Classic match a fitting backdrop as history made
Showpiece was the best for some time and both teams deserve credit for that, says Neil Cameron
WHAT a football match, what a final, what a winning goal and what a privilege it was to be at Hampden Park to witness history being made.
Aberdeen’s brave performance will soon be forgotten but let’s start with the gallant runners-up – let’s not use the word losers – because they gave everything for their manager and the only reason they didn’t get the job done was because they were up against an incredible team.
Well done to Derek McInnes. He got his tactics just about spot on. It takes two teams to make a classic and make no mistake this was a Scottish Cup final for the ages. However, at the end, despite all their efforts, the ticker tape which fell from the Hampden main stand was green and white.
Invincible and immortal. That’s what Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic are. They won the treble playing that pure, inventive football Jock Stein spoke about and this season will go down in club history as one of the greatest since 1888.
The day after Celtic won the European Cup, a match which changed football, an album by The Beatles was released which changed music. Fifty years on, it’s true to say this was the pinnacle for this Scottish team, and while the same could be said for those four lads from Liverpool, their quest to have one more big hit never stopped.
This season is not Celtic’s Sgt Pepper. That was Lisbon. An invincible treble is perhaps not even their Revolver, but it’s been beautiful and timeless and has given their fans a sense of warmth they had not felt for some time. Let’s call the 2016/17 campaign Celtic’s Abbey Road. Don’t listen to the naysayers who would seek to play down this achievement. What this group of players have done is remarkable. They have won the lot in the domestic game this season, culminating in yesterday’s victory against Aberdeen, the established second-best team in the country, playing exciting, attack-minded, fast-flowing football which made their supporters fall back in love with their team.
They also qualified for the Champions League and while Europe was to provide some moments to forget, the fact Celtic managed to perform at home while juggling how to take on Barcelona, Manchester City, who didn’t beat them, and a fine Borussia Monchen- gladbach side, is admirable. It’s all down to Rodgers. “He’s a genius,” said one of his players recently. He is no Lennon or McCartney but the Irishman is a George. He’s cool, calm, confident, true to his values.
The manager is now a legend at the club he has always supported. What happens next is going to be fascinating but, for now, he can be proud of what he has managed to do at Celtic Park in under a year.
But, boy, were Celtic made to work by Aberdeen. Celtic deserved to win given their dominance and quality in the second half, but Aberdeen did not deserve to lose in the sense no footballer deserves to lose if they give everything.
The game was terrific from start to finish. Aberdeen stunned Celtic by taking an early lead when Jonny Hayes scored from a well-worked corner but, before the red army had sat back down, the peerless Stuart Armstrong was guiding the ball into the bottom corner with his left foot. It was then we knew we had a classic on our hands.
But the game changer came when Aberdeen striker Jayden Stockley, a surprise starter ahead of top scorer Adam Rooney, threw out his arm and caught Kieran Tierney flush in the face. Only Stockley knows whether he meant it, but it didn’t look great, although he wasn’t even booked.
Tierney had to go off and for a while Celtic lost their discipline and Aberdeen smelled blood. No pun intended. Both teams created a ridiculous number of chances and then came one of those moments which happen in a cup final when everyone thinks to themselves: ‘That’ll haunt them”.
Callum McGregor dithered. Hayes robbed him on the touchline and suddenly it was a two-onone in Aberdeen’s favour. Had the Irishman got his pass to the superb Kenny McLean right, the midfielder had an open goal to aim for from a few yards. But the ball was behind McLean and to the astonishment of all there was no goal.
Aberdeen goalkeeper Joe Lewis was good. He had to be, as were the men in front of him who put their bodies in the way of countless Celtic shots.
And then with injury time under way, Tom Rogic ran at the Aberdeen defence, dribbled past Andrew Considine and squeezed the ball home at the near post for a moment which will have Celtic supporters in tears every time they watch it for a long, long time.
As the Australian scored, a bolt of lightning lit up the sky above Hampden. Talk about dramatic.
Aberdeen were out on their feet at the final whistle, as Celtic and their supporters sang and danced. Those wearing red stayed to salute their team. What a superb advert for our
Celtic deserved to win but Aberdeen, who gave everything, did not deserve to lose