Celtic turned on the style late on to shake off stubborn St Mirren in the Scottish Cup as Oh Hyeon-gyu got off the mark – but they were left with a Hampden sweat over Kyogo.
Korean hitman Oh opened his Hoops account in a final quarter flourish flourish from the home side against the battling Buddies. It took until Reo Hatate’s penalty kick with 13 minutes to go to create breathing room with Saints defender sent off after VAR clocked his handball. Daizen Maeda notched early on but Stephen Robinson’s side made life awkward at times.
Mark O’Hara also grabbed one back from the spot in the final minutes but Matt O’Riley stuck and Hatate added grabbed his second to add the polish in stoppage time. Celtic’s frightening quality came through in the end but losing Kyogo to a shoulder injury was a concern with the Viaplay Cup Final showdown with Rangers just a fortnight away. The worries in the stands over the front man were eased slightly within two minutes of the striker going off against Saints.
It was Maeda who went through the middle – and he was the man who gave the Hoops the lead when he slide in to divert Aaron Mooy’s low cross into the net.
By that point Maeda had already hit the post with a sightly miss hit cross and Jota’s superb run and dig was saved by Trevor Carson.
It wasn’t as if Saints came to just shut up shop though. They pressed before the 16th minute opener and nearly hit back straight after it when Cameron Carter-Vickers managed to get his head in the way of Alex Grieve’s curling effort.
The big defender was needed a few more times in the opening period to produce impressive blocks when called on. Saints suffered a setback when Grieve was forced off – but it let new boy Tony Watt loose on his old patch.
He almost got to witness his former side scoring a special goal just before the break.David Turnbull picked out Mooy and his cushioned cross was sent inches over by Jota with a spectacular back heel volley. Curtis Main also bravely hurled himself in the way of close range Carl Starfelt drive and it was the post saving Saints early in the second half when Alistair Johnston’s low ball spun off Marcus Fraser.
Postecoglou made changes as Celts took full control, and Liel Abada should have nabbed a second when he couldn’t keep his header on target. The wide man was involved again soon after in the big VAR call when he picked up Matt O’Riley’s cross and he was blocked by a combination of Richard Taylor and Thierry Small.
Ref Steven McLean was prodded to peak at the screen to spot the handball and point to the spot while sending Taylor up the tunnel. Hatate stuck it away and Oh’s big moment arrived a couple of minutes later when he pounced on the rebound after Carson kept out a Callum McGregor effort.
Saints still didn’t roll over and they won spot kick of their own when sub Greg Kiltie was caught by Starfelt and O’Hara drilled down the middle. O’Riley superbly stuck in number four with a curling cracker – and Hatate repeated the trick eight and the death. And while it might have been harsh on the Saints, it was another show of force from the champions.
Oh what now
Everything has been going so smoothly for Celtic but there’s no doubt seeing Kyogo going off early is a major concern for Ange Postecoglou with huge games ahead.
The striker has been electric this season but he looked in a fair bit of pain when he fell awkwardly after being sandwiched by Keanu Baccus and Marcus Fraser. Kyogo had shoulder problems last season and it looked that way again. It’s not what Postecoglou needs with the Viaplay Cup Final just a fortnight away. Daizen Maeda moved into the middle against Saints and scored within two minutes of the shift.
But it was something of a surprise the manager didn’t take the chance to chuck on new signing Oh Hyeon-gyu earlier. He eventually appeared after the hour mark and looked lively. The attacker likes to put himself about and he ruffled a few feathers before taking his chance when it came his way.
CCV is Celtic's MVP
Celtic have £50m in the bank so will be in no rush to sell any of their star turns just yet. But if there was a fire sale in the summer there would be plenty of clubs keen to snap up any number of the Hoops men. The likes of Jota, Kyogo, Matt O’Riley, Reo Hatate and Liel Abada could pocket Celts big dosh.
But it’s Cameron Carter-Vickers might top the lot. The big defender seems to stroll it in Scotland at times but the proof of his quality comes during the times he is tested. Saints managed it a few times in the first half here – but any time they got a sniff, CCV was on hand to snuff it out. The USA World Cup ace made several crucial interventions and his power, positional sense and ability on the ball make him worth his weight in gold.
Saints above the rest
Postecoglou’s side won’t have had many tougher tests on their own path than this one. Saints conceding early was a worst-case scenario but it didn’t mean the gameplan didn’t work fairly well. Joe Hart wasn’t exactly a busy man but they did frustrate at times.
The Buddies in the engine room put in an incredible shift, with Alex Gogic, Mark O’Hara and Keanu Baccus busting a gut to make sure the likes of Callum McGregor and David Turnbull didn’t get a minute’s peace. Saints boss Stephen Robinson did a job on the Hoops in Paisley earlier in the season and he clearly identified McGregor as the key. Keep the captain quiet and it makes it tougher for the rest.
That’s how it played out at times. Celtic were still a major threat – as always – but they struggled to build the relentless pressure in the first hour or so, mainly because they were not allowed to hog the ball in midfield. Robbo’s men had more of a go than most sides at Celtic Park and while they ultimately fell short, but it was an admirable effort and a slightly harsh scoreline.
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