Ssottish Cup semi final
Sunday April 10th 2005

Celtic 2

Hearts 1

1:0 Sutton 3
2:0 Bellamy 49
2:1 Cesnauskis 60

Att: 38,505

MIB: Stuart Dougal

Celtic: Marshall McNamara Balde Varga Valgaeren Lennon Petrov Sutton Thompson Bellamy Hartson
subs
McGeady for Hartson 72

Yet another showcase performance by the Edinburgh Mob, still trapped somewhere in the throws of the Reformation, with all its sectarian baggage, while their team thinks it plays 'kick ba' with a goat's head smuggled out of the lodge after the ritual Friday night sacrifice.

The booing by the Swynecastle Orcs during the minute's silence to mark the passing of Pope John Paul II was sickening and an affront to any decent Scots. The excuse that the minute's silence was an inappropriate gesture during a football match was equally offensive.

The churlish display of naked sectarian bigotry only seemed to fuel Celtic's desire to crush the Maroon Baloons as quickly as possible and exact revenge for the previous week's lapse in form. Within three minutes Sutton headed into the net from a Thompson corner and the humbling of Hearts began.

Celtic then played possession football and exploited Bellamy's pace to great effect, as the Jambo defence looked pedestrian in comparison. How it stayed one nil until half time is a mystery. Only Hartson can tell how he managed to miss two sitters. Firstly, he mis-kicked a delivery from Bellamy, whose running had destroyed Webster and keeper Gordon, before passing to BBJ. Secondly, he failed to connect with a rare Lennon shot cum cross only a yard in front of the posts.

Justice was finally done within a few minutes of the restart when Bellamy picked up the ball as it broke off Hartley to fire Celtic two ahead. Amazingly, no more goal were forthcoming from the Hoops, despite complete domination. Hartson hit the bar and Thommo fired straight at Gordon after a great break from mid-field; but it was the Jambos who got one back. Cesnauskis deftly lobbed Marshall with a peach of a goal on 60 minutes. Celtic did respond, but Bellamy and Sutton fluffed their chances.

This was still a comfortable victory and a smooth passage into our fourth Scottish Cup final in five years. Maybe the prospect of medals will help CB be persuaded to stay. If not we should be blocking the M74 over the summer to prevent him leaving.