SPL Sunday February 19th

Dunfermline 1

Celtic 8

0:1 Petrov 4
1:1 Tod 14
1:2 Hartson 24
1:3 Zurawski 32
1:4 Zurawski 40
1:5 Zurawski 56
1:6 Maloney 74
1:7 Lennon (!) 82
1:8 Zurawski 88

Att: 9,015

MIB Dougie McDonald

Celtic
Boruc Telfer Balde McManus Wilson Petrov Lennon Keane Maloney, Hartson Zurawski.

subs
Dublin for Hartson 63
Thompson for Keane 67
Nakamura for Petrov 80

This was an embarrassment of riches, in the biggest mismatch match since Faye Wray met King Kong. The gulf in class was even bigger than the embarrassment of having the Orcs in the last 16 of the Champions league. As rocking horse jobbies were fed to hens with teeth by flying pigs, even Neil Lennon managed a goal!

Celtic were sublime. Mark Wilson got the show on the road with a run up the left into the Pars' box to set up Stan Petrov for a tap in after 3 minutes, but there was no indication of what was to come.

Boruc soon did his usual and missed a cross to allow the Pars to level, before Hartson restored the lead.

Then the Magic hour began as the Pole grabbed four to decimate the Eastenders. 4-1 up at half time.

Celtic were relentless, as Zurawski sealed a hat-trick on 56 minutes, before a magnificent sixth from Maloney. The diminutive Shaun was a revelation wide on the left, as he melted in a volley from 18 yards out. With the ball behind him and connecting a scissors kick with both feet fully in the air. This was worthy of goal of the season.

To cap it all, as Santa emptied his sack for the Tooth Fairy, Lennon scored. He could even have had a second moments later! This was as awesome as the team celebration that followed. You'd think we had just won the Champions league.

Zurawski finished with his fourth on 88 minutes, before the Pars were rushed off by men in white jackets.

After this, their 17,500 allocation for the CIS cup final looks a trifle too much.

This 8:1 win goes into the SPL record books under the heading 'Celtic' along with:
Most goals in a season - 105 (2003-04)
Most points in a season - 103 (2001-02)
Fewest goals conceded - 18 (2001-02)
Biggest goal difference - 80 (2003-04)
Top Scorer - Larsson (35 in 2000-01)
Most hat-tricks - Larsson (12)
consecutive shut-outs - Rab Douglas (7)

At the moment Rangers hold no records in the SPL.