Neil Lennon was relieved after seeing his Celtic side's treble hopes remain on course after an entertaining 3-1 victory over First Division Falkirk in the Scottish Communites League Cup semi-final.
Skipper Scott Brown fired the Hoops ahead from the spot in the 26th minute before 17-year-old Falkirk midfielder Jay Fulton dramatically levelled before the break. Anthony Stokes' free-kick from 25 yards in the 56th minute, and his late tap-in from a Gary Hooper pass with five minutes remaining, ensured Celtic return to the national stadium on March 18.
Lennon said: "Falkirk played well in the game but if you look alone at the chances we had, we've hit the bar twice, we've hit the post and we missed two one-on-ones, Rogne has had a free header from four or five yards out and missed that, so in terms of chances we were well on top."
He added: "I had to rely on my goalkeeper to make a double save at 2-1 but apart from that I thought we controlled the majority of the game.
"I know Steven (Pressley) might have complained about the penalty but Thomas Rogne said (Darren) Dods had his arms around him but for me we scored a good goal and it was chalked off. I think Gary Hooper was onside so I don't think they could make too many complaints about the referee."
After remonstrating with referee Euan Norris at the end of the first half about the penalty decision, Bairns boss Steven Pressley found himself watching the second half from the stand.
The former Scotland defender was contrite after the game, saying: "I am not proud of what happened at half-time, far from it.
"I am a passionate manager and passionate about my players but I have to keep my emotions in check at times. I was just disappointed with some decisions that had a big impact on the game.
"I've not seen it so I'm not going to say it wasn't a penalty but I just ask you the question: would it have been given in the other box? I haven't seen the free-kick which led to the second goal either but my initial feeling was it was soft.
"But I don't want that to overshadow our performance. I want to read about how well my team played. What a performance. I am exceptionally proud of my players and I don't think the result was a true reflection of the game. On the balance of play I think we merited a result."
Comment 1 - 6 of 6
"I am a passionate manager and passionate about my players but I have to keep my emotions in check at times. I was just disappointed with some decisions that had a big impact on the game"
some of the decisions, but not all of them eh Mr Pressley?
the spiders pride of glasgow
lys, i did say if it was an "honest mistake"they should find another job, it's quite simple, they're either cheating or they're terrible at their job, it's one or the other, and yes i have a lot of sympathy with close calls at match pace but these incidents i highlighted were about linesmen looking straight across the park, do you remember a few years ago when rangers needed a point at Tyncastle? they were losing 1-0 in the last minute when the ball got thumped up the park and out for a goal kick to Hearts, the linesmen decided it was a penalty to rangers, lys, you can try and sound mr nice guy till your hearts content but when the head of the SFA got caught cheating Celtic that put the whole game in a bad place, i'm a fair guy, and only once i remember a bad call going in Celtics favour and that was a Scottish Cup final and the ref gave Celtic the throw in which Joe Miller scored from, that throw in was at the half way line.
Inver, I can understand big Pressley, just the same as I understand every manager on a touchline from Jock Stein, to Ferguson, to Walter Smith to Neil Lennon, and all the other managers who've fallen foul of an official. In the heat of the moment they all react in much the same way.
You might not believe it, but I've been known to use some flowery language at times when there is a dodgy decision, and I'm not a manager ;-)
I take your point though about inconsistency from officials, something really needs to be done about them. I would stop a long way short of calling them cheats, because I don't think that's an issue, but with the speed of the game and the split second decisions that have to be made, even the very best can lose concentration for a second and miss something vital.
Let me put it this way; if a move can catch a whole defence off guard and put someone in on goal, because it has come out of the blue, it can also catch an official the same way. I don't envy their job.
They get things wrong, too regularly, sometimes spectacularly, but cheats, I don't think so, but I would say that a few are incompetent, and that again is a different issue.
A bigger problem in the game for me, is players who cheat, constantly and consistently, and that would require a novel to cover it.
Steven if you never saw it why were you berating the referee for giving it when you don't know if it was a penalty or not yourself, and yes it would have been given up the other end, it was assault, a very friendly assault, for me the big problem is linesmen, they seem to be a law unto themselves, last season one gave Hamilton a goal against Celtic that was two yards offside, this time one chops a Celtic goal off for offside that was a yard onside, these were not close calls, they were blatant cheating, and if it was an "honest mistake" they should find another job.
Falkirk took the game to Celtic in several spells, and looked the better side in the first half.
Had bid Dods not seen a red mist and decided he was a wrestler, Celtic would have got zip in the first half could well have gone in a goal down.
Celtic looked good at times, but really need to get their head in the right place against teams who should not be presenting a problem to them.
Falkirk though, raised their game and were by no means out of it at any time until the third goal, they deserved to be there on merit!
Please login to post a comment
Not already a Yahoo! user ? Sign up to get a free Yahoo! Account