Plenty in reserve

It was Celtic's party and we went along to join in the fun. The final league game of the season had arrived, and what a season it has been for both clubs.

The champions would be looking to exact some retribution on Inverness following their Scottish Cup exit and fielded a full strength side.

John Hughes, who won another award with the football writers manager of the year, was taking no chances that his squad would remain intact and made seven or eight changes to his side. Vincent, Tremarco, Horner, Ross, Polworth, Kink and Williams all found themselves thrust into action on the biggest stage in the Premiership. Gary Warren started as Captain in the heart of the defence as he is suspended for next week anyway. Ryan Christie was possibly a surprise starter along with Ryan Esson, our only remaining experienced keeper with Dean Brill being out injured. Warren's replacement Danny Devine was also in the starting X1.

Celtic were clapped onto the park by todays victims at a bright Parkhead and the game kicked off with a chorus of You'll never walk alone ringing round the park.

Liam Polworth gave away a needless free kick, and when the ball was flighted in the defence was in disarray. Van Dijk headed down and the ball was nudged over the line by the suspiciously offside pair of Scepovic and Bitton with less than five minutes on the clock. Difficult to say who actually poked the ball in on the line. It might even have been both of them. Oh my, it is going to be a long afternoon for the makeshift Inverness loons.

Tremarco headed one off the line as Celtic's party continued. Inverness were pinned in their own half and mistakes were the order of the day. Scott Brown headed over when nobody challenged him inside the box. It looks as though Inverness are on a no contact day of football.

Tarmo Kink found himself outside the Celtic box but flashed a shot well wide but normal service was resumed and Esson had to get down low to deny Scepovic. Kink took a nasty foul which would have been a yellow or even a red on any other day of the season, but it's Celtic's party and nobody was going to spoil it.

Johansen stroked in the second after eighteen  minutes when Warren and Christie allowed Isaguirre to run through them as they got in each others way. Totally shambolic stuff from Inverness, but we don't care.

It was all Celtic at the halfway mark of the first period, Inverness reduced to chasing shadows allthough one neat passage of play broke down with Christie trying to thread a pass through.

Danny Williams did a Josh as Celtic looked to score a third just after the half hour, the ball striking his arm as Denayer headed from three yards, but Danny boy was looking the other way and the ref waved play on. I believe a letter is on it's way already, in fact the original has been cut & pasted, only the names have been changed.

A rare foray forward ended with Vincent tamely curling an effort wide as Christie took a cynical rake on his calf from Isaguirre in the build up. Inverness saw out the half without inflicting any further damage on themselves. It might be prudent to replace Christie at the interval as I cringe every time he gets tackled.

Half Time 2-0

Better start to the second half as Inverness foraged further forward and Vincent almost got the break of the ball in the Celtic box but the defender managed to clear. Some intricate play from the visitors, but no threat to waking Craig Gordon in the Celtic goal.

Kink fired in a hopeful ball from wide left but nobody was on hand to take advantage. The party was in danger of going stale and Armstrong shot high over after Forrest picked him out in the box.

If not to preserve him, Christie should still be off as he wasted another chance to break forward with yet another wayward pass. He's had better days. Probably looking ahead to next week. Vincent followed Ryan's example by giving away possession all too easily as Celtic pressed the game once more.

Damage limitation was evident as Inverness sat deep inviting Celtic on to them and after the hour, Aaron Doran replaced Christie. Phew!

Williams almost gifted Celtic a goal with a misplaced pass across his own box but Forrest was tackled smartly and the chance was lost. Johansen was booked for a rash challenge on Horner and Devine made an unfair challenge on Gordon after the free kick when it looked as though we might open our account.

As if the Celtic team was not strong enough, Commons and Mulgrew entered the fray getting on for seventy minutes.

Time Celtic scored another and they duly did. Scepovic passing into the net as the Inverness defence was opened up in the seventieth minute.

Great experience for eighteen year old Cammy Mackay as he replaced next weeks keeper and he gathered a through ball for his first touch of the game moments later.

Tarmo Kink left the field immediately after dragging a shot wide seemingly too eager to have a go and another eighteen year old replaced him in the form of Ally Sutherland. Whilst we did that, Celtic brought on Leigh Griffiths, and he tried to test Mackay soon after but his shot from distance flew just over the bar.

Inverness were still playing some lovely one touch football, but with little goal threat. The party was in full swing though when Griffiths drove the ball home from fifteen yards with Mackay beaten low to his left after being left exposed by slack marking.

The distraction of having to play this game was beginning to show as Celtic partied forward and Inverness struggled to get out of their own half. When we did all moves broke down before there was any danger to the Celtic goal.

Warren got himself in a fankle, but Devine mopped up the danger as the fans huddled backwards in the stands and the visitors waited for the final whistle to end their headache.

Kris Commons blasted the fifth goal from twenty yards with a powerful low shot which buried itself into the net with a couple of minutes remaining as the whistle was still not forthcoming.

Finally, the agony was over and 5-0 was the end result, a result that mattered not a jot, but it kept everybody happy and the party would continue and Celtic would deservedly get their hands on the Premier League Trophy.

tm4tj MotM is going to Yogi Hughes for getting this team to where it's at right now, and as Celtic go on holiday, we have a Scottish Cup Final to take care of and can be smug in the knowledge that we have also qualified for Europe and ended the League in third place.

What a season.

Not even this defeat can take our season away from us. We have a final to play....

Date: 23/05/15  Venue: Celtic Park, Glasgow    Attendance: 55,638
Referee: Kevin Clancy
 
Celtic: 5
Lineup: Gordon, Matthews, Izaguirre, Van Dijk, Bitton, Brown, Scepovic, Armstrong, Denayer, Johansen, Forrest

Subs (not used): Zaluska, Ambrose, Stokes, Commons, Mackay-Steven, Mulgrew, Griffiths
Scorers: Bitton (5), Johansen (18), Scepovic (70), Griffiths (80), Commons (90)
Booked: Isaguirre, Johansen
Sent Off: none
 
Inverness CT: 0
Lineup: Esson, Horner, Warren, Vincent, Tremarco, Ross, Devine, Williams, Polworth, Kink, Christie
Subs (not used): MacKay, Doran, Watkins, Brown, Sutherland
Scorers: none
Booked: none
Sent Off: none