SPL Saturday March 12th 2005

Celtic 6

Dunfermline 0

1:0 Hartson 9
2:0 McGeady 62
3:0 Hartson 69
4:0 Petrov 72
5:0 Petrov 75
6:0 Beattie 89

Att: 58,908

MIB: Callum Murray

Celtic: Douglas McNamara Balde Varga Laursen Petrov Lennon Thompson McGeady Bellamy Hartson
subs
Henchoz for Laursen 75
Beattie for McNamara 79
Wallace for McGeady 84

Two seasons ago we lost out by a single goal, largely due to the fact that we didn't believe it would ever go to goal difference... until with about 4 games to go it suddenly became apparent that goal difference could be vital. Cue some big wins (6 goals at home against Dundee, and 4 away at both Fir Park and Rugby Park) but all to no avail. Somehow, despite having a truly terrible squad, Rangers are still leading the league (incredibly they have only lost one league game, to us in August), albeit we have games in hand, and again they have the jump on us with goal difference. This time Martin O'Neill appears to have woken up to the situation in good time to do something about it.

The big mystery is why we haven't tried to play like this more often. Dundee United came to Celtic Park in December begging to thrashed by a huge margin - we managed one goal. Not helpful in a tight race and not fun to watch. This is much more like it.

Alright we were a bit nervy in the first half; chances were created but the players seemed in a bit of a hurry and wound up missing all but one. Once the second goal went in we found our stride and the Pars were demolished.

Petrov kept up his remarkable scoring run, McGeady flashed one in to round off a superb showing, Hartson added two more to his total coming ever closer to a career best tally for a season and Craig Beattie finished the job off bulleting in Wallace's cross. And yet Man of the Match went to Bellamy, which sums up his performance; a forward who doesn't score in a 6:0 win but still gets that award must be doing something right. Right now Bellamy is doing everything right.

It might sound silly but the way the team have reacted recently that Rangers defeat might have been just the kick in the arse the squad needed.