1966-04-30: Morton 0-2 Celtic, League Division 1

Match Pictures | Matches: 19651966 | 1965-66 Pictures

Trivia

  • John Hughes (leg knock) and Joe McBride (pulled muscle) had both picked up knocks in the Cup Final replay against Rangers and were definetly out. Bertie Auld (leg knock) and Jimmy Johnstone (both legs bruised from the attentions of Provan) were both carrying knocks and seen as doubtful on the Thursday but made it for the game. Lennox and Gallacher came into the team.
  • With fixture pile ups it was decided to scrap the Glasgow Cup for this season. The two semi finals of Celtic v Rangers and Third Lanrk v Queen's Park could not be fitted in at a time which the two games could be playe and then the final played. Celtic were committed to the American tour at the end of the season
  • Celtic announced that Henry Quinn, Gerry Sweeney and John Divers were given free transfers.
  • On the same day Celtic Reserves defeated Morton Reserves 2-0 in a Reserve League match at Celtic Park. The Celtic scorers were Connelly and Brogan with a penalty. The Celtic team was Fallon, Halpin, McCarron, Cattanach, Cushley, Brogan, Connelly, Sweeney, J. Quinn, O'Neill, Taylor.
  • On the previous night Celtic drew 1-1 with Rangers in a Reserve League match at Ibrox. The Rangers team was Martin, Hynd, Caldow, Sutherland, Jackson, Donnelly, Paul, Reid, Forrest, Willoughby, Semple. The Celtic team was Martin, Halpin, McCarron, Cattanach, Cushley, O'Neill, Connelly, H. Quinn, J. Quinn, Brogan, Taylor. The Rangers scorer was Sutherland and the Celtic scorer was Taylor.
  • Morton were relegated after this defeat finishing their League programme with one fewer point than St Mirren. Joining them in relegation were Hamilton Academicals who had come up and went straight back down winning just three games all season.

Review

Celtic pressed relentlessly in the first half but the only goal came just before the half time whistle when Jimmy Johnstone put away a bobbling ball in the Morton area which refused to be cleared and was deflected past the keeper. Morton should have been ahead having missed a penalty earlier in the half. Despite missing the penalty Morton showed fighting qualities that only a team struggling to stay in the top division might be expected to. A minute from the end Johnstone sent over a cross and Lennox beat his marker to head home a second goal and send Morton down to the Second Division.

With Rangers winning too the teams were equal on points with Rangers having played one more game. Celtic had two more games to play and the league title would go right down to the wire.

Team P W D L F A Pts
Celtic 32 25 3 4 103 29 53
Rangers 33 24 5 4 87 29 53
Kilmarnock 34 20 5 9 73 46 45
Dunfermiline 33 19 6 8 93 53 44
Dundee Utd 34 19 5 10 79 51 43

Teams

Morton
Sorensen, Boyd, Loughlan, Gray, Madsen, Kennedy, Arentoft, Strachan, McGraw, Neilsen, Watson
Scorers:

Celtic

Simpson; Craig, Gemmell; Murdoch, McNeill, Clark; Johnstone, Gallacher, Chalmers, Lennox, Auld
Scorers Johnstone (45), Lennox (90)

Referee: R.D. Henderson (Dundee)
Attendance: 18,000

Articles

  • Match Report (see end of page below)

Pictures

Articles

Morton v |Celtic, League, 30/4/66