1972-01-22: St Johnstone 0-3 Celtic, League Division 1

Match Pictures | Matches: 1971 – 1972 | 1971-1972 Pictures

Trivia

  • On the Monday preceding the draw was made for the Third Round of the Scottish Cup. Celtic drew Albion Rovers at home.
  • A Challenge match had been set to play on the Tuesday against Queen's Park at Little Hampden but was called off because of an unfit pitch.Lou Macari had been set to make his comeback from injury.
  • Gordon Marshall Snr and David Cattanach were being courted by Falkirk for a move there. Both went to look over the setup. Cattanach signed for Falkirk on 20th January for £3000 but Marshall decided against.
  • By the Wednesday a cold snap hit Scotland and the game was in danger of postponement with the playing surface said to be like a sheet of ice on the Thursday. The game was only declared on after an early morning pitch inspection on the day of the game.
  • The team had some surprises when announced with Evan Williams back in goal, Denis Connaghan having picked up an injury in training, and Jim Craig starting at right back. Tommy Callaghan dropped to the bench.
  • Celtic pull further ahead as Dons falter.
  • On the same day Celtic defeated East Fife 5-3 in the 3rd round of the Second XI Cup at Bayview. The Celtic team was Marshall, McGrain, Quinn, Murdoch, Lapinski, McCluskey, Wilson, McLaughlin, Davidson, Macari, White. Sub Watt. The Celtic scorers were Davidson 2, Murdoch, Macari and Wilson. Centre half Frank Lapinski had been brought in from Tranent Juniors at the beginning of the season.

Review

A hard game played in tough conditions saw Celtic win the game and get back some revenge over St Johnstone who were the only team to have beaten tham in the League so far this season.
Dalglish got the scoring off and running with a goal on five minutes with a shot from a header from Lennox. Celtic were easily the better side in the first half with Johnstone Lennox and Dalglish working well up front and Hood and Hay providing the passes from midfield.
In the second half St Johnstone carried no threat up front and Dixie Deans scored on 71 minutes after Dalglish had pulled the ball back to him from the byeline. At this point St Johnstone decided to wake up. They hit the crossbar and Evan Williams had to make a number of good saves. Tommy Callaghan came on at the 80th minute and Dixie Deans added a third headed goal from a Callaghan free kick just before the end.

Aberdeen lost to Dunfermiline on the same day opening the gap at the top of the table to four points

Teams

St Johnstone:
Robertson; Coburn, Argue; Rennie, Gordon, Rooney; Aird, Whitelaw (Pearson), Connelly, Hall, Aitken.
Sub: Pearson for Whitelaw in 36 mins.

Celtic:
Williams, Craig, Brogan, Hay, McNeill, Connelly, Johnstone, Dalglish, Deans, Lennox, Hood (Callaghan 77)
Goals: Dalglish (5), Deans 2 (71, 85).

Referee: A. McDonald (Livingstone).
Attendance: 14,500

Articles

  • Match Report (see end of page below)

Pictures

Articles The Glasgow Herald, Monday 24th January 1972

Celtic settle old scores and increase championship lead


By Raymond Jacobs


St Johnstone 0, Celtic 3

Although no doubt Celtic will be properly reluctant to start counting chickens, writes Raymond Jacobs, the lead of four points they now have over Aberdeen in the race for the league championship must make the odds against their winning the title for a record seventh successive year prohibitive.
To have established this margin, the widest of the season so far, at this stage smacks of excellent timing, albeit that Aberdeen cooperated by losing at Dunfermline. The impending intrusion of the European and Scottish Cup competitions into the league campaign will throw weight even on Celtic’s plentiful resources; their newly acquired cushion should make the strain easier to take.
Aberdeen, having dropped three points in two games, at least one of which they should have won, suggests at best a loss of form and confidence, at worst a loss of nerve. Celtic, of course have become practiced hands at squeezing potential usurpers of their throne until the pips squeak, and they seem to be at it again.
On Saturday, in addition to maintaining their lead, Celtic had scores to settle with St Johnstone, who had beaten them in their last two meetings. From the moment that Dalglish took the first goal in his stride after only four minutes it was improbable that Celtic were going to be embarrassed yet again.
The wonder was, indeed, that it took more than an hour before Deans, with two goals, put a realistic face on the pattern of the match. True, Celtic had the ball in the net three more times in the first half and each time a goal was disallowed for offside. True also that the pitch was awkwardly soft and cut up. But St Johnstone had as little success in turning back the tide that ran against them as Canute.
It did seem as if Hay, at wing half, and Dalglish, Deans’s partner as the frontrunners, were less comfortable than in their usual positions. Nevertheless Hay and Hood gained control in midfield and the speed and wriggling runs respectively of Lennox and Johnstone on the wings kept the pressure turned on St Johnstone’s defence.
Hit wood

Curiously enough, it was only after Celtic’s second goal that St Johnstone emerged to be reckoned with as an attacking force. Connolly and Aird botH hit wood, and twice Williams, more by instinct than foresight, made saves of point-blank shots. But these were the reactions of a side trying to lock the door after the horse had bolted.
The seal was eventually set by Deans, who, in the manner attributed to his famous namesake of other years, flicked the third goal off his eyebrows from a free kick by Callaghan, who only ten minutes before had relieved Hood of the need to undertake any more running on the heavy ground.
Around this time, too, an aggravatingly fussy referee had taken the names of Argue and Johnstone and of Pearson, who had substituted for the injured Whitelaw shortly before the interval. Those last 20 minutes were, in one way and another livelier than anything that had happened in the preceding hour.
St Johnstone did move quiet well at times in the outfield, their forwards switching position frequently. But they were stopped cold at the edge of the penalty area by the solid barrier of McNeill and Connelly, and apart from the one brief onslaught, only two scoring efforts penetrated as far as Williams. Celtic’s victory was that complete.
SUNDAY MAIL, January 23, 1972
DEANS ENDS PERTH FIGHT
ST. JOHNSTONE ……………………. 0 CELTIC ………………….3
(H.T. 0-1)
Scorers: Dalglish (5 min), Deans (71, 85).

DIXIE DEANS made Celtic's victory certain with two glorious second half goals that came just when it looked as though St Johstone were set to take over.
.
Deans’ double and one from Kenny Dalglish, were magnificent.

Dalglish, who played as a striker throughout, calmly netted after Jim Craig and Bobby Lennox had combined speedily and intelligently to deceive the Saints defence.

Thrilling

Deans’ goals were more thrilling in that they arrived at most exciting spells of a splendid match played on a soft, difficult pitch.

The first in 71 minutes was shot with perfect timing and terrific power after Dalglish had taken a superb pass by Harry Hood almost to the bye line and cut the ball back.

JOCK STEIN MADE A MOST TIMELY SUBSTITUTION SHORTLY AFTERWARDS.

He sent on Tom Callaghan for Hood who had played industriously as well as sapping midfield.

Callaghan was hauled down from behind by Kenny Aird and when he flighted the free kick into the goal area. Deans—des­pite being closely pressed by his " shadow" Alex Gordon—flicked the ball into the net via the under-side of the crossbar.

By the 85th minute Saints were a most frustrated side as was indicated when Jim Pearson–a 36th minute substitute for injured Gordon Whitelaw was booked for passing remarks to the referee.

He was the third player cautioned by a very fussy official.

Seven minutes from time Jim Argue had his name taken for one of several fouls on Jimmy Johnstone.

Superior

Johnstone was booked for rashly retaliating.

But the major cause of Saints frustration was the brilliant, daring goalkeeping of Evan Williams who returned to the first team after a long absence. Dennis Connachan having complained about a back injury.

Four times in the second half Williams rescued Celtic with remarkable diving saves.

Twice more he had the good fortune he deserved, when his feet and legs stopped net-bound shots.

Celtic, however, were undoubtedly the superior side. Some of their football was superb, especially when Johnstone, Dalglish, and Bobby Lennox were involved.

Lennox tore Saint Johnstone apart in the second half with his exhilirating pace.

In defence, too. Celtic had a masterly player in George Connelly whose understanding with the sound Billy McNeill grows week by week.

John Connolly became a real menace to Celts when he moved to the left wing in the second half.

He and Saints will play worse many a time and fare better.

But this was a very com­petent display by Celtic who must be well satisfied at the manner in which they cleared the Muirton hurdle.

ST JOHNSTONE: Robertson; Coburn, Argue; Rennie, Gordon, Rooney; Aird, Whitelaw, Connelly, Hall, Aitken. Sub: Pearson for Whitelaw in 36 mins.
CELTIC: Williams; Craig, Brogan; Hay, McNeill, Connelly; Johnston, Dalglish, Deans, Lennox, Hood. Sub: Callaghan for Hood in 77mins.

Referee: A. McDonald (Livingstone).

Att: 14,500

1972 St Johnstone 0-3 Celtic