LIV AND LET SIGH
Champagne on ice as Hoops huff and puff
Celtic huffed and puffed before blowing their chance of being crowned champions today.
Of course it seems only a matter of time before eight-in-a-row is sealed and they’d probably want to race over the line themselves rather than watch the coronation without a ball being kicked.
But there’s no doubt the frustrated Parkhead support wanted their heroes to follow up last weekend’s Old Firm triumph by heaping even more pressure on Rangers’ shoulders when they travel to Fir Park today.
It wasn’t to be. A win today for Motherwell will not now confirm Celtic as champions before the next stage of their treble Treble bid unfolds with a massive Scottish Cup semi-final clash with Aberdeen next Sunday.
The champagne is to be kept on ice thanks to equal ly cold finishing by a Hoops side that boss Neil Lennon admitted haven’t been firing on all cylinders since the moment he returned.
They had their chances yesterday only to encounter frustration time and again, usual ly in the shape of Livingston keeper Liam Kelly.
For 90 minutes this brave Lions side held out under pressure to defy the odds, just as they have done all season since being promoted through the play- offs with l it t le expectat ion of surviving this season.
They’ve been a revelation and thoroughly deserved the club’s first ever point at Celtic Park.
But Ryan Christie, one of those who knocked on the door only to find a resolute defence slamming it shut, insisted this was a game Celtic should have won.
Christie said: “If we had taken one of the early chances the game would have been a lot more comfortable but the longer it goes we get impatient and the fans get impatient.
“A lot of teams come here and try to do what they did— get everyone behind the ball and make it difficult—and Livi are one of the best sides to do it this season. We found it extremely difficult and frustration builds.
“We played well, dominated the ball, had a fair few shots on target–it was just the final product that was missing.
“We’ll put the disappointment behind us then look forward to Hampden next week.”
A banner in the Jock Stein Stand proclaimed “Get well soon Stevie G”, cheekily suggesting the Rangers manager might be suffering some form of delusion judging by his post- Old Firm comments.
Yet it was nearly the home support who were feeling sick within 60 seconds as Livingston gave the Hoops a scare from a corner.
Hearts-bound Craig Halkett was given too much space to nod towards goal but it came off Scott Brown and scraped wide.
That let-off didn’t impress boss Lennon in the dugout, who had vowed minutes before kick- off that there would be no complacency from his side.
And his players responded, quickly taking control and forcing Kelly to make good saves to deny Chr ist ie, Brown and Odsonne Edouard.
Good play from James Forrest, tearing inside from the right to clip a low shot with the outside of his foot, had the Scotland new boy throwing himself to keep that one out of his bottom corner.
But the pick of the bunch was Kelly’s terrific reaction stop to thwart Tom Rogic from Kieran Tierney’s searching low cutback.
Livi gave the champions another fright on 27 minutes with Dolly Menga unleashing a dipping drive from distance that had Scott Bain scrambling to tip it clear.
Another warning to Celts that they needed to make their first-half dominance count but with Kelly in this kind of form that was proving a tall order.
Another good stop frustrated Rogic again after he had muscled his way past Rickie Lamie.
A lovely Callum McGregor through ball then left Lamie no choice but to take Forrest out and cop a booking for the team. A deserved yellow card but one Gary Holt won’t fault him for taking in order to keep the score level. A sacrificial Lamie, if you like. And he paid the price for the second half with Hakeem Odoff in introduced at right-back while Steven Lawless filled Lamie’s daunting left-back role trying to tame Forrest. Celtic were desperately needing to freshen things up in a stale start to the second period. Enter Jonny Hayes, a 63rd-minute replacement for Filip Benkovic,y et still Celtic continued to huff and puff. Timothy Weah’s introduction for Rogic for the last 20 minutes was further declaration of a side desperately seeking inspiration. And it almost came as Hayes’ cross was miskicked by Weah into the path of Edouard right in front of goal but he couldn’t find the target with his rushed poke. Oliver Burke for Christie seven minutes from time was Lennon’s last throw of the dice but again Celtic only found frustration as Kelly raced out to clear off the toe of Edouard as a Weah’s cross found a rare route through. In the dying seconds they could have snatched it when Edouard’s shot was spilled and amid the melee Burke somehow managed to steer his shot wide from close range. Celtic’s day summed up perfectly at the bitter end.