JEAN-JOEL Perrier-Doumbe proved to be the unlikely hero at Hampden as his 85th minute strike sealed a domestic league and cup double for Gordon Strachan’s Celts.

It is often said that cup finals rarely make for entertaining encounters and that proved to be the case this afternoon as both sides laboured during the course of a closely contested 90 minutes.

But as the game entered the closing stages, the Cameroon internationalist, who joined the club on-loan from Rennes in January and has been forced to wait for his chance in the first team, popped up inside the penalty to steer home the only goal of the match.

The opening minutes of this match were actually an indicator of what was to follow as the game kicked-off with a series of meaty challenges on Neil Lennon, Paul Hartley, Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and Lee Naylor as Dunfermline set-out to impose themselves right from the outset.

The Fifers had adopted a similarly physical approach in their last meeting with Celtic back in March with little success, but today they enjoyed the better of the opening 20 minutes, pushing Celtic back and causing a number of scares in the penalty box.

During this period they also had the first real chance in the game, with former Celt Mark Burchill dragging his shot wide of Artur Boruc’s goal. But then, in the 21st minute, Celtic succeeded in getting the ball in the back of the net, only for Shunsuke Nakamura’s side-footed finish to be disallowed for a foul on the goalkeeper.

With Dunfermline chasing and harrying and striker Jim McIntyre winning his aerial battle with Steven Pressley, this war of attrition continued throughout the remainder of the first half.

Tempers were also becoming frayed as the challenges continued and Aiden McGeady was booked for a late challenge on Greg Shields, before Burchill flew-in recklessly on Jean-Joel Perrier-Doumbe and provoked a retaliation that earned both men yellow cards.

Although Dunfermline may have shaded the closing exchanges, there was just one other outstanding opportunity in this half and it fell for the champions, with Vennegoor of Hesselink somehow heading wide after being found at the back post by an excellent ball from Kenny Miller.

Within five minutes of the restart the Scotland striker then enjoyed a great opportunity of his own, but similarly failed to test Dorus De Vries with a weak header at goal and it was during this exchange that Miller was hurt by a heavy challenge that forced his withdrawal for fellow striker, Craig Beattie.

Full-back Lee Naylor then came close with a volley after a lovely one-two with Vennegoor of Hesselink on the edge of the penalty box and by the 70th minute, Dunfermline looked to be showing signs of tiredness having defended and counter-attacked in numbers.

However, when Beattie fired wide after breaking in behind a static back four with 10 minutes remaining, the game looked to be destined for a stalemate and the inevitable half hour of extra time. That was until Perrier-Doumbe broke forward on the right flank.

After picking up the ball some 40 yards out the Cameroon internationalist rolled a pass out to Beattie and hared forward in pursuit of the return. Then, as the ball broke inside the box, the full-back stuck out a foot and steered his shot past De Vries and into the bottom corner.

It was in many respects a fairytale end to the match for a player whose future at Celtic Park is still undecided and his emotion was plain to see as he sprinted to the main stand in celebration.

The full-back was also hailed with one of the loudest of cheers as he stepped up to receive the trophy afterwards, as was club captain Neil Lennon, who was making his final appearance in the Hoops.

The Scottish Cup has this season contained some of Celtic’s finest performances and after a long campaign, in where they have produced heroics at home and abroad, this was the final celebration that both the players and supporters deserved.

CELTIC (4-4-2) Boruc; Perrier-Doumbe, Pressley, McManus, Naylor; Nakamura, Lennon (Caldwell 66), Hartley, McGeady; Vennegoor of Hesselink, Miller (Beattie 56).
Subs: McGovern, Riordan, Bjarnason.

DUNFERMLINE (4-4-2) De Vries; Shields, Bamba, Wilson, Morrison (Crawford 72); Hammill, Young, McCunnie, Muirhead; Burchill (Williamson 89), McIntyre (Hamilton 80).
Subs: McKenzie, McGuire.

Hibernian v Celtic

Sunday 20th May 2007

Celtic suffer defeat in final SPL game of this season

DEREK RIORDAN scored against his old club and Scott Brown netted against his new club as Hibernian beat Celtic 2-1 in an entertaining final SPL match of the season.

The duo traded goals in four pulsating minutes of this sparkling Easter Road contest, with Riordan’s deadly finish being cancelled out by new Bhoy Brown’s cushioned header.

In an open, attacking match, Ivan Sproule’s last-minute strike clinched victory for the Easter Road side. The defeat left Celtic with a total points haul of 84 for the season – 12 ahead of second-placed Rangers.
 
Naturally taking next week’s Scottish Cup final into consideration, Celtic boss Gordon Strachan made wholesale changes to his line-up, with top-team stars Neil Lennon, Artur Boruc, Shunsuke Nakamura and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink rested.

In came Mark Brown and 20-year-old Teddy Bjarnason for their Hoops debuts, while Gary Caldwell and Craig Beattie were restored to the starting XI. With Lee Naylor and Steven Pressley suspended, Darren O’Dea and John Kennedy also started.

It was a new-look Celtic side, but Hibs manager John Collins opted to field a relatively full-strength line-up. That included Celtic-bound Brown, who was making his last appearance for the club after signing a five-year deal with the SPL champions.

As the sun shone on Leith, the scene was set for an interesting afternoon at Easter Road. Brown was in the thick of the action for Hibs and had the first chance. Meeting David Murphy’s cross inside the box, he just couldn’t get enough purchase on his header.

Celtic, with Caldwell anchoring the midfield and Paul Hartley, Thomas Gravesen and Bjarnason pushing forward, began to settle and Riordan flashed a long-range drive over the bar. At the other end, Murphy’s drive was deflected wide.

With 15 minutes on the clock, Bjarnason showed a glimpse of his huge potential. Taking Caldwell’s pass, he jinked past Kevin McCann and unleashed a stunning drive towards the top corner.

It looked a goal all the way, but somehow Andy McNeil managed to tip the net-bound shot on to the bar.
Despite being up against his new team-mates, Brown wasn’t holding back as he drove Hibs on from the middle of the park in the first period.

Likewise, the Celtic players were showing total commitment, with Bjarnason and O’Dea both involved in fierce challenges with Brown.

Following a competitive opening spell, the pace of the game seemed to drop. However, Beattie was presented with a golden chance in 40 minutes as he outstripped Chris Hogg and homed in on goal, only for his shot to rise over the bar.

Gravesen, surging forward, fired wide and then saw a left-foot shot blocked by Murphy. As half-time arrived with the game level, Brown dealt confidently with Steven Fletcher’s low drive.

Dean Shiels wasted the first chance of the second period, blazing over the bar after good approach play by Steven Whittaker.

Minutes later, following great work from Caldwell, Riordan and Gravesen, Beattie had the ball in the net. The assistant referee’s flag put an end to the celebrations as the striker was adjudged offside.

Kennedy, looking comfortable again beside McManus, showed great awareness to thwart the threat of Fletcher as Hibs broke up the park. The defender’s last-ditch tackle was timed to perfection.

In Celtic’s next attack, the champions surged ahead with an exquisite strike. Beattie was fouled on the half-way line and Caldwell’s quick free-kick sent Riordan racing away on the left flank.

Showing great pace to catch the ball on the bye-line, the former Hibs man somehow drove a shot past the static McNeill and into the far corner from the narrowest of angles.

That lead, however, lasted just four minutes as Hibs drew level. Shiels broke clear on the right and his cross found Brown. From eight yards, the midfielder guided a header into the top corner.

As the home fans rejoiced, even the Celtic supporters gave Brown a cheer as the midfielder looked slightly confused about how he should celebrate the goal against his future employers.

Bjarnason, with an old-fashioned toe-poke, forced McNeil into a low save as Celtic continued to probe for a winner right to the end.

Yet, it was Hibs who had the final say. After Merouane Zemmama had blasted over from six yards, Sproule rounded Brown and steered his finish into the net.

WEBSITE MAN OF THE MATCH: Teddy Bjarnason

HIBERNIAN (4-3-3) McNeil; McCann, Hogg, Jones, Murphy; Whittaker, Brown (Chisholm 89), Stevenson; Zemmama, Fletcher (Campbell 82), Shiels (Sproule 82)
Subs not used: Brown, Beuzelin, Gray, Martis

CELTIC (4-4-2) Brown; Doumbe, Kennedy, McManus, O’Dea; Hartley, Gravesen (McGeady 69), Caldwell, Bjarnason; Riordan, Beattie (Sheridan 88)
Subs not used: McGovern, Irvine, Conroy, Cuthbert, Caddis

Celtic v Aberdeen

Saturday 12th May 2007

Victory farewell win for Celtic Captain Neil Lennon

THERE was a fitting end to Neil Lennon’s career at Celtic Park as he and his team-mates emerged with a deserved 2-1 victory over Aberdeen in his final home game.

A Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink double sealed the three points for the Champions in this penultimate league game of the season, but the headlines will no doubt belong to the captain as he prepares to call time on his Celtic career.

It was, overall, a decent performance from a side whose standards have slipped in recent weeks and against a team who knew that victory would guarantee them third place and qualification for next season’s UEFA Cup.

During the opening half-hour, however, the Dons were restricted to a handful of openings and it was from one rare foray forward snuffed out by John Kennedy that Celtic counter-attacked, with Paul Hartley testing Jamie Langfield in the Aberdeen goal.

This chance seemed to bring the match to life, with Celtic building a sustained period of pressure.

Derek Riordan then had a shot before Hartley again fired in an effort from a neat lay-off by Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and before the half was out, even Neil Lennon was among those to have a crack at goal.

But when the opening goal came, it was no surprise that it was Celtic’s Dutch striker who was on hand to convert and open the scoring for the Premierleague champions.

It was a quick breakaway that gave Celtic the goal, with Miller sprinting down the right and finding Riordan in the box. His shot was saved by Langfield, but as the ball broke loose, Vennegoor of Hesselink was on hand to stab home his shot from eight yards out.

Not for the first time this season, Celtic would have Artur Boruc to thank and the Pole sprinted out of his box to first deny Steve Lovell at close range.

This chance clearly served as a wake-up call for the Dons and moments later, Lee Miller was hauled down by John Kennedy for a penalty.

The contact was minimal, although there were few complaints from the Celtic players and it was former Celt, Jamie Smith who stepped up to take the kick.

He drove the ball to Boruc’s left, only to see the Polish shotstopper dive across his goal and push it to safety.

But Aberdeen remained resolute and just 60 seconds later, when Celtic had failed to clear their lines, Darren Mackie was on hand to fire home the equaliser.

It was an excellent finish to level the match with just five minutes remaining in the half and as the seconds ticked away, they could have grabbed another with a Lovell shot again saved by Boruc.

But having survived this sustained onslaught, Celtic emerged fired-up after the interval and hit Aberdeen with a measured sucker punch to once again take the lead.

Neil Lennon and Shunsuke Nakamura were at the heart of the move, with the Japanese midfielder rolling the ball in to Hartley at the byline, who then drove it in to Vennegoor of Hesselink at the near post.
The Dutchman then produced the most impudent of finishes, back-heeling the ball past the floundering Langfield.

This proved to be the decisive goal in this match, although Aberdeen would squander two great opportunities to level, with Miller sending a header crashing back off the crossbar and Lovell somehow managing to stab a shot over the bar from no more than four yards out.

Aberdeen substitute Craig Brewster also had a shot that was parried by Boruc in injury-time, while Craig Beattie was unlucky not to add to the tally with a series of late attempts.

There was, however, one other moment for the Celtic supporters to cheer, with club captain Neil Lennon taking their acclaim when he came off as a late substitute and later, when he addressed the crowd after the match.

After next weekend’s final league match against Hibernian, the midfielder will have one last gala day at Hampden on May 26 to look forward to.

But the Irishman will be pleased that he was able to bring the curtain down on his career at Celtic Park with a victory.

WEBSITE MAN OF THE MATCH: Jean-Joel Perrier-Doumbe

CELTIC (4-4-2) Boruc; Perrier-Doumbe, Kennedy, McManus, Naylor; Nakamura, Lennon (Caldwell 87), Hartley, Riordan (McGeady 61); Miller (Beattie 74), Vennegoor of Hesselink.
Subs: Brown, Gravesen, O’Dea, Bjarnason.
ABERDEEN (4-4-2) Langfield; Hart, Diamond, Anderson, Foster; Makie, Clark, Severin, Smith; Miller (Brewster 67), Lovell (Maguire 73).
Subs: Kelly, Touzani, Winter, Considine, Donald.

Rangers v Celtic

Saturday 05th May 2007

Champions lose at Ibrox

THE last Glasgow derby of season 2006/07 ended in a 2-0 defeat for SPL champions Celtic. Goals in either half from Kris Boyd and Charlie Adam earned Rangers all three points at Ibrox.

There was little to separate the sides until Boyd’s opener just after the half-hour mark. Adam’s second-half free-kick killed the game and gave Rangers the win.

In terms of the impact this game had on the final SPL table, there was nothing at stake, but observers of Scottish football will know that there is simply no such thing as a meaningless Glasgow derby.

With this in mind, Celtic manager Gordon Strachan fielded a strong line-up as Thomas Gravesen replaced Jiri Jarosik in the only change from last week’s starting XI against Hearts.

The Dane featured in a five-man midfield, containing Shunsuke Nakamura, Aiden McGeady, Paul Hartley and Neil Lennon – who was playing in his final derby match after seven successful seasons in Glasgow.

From the outset, the pace of the game was frantic as players from both sides snapped into tackles all over the pitch. Gravesen, in particular, was in the thick of the action and earned a foul 35 yards from goal. However, Nakamura’s effort was deflected into the hands of Allan McGregor.

In response, Rangers’ first shot on goal came from Nacho Novo. Kevin Thomson, picking up a loose ball, released the Spaniard, but Artur Boruc saved comfortably.

As the first period reached its half-way point, there had been no real clear openings for either side. The game had mostly been played out in the midfield area, where the central trio of both sides were cancelling each other out.

Rangers had a penalty claim turned down by referee Craig Thomson when Kris Boyd fell under Steven Pressley’s challenge, while at the other end Gravesen’s drive was blocked by Davie Weir.

It was an even match, but Rangers raced in front in the 34th minute. Novo, stationed on the right flank, clipped a ball over the Celtic defence and Boyd’s first-time volley from 12 yards went under Boruc.

As half-time approached, Novo then fired a rising drive towards the top corner but, as the Celtic fans feared the worst, the ball sailed over the bar.

Strachan made a change for the second half – withdrawing Gravesen for Kenny Miller as Celtic reverted to a 4-4-2 formation.

The change almost paid instant dividends when the substitute combined with Vennegoor of Hesselink to create an opening for Nakamura inside the box.

The Japanese midfielder’s flicked shot looked to have beaten McGregor, but Ugo Ehiogu managed to clear. From the corner, Stephen McManus headed wide.

It seemed as though Celtic were gaining some ascendancy, but Rangers stunned the champions with a second goal in the 55th minute. Hartley was penalised for a tackle on Barry Ferguson and Adam’s low free-kick found the bottom corner.

Filip Sebo was brought on for Rangers striker Boyd and Boruc had to react smartly to deny the Slovakian. Lee Naylor then cleared Alan Hutton’s volley off the line.

Joe Doumbe came on for Caldwell and Derek Riordan replaced McGeady as Celtic searched for a way back into the match. Lennon’s fizzing volley looked to be heading goalwards, but Ehiogu diverted it wide as Rangers held out for the win.

It was a disappointment for the Celtic players and fans, but the sight of the Hoops sitting at the top of the SPL as champions will undoubtedly provide some consolation.

WEBSITE MAN OF THE MATCH: Neil Lennon

RANGERS (4-5-1) McGregor, Hutton, Weir, Ehiogu, Papac; Novo, Ferguson, Hemdani, Thomson (Burke 79), Adam; Boyd (Sebo 65)
Subs not used: Gallacher, Rae, Svensson, Emslie, Shinnie

CELTIC (4-5-1) Boruc; Caldwell (Doumbe 70), Pressley, McManus, Naylor; Nakamura, Lennon, Hartley, Gravesen (Miller 46), McGeady (Riordan 79); Vennegoor of Hesselink
Subs: Brown, Jarosik, Bjarnason, O’Dea

Celtic v Hearts

Sunday 29th April 2007

Celts still celebrate despite defeat