Ange’s delight: Forrest fires Celts into first final for Aussie manager
Forrest (74) ST JOHNSTONE 0
Celtic’s winningest player James Forrest summoned up the spirit of Bertie Auld to help his side book a place in the next month’s Premier Sports Cup Final.
A product of the Hoops youth system, the Scotland winger has participated in an incredible 19 of the club’s domestic triumphs.
That was not enough to earn him a place in Ange Postecoglou’s starting line-up last night for the first of the weekend’s semi-finals but it was pedigree enough to get him a run off the substitutes’ bench when things were not going to plan.
And to the delight of the fans who had honoured the name of the late Lisbon Lion Auld – scorer of the Celtic’s winner in the 1969-70 League Cup Final against Saints – he took just four minutes to smash home the tie’s only goal.
It was a scruffy affair, not that they cared.
Zander Clark’s sclaffed kick out was intercepted by Jota who swung a wicked high cross into the Saints box.
Jamie Mccart managed to half clear the ball and Forrest, lurking with intent 10 yards out, fired into the net.
As hard as that was on a Saints side who worked tirelessly all night to shut down their opponents’ time and space, it was reward for Celtic’s dominance with stats of 80%-20% possession telling their own story.
A carefully choreographed tribute to Bertie Auld set the scene for the first of the weekend’s Premier Sports Cup semi-finals.
Thousands of green, white and black cards held up by Celtic supporters spelled out the name “Bertie” in giant letters.
At the front, a quote writ large: “They’ll encourage you and they’ll never forget you”.
It was not from the Lisbon Lion himself but another Auld, his father, during the pair’s introductory tour of Celtic Park in 1955.
For last night Celtic’s players all wore black armbands on their sleeves and 10, Auld number, on their shorts.
He would have approved of the start they made too.
There were only a handful of minutes on the clock when skipper Callum Mcgregor sent Jota scampering down the left wing with a perfectly weighted ball over the Saints defence.
The winger, marker trailing in his wake, carried it to the byline before cutting it back low into the path of David Turnbull, who blazed over the bar.
Miss it might have been, but the move clearly got the Portuguese in the mood for on his next dart down the flank he was at his mischievous best turning James Brown first one way then the next before hitting a spectacular “rabona” to the back post.
Again, Turnbull was the target, this time he had defenders in attendance and the attack broke down.
As much as Celtic got off on the right foot, it was not entirely comfortable.
The holders are past masters at hitting opponents on the break, they did it to great effect in both cup competitions last season, and here they stayed alert to all possibilities.
David Wotherspoon almost cashed in when Joe Hart dallied in getting a back pass from Stephen Welsh out from his feet.
The midfielder managed to slide in and knock the ball goalwards but it slithered wide of post.
Chris Kane had the former England keeper flying full length of his goal with a snapshot from distance. Craig Bryan forced a save with a speculative effort.
Still Celtic pressed.
Josip Juranovic was denied by a flying block from Callum Booth, Callum Mcgregor likewise denied by a smart piece of defending from Jamie Mccart who read that the Scotland midfielder was intent on shooting rather than find a team-mate.
Both managers resisted the temptation to make changes at half-time but Callum Davidson had one forced on him within a few minutes of the teams’ return.
Tony Ralston’s tackle on David Wotherspoon was innocuous but the Saints player turned his knee and, after some attention from the Perth side’s medics, he limped off to be replaced by Ali Crawford.
Postecoglou left it past the traditional hour mark to make a switch but with his team again and again being blunted by the holders’ dogged and disciplined defending he had to do something.
James Forrest, the player who has won more with the club than any other, was the obvious choice.
Liel Abada, great on his day but with a tendency to be anonymous when it is not, was the obvious choice to come off.
While it might have been the logical thing to do, the Hoops manager could scarcely have anticipated how well it would turn out.