ONE down, two to go. Celtic are on course to defend last season’s domestic Treble after beating Motherwell at Hampden Park to successfully secure the Betfred Cup trophy.
James Forrest struck early in the second half after an even first 45 minutes, before a questionable penalty and red card decision by referee Craig Thomson ended the game as a contest.
Centre-back Cedric Kipre was shown a straight red for bringing down Scott Sinclair inside the area, but replays showed the Englishman went down easily from minimal contact before Dembele dispatched the resulting spot kick.
It was a heart-breaking moment for a vocal Motherwell support hoping to see their club lift its first trophy in 26 years, but Celtic’s seemingly unstoppable unbeaten run has now stretched to 65 games in domestic football.
Mikael Lustig was fit to start after being forced off with injury during Celtic’s midweek Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, while Stuart Armstrong and Scott Sinclair returned to the line-up in place of Olivier Ntcham and Tom Rogic. Stephen Robinson picked an unchanged Motherwell side from the eleven that beat Aberdeen on league duty last weekend.
There were emotional scenes prior to kick-off as former Motherwell and Celtic player Phil O’Donnell’s son Luc brought out the trophy, with next month marking 10 years since his tragic death from heart failure.
Much of the build-up to the game focused on Motherwell’s physicality and it didn’t take long for the first robust challenge of the day to be made. Cedric Kipre’s lunge on Moussa Dembele was reckless and the Frenchman was lucky to escape any punishment, with Dembele then booked minutes later for a similar challenge on Steelmen skipper Carl McHugh.
The opening 45 minutes was short on chances, with Motherwell creating their first opening after 25 minutes when Richard Tait lashed a shot high and wide after Dedryck Boyata failed to clear his lines from a cross.
Dembele then got on the end of a Mikael Lustig cross but couldn’t generate any power with his header as the defending champions struggled to break down an organised Steelmen backline.
After toiling throughout the first 45 minutes, Celtic struck almost immediately after Craig Thomson blew his whistle to begin the second half.
Forrest gathered the ball inside the box, cut inside onto his left foot and curled a low finish into the corner beyond Carson to put Celtic in front on 48 minutes.
The celebrations of the Bhoys fans at Hampden were nearly cut short when Moult got onto the end of a cross to power a header at goal, but a superb save from Craig Gordon with an outstretched arm denied the Steelmen striker.
Chances began to fall with regularity and Dembele should have done better after rising unchallenged at a corner only to head wide. The Frenchman didn’t have to wait long to get his name on the scoresheet though, as a penalty incident changed the complexion of the game.
Kipre made contact with Scott Sinclair in the box after finding himself on the wrong side of the winger and referee Thomson pointed to the spot before brandishing a red card for the centre-back. The decision sparked a furious reaction as contact appeared to be minimal, with Sinclair going down easily. Nevertheless, Dembele stepped up and duly netted from 12 yards to put his side in a commanding position.
The Steelmen looked stunned and Celtic smelled blood, pouring forward in search of a third with Stuart Armstrong having two efforts from range well saved by Carson before the goalkeeper was called into action again to block a fierce low free-kick from substitute Leigh Griffiths.
The chances kept coming for a buoyant Hoops side and Griffiths came close again when he clattered a shot off the post after attempting to round Carson. Substitute Patrick Roberts also came close with two minutes remaining as his shot hit the roof of the net, but two goals proved to be more than enough to secure the trophy against 10-man Well.
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