This game was marred by two outstandingly bad refereeing decisions. Both of which, unfortunately went against us.
Celtic were the team that started the most brightly. With Jones narrowly missing opening the account in the first five minutes,
However, it took a Scott free-kick to bring the best out of Thornley between the sticks. He could only punch out as far as Pickford, who thundered home from a good twenty yards.
Jones continued to find the wrong side of the woodwork as Celtic pressed their dominance. The first half was about Celtic passing and pressure. However, it was not about Celtic finishing. The game should have been over by half time, but wasn't. this was summed up by A terrible miss by McNeil.
After working their left wing, and bringing the ball into the penalty box, he could have squared it to Jones. Perhaps the fact that Jones had already missed two sitters crossed his mind, and instead he tried to take it around Thornley, who bravely plucked the ball from McNeil's feet. Thornley ;launched the ball down the field, and Potts picked it up to score, second before half time.
Celtic came out, all guns blazing, but it was Lancaster who got the goal, when Parr was adjudged to have handled the ball in the penalty area. The referee was in good position, and he should have been able to see that it was clearly ball to hand. Ward slotted the ball past Ingham.
Celtic did not roll over and die, they brought on Evans, who made Lancaster very nervy. It was he who slotted the ball past two defenders for Jones to run onto and score past Thornley's left.
Celtic should have gone on to win it then, but a Lancaster player got incensed and attacked Evans. The Celtic team rushed to defend their colleague, and it culminated in a twenty man brawl.
For some bizarre reason, Andy Scott was sent off. Either nobody should have walked, or they all should. Leave the two keepers to sought it out the final score.
This left Celtic exposed at the back, and Haddall used the hole at the back left to whip a cross in, though it should have gone for a goal-kick, as the ball had crossed the line.
Without Filson, the header out by Ogley was weaker. and was put back in again, where Haddall, who had started the move, bundled the ball over the line.
Celtic pressed everybody forward to try and grab the equaliser. Out of all the shots, Jones' volley and excellent save was the best attempt, though there was a handball as clear as the Parr incident that the Referee chose to ignore this time.
A very disappointing result. We should have won, but for some slack refereeing.