McGregor out to ensure no repeat of cup upset

Neil Lennon may soon be teased by his players about his part in Celtic’s calamity at Clyde but Callum McGregor wants no repeat cup shock against the Bully Wee next month.

The Parkhead boss was in the Hoops midfield alongside debutant Roy Keane on January 8 2006 when, in front of the television cameras, Gordon Strachan’s side sensationally lost 2-1 to the then First Division outfit at Broadwood in the William Hill Scottish Cup.

When the triple treble winners were drawn against Clyde in Sunday’s fifth round draw thoughts went back to their last meeting in Cumbernauld.

McGregor was in the Parkhead youth system at the time and can barely remember the game but while some good-natured chiding of Lennon may well be on the cards, he is deadly serious about Celtic making it into the next round.

The Scotland midfielder said: “We’re looking forward to the game and from our point of view, we don’t want any upsets.

“Maybe in the next coming weeks we will wind him (Lennon) up a wee bit but certainly come the game everyone will be serious and ready to go and want to win the match.

“I was at Celtic back then and probably watching it. I just remember the result, it was obviously a big shock at the time but I was probably too young to actually understand the magnitude of it.

“This time around, we will be hoping for a positive result and into the next round.

“Football is always two teams and both teams have got a chance to win the game. So if you don’t prepare properly and you don’t turn up in the game then obviously you can always get done.

“We’re fully focused on it, we feel it’s a good draw but on the day you need to earn the right to play and to win and that’s what we want to do.”

Hoops fans can have no complaints about Celtic’s recent cup record. They have won 32 cup ties in succession, the most recent against Championship side Partick Thistle on Saturday.

McGregor, who scored in the 2-1 victory, added: “It’s a good record we have got and obviously we want to continue that.

“It’s something we are proud of, something we have worked hard to achieve and certainly something that we don’t want to give up.

“Cup competitions are always difficult. You have to turn up on the day and play well and win the match.”