| Match Pictures | Matches: 1972 – 1973 | 1972-73 Pictures |
Trivia
- Played at Hampden on the Monday with a 7:30pm kick off due to work on the main stand at Celtic Park.
- With Murdoch again dropping out and Davie Hay dropping back to right midfield in came 17 y.o. Brian McLaughlin for his first start.
- Whiskey warehouseman Rylance had never before scored for Arbroath! He scored a hat-trick this day!
The Olympic Games had just got under way in Munich.
Review
With both first and second placed teams qualifying from the Group Stages of the League Cup this season then the urge to push ahead was less evident. Celtic were already guaranteed of making the Second Round. The importance of the game can be seen by the 5000 spectators that must have rattled around Hampden. The lack of atmosphere in the broad open empty terraces suited newly promoted Arbroath more than Celtic. Celtic played a 4-3-3 with McLaughlin, Hay and Hood in midfield. Cargill scored a spectacular own goal for Celtic putting past Marshall from 35 yards. harry Hood added to that before the interval with a long range shot. Dalglish made it 3-1 after the break
Jimmy Quinn was injured in the first half and replaced by Pat McCluskey.
Stirling Albion 0 – 3 East Fife
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts |
| Celtic | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 18 | 6 | 10 |
| East Fife | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 6 |
| Stirling Albion | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 5 |
| Arbroath | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 14 | 3 |
Celtic and East Fife qualified for Round 2.
Teams
Celtic:-
Connaghan, McGrain, Quinn (McCluskey), Hay, McNeill, Connelly, McLaughlin, Deans, Dalglish, Hood, Lennox.
Goals: Cargill (OG 33), Hood (42), Dalglish (57)
Arbroath:
Marshall, Millar, McAlpine, Cargill, Waddell, Winchester (Robertson), Sellars, Cant, Pirie, Rylance, Payne.
Goals: Rylance 22, 68, 77
Referee: E. Thomson (Edinburgh).
Attendance 4,962
Articles
- Match Report(see below)
Pictures
Whiskey warehouseman Rylance had never before scored for Arbroath.
The Glasgow Herald, Tuesday, 29th August 1972
Rylance scores three goals against Celtic
By John Downie
Celtic 3, Arbroath 3
For a team already doomed to finish at the bottom of their league cup section, Arbroath gave a remarkably good account of themselves in drawing with Celtic at Hampden Park before a crowd of only 4,962.
In fact, Arbroath provided four of the six goals scored, for Celtic’s equaliser in 32 minutes was scored by Cargill, the Arbroath wing half, who from a range of 35 yards and under far from desperate pressure suddenly pivoted and lobbed the ball into the net as his astonished goalkeeper scrambled back desperately, but in vain.
The loss of that goal could in no way be blamed on Marshall. The ex-Celt had an excellent match for Arbroath, and until Cargill had his rush of blood to the head the goalkeeper had no reason to feel threatened. Nor was he at fault when Celtic added further goals through Hood in 41 minutes and Dalglish in 57. Both were scored from rebounds in the course of Celtic attacks in force, and he had several excellent saves from shots by Deans and Dalglish.
TOOK CHANCES
No doubt Arbroath’s hero was Rylance, who scored all of their goals in 22, 68, and 77 minutes. He took all his chances admirably, but Arbroath did not rely entirely on a single sharp-shooter. They had a most dangerous right winger in Sellars, who pace, ball control, and timing of the cross repeatedly harassed Celtic’s defence.
It took a good save by Connaghan to hold Payne’s shot from a Sellars cross after eight minutes and he had a further good effort saved when McAlpine shot wide in 19 minutes. Two minutes later however, Quinn went off with an injury to his left knee and before Celtic could replace him with McCluskey, Sellars went round the left flank and crossed to Payne, from the rebound of whose shot Rylance opened the scoring.
A well directed pass by Payne made the chance for Rylance’s second goal and Robertson, who replaced Winchester after 61 minutes also contributed much to the liveliness Arbroath showed in rallying from 3-1 down.
CELTIC—Connaghan; McGrain and Quinn; Hay, McNeill and Connolly; McLaughlin and Deans; Dalglish, Hood and Lennox. Substitute—McCluskey.
ARBROATH—Marshall; Milne and McAlpine; Cargill, Waddell and Winchester; Sellars and Cant; Pirie, Rylance and Payne. Substitute—Robertson.
Referee—E. Thomson (Edinburgh).
The Scotsman Tuesday 29 August 1972
Rylance scores 3 v. Celtic
Celtic 3, Arbroath 3
Arbroath staged an astonishing recovery at Hampden last night to take a point from this concluding League Cup sectional tie against all the odds. Celtic led by 3-1 with' only 22 minutes to go but in a grandstand finish Arbroath scored two goals for a hard-earned draw.
Derek Rylance, the Angus club's inside left scored three splendidly taken goals. But the whole Arbroath team fought splendidly.
Celtic will be holding a post-mortem as to why they allowed victory to be snatched from their grasp. Connaghan was blameless. McGrain was the better back and McNeill good at centre half. Hood and Lennox were impressive with the inside left hitting Celtic's, best goal of the night.
Arbroath surprised Celtic by taking the lead in 22 minutes with a splendidly engineered goal. Sellers raced down the right before crossing to Payne whose first – time drive rebounded off Connaghan's chest to Rylance, who hammered the ball home. Seconds later, Quinn was taken off with a knee injury and McCluskey deputised.
Celtic drew level in 32 minutes with a gift goal. Cargill put too much power behind a 40-yard pass back and the ball soared over Marshall's head into the net. Four minutes from the interval Hood shot a spectacular second goal for Celtic from 25 yards.
Celtic scored a third goal in the 58th minute. McGrain put such power behind a volley from the bye-line that the ball broke from Marshall's grasp into the path of Dalglish who shot home. Three minutes later Winchester was replaced by Robertson.
Arbroath scored a second goal in the 68th minute when Rylance drove a Pirrie opening well beyond Connaghan's reach.
Rylance headed a dramatic equaliser for Arbroath in the 77th minute from a Sellar's cross for his third goal.
The attendance was 4962.
Celtic—Connaghan; McGrain and Quinn; Hay, McNeill and Connolly; McLaughlin, Deans, Dalglish, Hood and Lennox. Sub.—McCluskey.
Arbroath—Marshall; Milne and McAlpine; Cargill, Waddell and Winchester; Sellars, Cant, Pirrie, Rylance and Payne. Sub.—Robertson.
Referee—E. Thomson (Edinburgh).
