Celtic 0 - 1 Inverness CT

League Match
Saturday, November 24th, 2012, 3:00 PM at Celtic Park, Glasgow
Attendance: 44,379
Referee: Calum Murray
Celtic Inverness CT

Goalscorers
None. Billy Mckay (64)

Team Managers
Neil Lennon Terry Butcher

Starting Eleven
Fraser Forster
Adam Matthews
Efe Ambrose
Charlie Mulgrew
Mikael Lustig
Kris Commons
Baram Kayal
Victor Wanyama
Georgios Samaras
Tony Watt
Gary Hooper
Antonio Reguero
Josh Meekings
Gary Warren
David Raven
Graeme Shinnie
Aaron Doran
Andrew Shinnie
Owain Tudur Jones
Richie Foran
Billy Mckay
Philip Roberts

Bench
Lukasz Zaluska
Joe Chalmers
Scott Brown
Paddy McCourt
Dylan McGeouch
Miku
Lassed Nouioui
Scott Mathieson
Gavin Morrison
Liam Polworth
Conor Pepper
Shane Sutherland
Jason Oswell
Matthew Cooper

Substitutions
Paddy McCourt -> Tony Watt (65)
Scott Brown -> Adam Matthews (69)
Lassed Nouioui -> Gary Hooper (76)
Shane Sutherland for Billy Mckay (84)
Conor Pepper for Philip Roberts (90)

Bookings
Georgios Samaras (33)
Baram Kayal (41)
Philip Roberts (67)
Richie Foran (79)

Red Cards
None. None.
Appearances & Goals To Date
Antonio Reguero (GK) 9 apps -
David Raven 18 apps -
Gary Warren 18 apps2 goals
Josh Meekings 38 apps -
Owain Tudur Jones 28 apps1 goal
Aaron Doran 46 apps4 goals
Graeme Shinnie 74 apps2 goals
Andrew Shinnie 38 apps17 goals
Billy Mckay 42 apps10 goals
Philip Roberts 10 apps1 goal
Richie Foran 146 apps36 goals
Conor Pepper (sub) 12 apps2 goals
Shane Sutherland (sub) 79 apps3 goals

Starting Lineup
Youngest Player:Aaron Doran (21 years 201 days)
Oldest Player:Antonio Reguero (2014 years 118 days)
Average Player Age:25 years 153 days
Domestic Players:7 (63.64 % of starting eleven)

Matchday Squad
Youngest Player:Liam Polworth (18 years 48 days)
Oldest Player:Scott Mathieson (2014 years 118 days)
Average Player Age:23 years 238 days
Domestic Players:14 (77.78 % of matchday squad)

First Team Debuts

Milestones
Billy Mckay reached 10 goals for the Club.

Champions League Yer Havin a Laugh:

Inverness humbled Scotland's Champions League participants when Irish striker Billy McKay scored the winner at a less than capacity Parkhead as a Green Brigade strike curtailed the attendance.

No one could have predicted the outcome of this one after last weeks dismal showing by Inverness, but they caught Celtic on the back of their European hangover to stun the Hoops and probably their own fans to take all three points North.

How did we do it?

We have the perfect analogy from our resident doctor of psychology in answer to this post from NoIInTeam, I think it defines our position in the SPL nicely.

After last season I feel that this season is like going back with a boring girlfriend after she has cheated on you with your best mate, to find she has learned a thing or two and is suddenly more exciting and adventurous.

Some boyfriends realise they have to get over it quickly or the relationship is doomed, some feel that the girlfriend has to suffer just a little bit more before they can trust again.

With that in mind I think the doubters should be cut some slack. I am going to give them until December 31st to stop greeting every time she looks in the general direction of another man then if they still feel the same they can sod off and watch County.

Dr Johndo replied:-

Ah grasshopper - the "girlfriend" of last season didn't look after herself. She put on a bit of weight, wore dowdy clothes and became a bit of a dull, plain Jane. She got so infuriating and boring, especially on a match day, that you often slept in the spare bed. Nobody else would look at her twice and she basically didn't turn anybody on. Her moods changed from minute to minute but yet she still thought that she was doing OK and stubbornly resisted change. Then this season she sits down and takes stock of her life and talks to a psychologically minded wizard from Chorley. She accepts that she has flaws and has to improve. She wants to go abroad to bronze herself but as money is tight she spends a few weeks shopping in the Primarks of Englandshire and is also able to grab a wee bit of Spanish sunshine. She goes on a diet, puts on a slap of make-up and gets her hair done. She slowly gains confidence and men in the street start noticing her again, passing positive comments and the wolf whistling increases. She simply becomes consistent and relaxed in her mood. She sticks to the same shampoo, the same perfume and the same shape and looks. Sure she has the odd day off, usually once a mouth, but who doesn't !! There are days like yesterday when half of the Highlands would jump into bed with her. She has come alive again but although she will strut her stuff she will remain loyal and will not stray.

Many doubted that she could change and she had got herself in a rut. But most could see the undoubted potential and remember the beautiful girl in her hey day. It was always there under the skin and just needed some minor alterations. And who knows - she may well attract the punters from the Dark Side instead of watching them slump wearily into the South Kessock night.

Make your own mind up.....Johndo.......Doctor, patient or genius.

What happened during the game I hear you ask?

Well, Celtic huffed and puffed in the fist half but could not blow the house down. After the break both sides showed a bit more attacking endeavour, but with Celtic misfiring Inverness struck the killer blow when McKay guided Roberts cross beyond Forster from six yards.

Billy McKay challenged for a high ball in the heart of the Celtic half, and when the ball was knocked back, Doran picked up the loose ball in midfield and drove at the heart of the home defence. As he neared the penalty box he slipped the ball wide right to young Phillip Roberts who in turn drove into the box chased by Mulgrew and Miku. He executed a perfect step over/drag back and then laid the ball into the path of McKay who had continued his run into the box and when the ball arrived he found himself in so much space the Celtic defence were claiming for offside as he diverted the ball into the net for that historic first SPL win in the East End. Nowhere near off side as Mulgrew and Miku scored a perfect ten for their synchronised sliding on their arse demonstration and inadvertently played McKay onside by a few yards. Comedy Gold.

Check out the pairs synchronised arse sliding..........

Celtic did strive to get back on level terms but scorned more chances as Reguero held firm after last weeks limp efforts. The back line restricted Celtic to snatching at half chances although Warren almost helped them out by re-routing a cross onto his own post before nonchalantly flicking the rebound behind for a corner whilst lying on the deck.

However, the best chance of the match fell to Doran after a swift break out from Inverness. McKay rattled the underside of the crossbar with Forster beaten, unfortunately by the time Doran gathered the ball and shot, Ambrose made a miraculous sliding block to deny Inverness a certain second goal.

Inverness saw out the game and claimed that historic triumph at Parkhead, their first SPL win, clean sheet and three points, a fantastic achievement considering the hammering they took last week. It appears that not only do Inverness own the Highlands, they are clearly starting to take over the rest of Scotland having defeated both Glasgow clubs in recent weeks. Mind you, one of them only play in the third division.

Terry Butcher was pretty pleased with his day out and the Auchterarder chippie will be busy on the way home.

The Immortal Howden Ender MotM award goes to Antonio Reguero. He could have been shaky after the end of Well game but he didn't show it. Celtics shooting gave him a helping hand but he also made 2-3 great saves although he does love to showboat. But to me it was his energy that impressed me and he always looked to play a quick, simple ball. Foran and Warren were also in the thick of it but an overall great team performance.

Match report written by tm4tj/IHE



Pld W D L F A +/- Pts
1. Celtic 14 7 4 3 24 13 11 25
2. Aberdeen 15 6 6 3 20 14 6 24
3. Hibernian 15 7 3 5 26 21 5 24
4. St. Johnstone 15 6 5 4 19 19 0 23
5. Inverness CT 15 5 7 3 28 26 2 22
6. Motherwell 15 5 6 4 22 19 3 21
7. Dundee Utd 14 5 5 4 18 18 0 20
8. Kilmarnock 15 5 4 6 23 20 3 19
9. Hearts 15 4 6 5 14 14 0 18
10. Ross County 15 3 7 5 17 22 -5 16
11. St. Mirren 15 4 3 8 20 28 -8 15
12. Dundee 15 3 2 10 10 27 -17 11