty episode that won’t live long in the memory of those watching.