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CELTIC SHORTS – GORD AND SKIPPY
By Trialist
After Celtic's 3-2 humping of the Huns at Celtic Park on Sunday propelled the Hoops five points clear of TFOD, who have six League matches remaining compared to our three, Gordon Strachan paid tribute to the Bhoys who have intensified the pressure on the Huns.
Gordon Strachan had witnessed Celtic score a 4th minute goal via Scott McDonald's strike, only to concede two goals to Rangers, with Weir and Cousin netting with headers from corner kicks in the 17th and 29th minute.
However, Scott McDonald scored Celtic's equaliser minutes before half-time and Barry Robson scored the match-winner from the penalty spot in the 70th minute after Skippy had been fouled by the atrocious Kirk Broadfoot.
The Celtic Manager said: “We are the Champions until someone takes it off us. We played some good football, some determined stuff.”
Gordon Strachan continued: “When it went to 3-2, I thought to myself that the players were enjoying themselves, which is good because sometimes in an O** F*** game when you get into the lead it becomes hard work. But they had realised what they had done wrong in the first half and made up for it.”
Gordon Strachan added: “The first time we went into the lead I thought we were a bit negative, but the second time we were a lot more positive.”
Gordon Strachan also paid tribute to Celtic's match-winner Barry Robson, who thrashed home Celtic's penalty kick to give the Hoops a deserved 3-2 lead, the Celtic Manager explaining Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink was the designated penalty taker, but he had been substituted minutes earlier.
Gordon Strachan said: “We said before the game that Jan was taking them but, fortunately, I had taken him off just a couple of minutes before it.”
Gordon Strachan continued: “Sometimes you have to see how people are feeling at the point, especially if you aren't used to them. I took them myself and sometimes if you aren't having a great day the pressure mounts, but if you're having a good day it's a lot easier to take penalties.”
Gordon Strachan added: “Barry was getting bigger and stronger as the game went on and it was a good choice.”
It is the perceived wisdom that Celtic, currently on 80 points, will need to win all three of our remaining SPL matches (against Motherwell (A), Hibs (H) and Dundee United (A)) to have any chance of winning the League Championship.
The Huns, meanwhile, face a congested fixture list of their own making that contains six League matches, four of which are away from Ipox, with fatigue, injuries and suspensions taking their toll.
If we manage to win our three games we will reach 89 points, and therefore the Huns, currently on 75 points, need to win five of their remaining six matches to surpass that tally.
Gordon Strachan commented on Celtic's winning back-to-back victories over the Huns and the pressure Celtic have piled on TFOD: “It makes us feel better about ourselves, that's all. How anybody else reacts to it I can't tell you that.”
Gordon Strachan added: “I know we're feeling decent about ourselves and there's a dressing room that's feeling satisfied and that's about as good as it gets when you're here.”
Meanwhile, Scott McDonald, the Hoops' two-goal hero and Man Of The Match, said it was “fantastic” to have recorded back to back victories against the Huns, though the Celtic striker warned that Celtic must win our three remaining League matches while hoping the Huns falter in the Championship race.
Skippy said: “We have a bit of pride back by winning the two O** F*** games. It had been a while since we had won one, so to win two on the bounce was fantastic. It shows our fans there is character here, because the team and the Manager have taken a lot of hits.”
Skippy continued: “But the results are only significant if we win the next three games and Rangers drop points, because it is in their hands. It's great to get back to winning ways, but we have three important matches, every one as important as the O** F*** game was.”
Skippy added: “Rangers are still favourites. If they win all their games they'll win the Championship but we just have to concentrate on ourselves. There has always been belief in our camp.”
Not only did Scott McDonald net his 28th and 29th goals for the Celtic Cause On Sunday in this his prolific inaugural season in the Hoops, but the Australian international also won the penalty kick from which Barry Robson scored the match-winning goal.
However, even though Skippy had the chance from the penalty spot to become the first Celt in more than 40 years to score a League hat-trick against the Huns, he passed the opportunity having failed to convert from the spot during Celtic's 2-1 win over TFOD 11 days before.
Scott McDonald said: “Robbo said before the game he was taking it and that was that. He was proved right.”
Skippy continued: “It was going through my mind no Celtic player had got a hat-trick against Rangers for so long and I got stick from the lads for passing one to Barry when I could have had a go myself.”
Skippy added: “It was encouraging to see Rangers go all out, because they couldn't have picked a worse day. I don't know where the hot weather came from, but it seemed to have an effect on them.”
If the Huns' faltering due to fatigue, injuries, suspensions and fixture congestion continues, Timdom might have good reasons to believe……
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