2018-12-02: Celtic 1-0 Aberdeen, League Cup

Match Pictures | Matches: 20182019 | 2018-19 Pictures

Trivia

  • League Cup Final 2018-19 Final
  • Celtic win the League Cup again

  • Christie caps an unbelievable first major run in the first team with a MoTM performance, and scored the winning goal.
  • 7 trophies in a row now for Brendan Rodgers domestically.
  • Celtic have won the League Cup eight times since turn of the Millennium & have yet to concede a goal in a winning Final
  • Celtic's first 3-in-a-row league cups since Jock Stein Era.
  • Aberdeen didn't make a cup final in 13 years prior to Derek McInnes, they've now got to four finals in five years under him.
  • Celtic had a penalty saved, but most agreed it really shouldn't have been awarded.
  • Officials were poor. First final for Andrew Dallas as ref, son of the infamous ex-ref Hugh Dallas of Dougie Dougie gate fame.
  • An idiot Aberdeen fan ran onto the pitch, TV cameras actually showed it all which is rare.
  • Big scare in the game: Ex-Celt Gary Mackay Stevens in an accidental heavy head knock with Boyata. Major concerns over him but Aberdeen manager confirmed that Gary was sitting up and, while he’s out for Wednesday, he’s confident that he should be available for next weekend. All very happy on this.
  • After that challenge, Boyata head bandaged covered in blood sets up the Celtic goal. What a player!
  • Celtic defender Filip Benkovic has revealed he wishes to remain at Parkhead for the rest of the 2018/19 season amid talk that Leicester City could recall the player in the January transfer window.
  • Brendan Rodgers says past experience means he won’t allows his players to party despite lifting the Betfred Cup today for a seventh straight domestic honour; all due to fixture timing, a lot of matches this month. Too many, a congested period.

Review[Untitled]

Brendan Rodgers on his 7th consecutive trophy: “I take great pride and it feels great. My happiness is more for the players and the supporters. It was a very satisfying day for us, and the players, they deserve a huge amount of credit because they’ve been amazing since I’ve come in.”

Tom English (Journo): Tumultuous final. The Dons emptied the tank and made it a hell of a tussle, but won by a terrific finish by the man of the moment, Ryan Christie, and a Celtic team with a huge spirit. Hope Gary Mackay-Steven is recovering well

(celticjoe of KDS)
Christie's goal was straight from the training ground. We had Dons well worked out.
They man-marked our attacking players very tightly – Considine on Edouard, Lowe on Forrest, Logan on Christie, Ball on Rogic, Shinnie on Christie.
So we pulled them all over the place, with French Eddie in particular taking Considine for a walk, leaving a gap in behind.
McKenna should have covered, but he was probably worried about Forrest on the other side.
About 10 minutes before the goal Eddie went deep, Sinclair ran away from Logan, but Boyata hit the ball too long straight through to Lewis.
But for the goal, Eddie went deep, Sinclair stayed wide, and Christie ran away from Shinnie.
Logan could have covered his run but, at the crucial moment, glanced the wrong way to see where Sincy was.
This time Boyata's through ball was on the money and, at the second attempt, wee Ryan netted.
A great team goal. Well done Brendan and the coaches.

(Barcabhoy on KDS)
Delighted to win. Aberdeen made it scrappy , but we deserved that. Dallas was way out of his comfort zone .Terrible decisions against both teams all day Winning after away games in Europe isn’t easy , and I think it showed Christie continues to prove me wrong. Well done him

Teams

Celtic

  • 29 Bain
  • 23 Lustig
  • 20 Boyata Substituted for Simunovic at 61'minutes
  • 32 Benkovic
  • 63 Tierney
  • 42 McGregor
  • 49 ForrestBooked at 24min Substituted for Ntcham at 86'minutes
  • 18 RogicBooked at 59mins Substituted for Brown at 64'minutes
  • 17 Christie Booked at 50mins
  • 11 Sinclair
  • 22 Edouard

Substitutes

  • 1 Gordon
  • 5 Simunovic
  • 8 Brown
  • 9 Griffiths
  • 12 Gamboa
  • 15 Hayes
  • 21 Ntcham
Goal
  • Christie 45+5

Aberdeen

  • 1Lewis
  • 2LoganBooked at 68mins
  • 5McKenna
  • 4Considine
  • 29Lowe
  • 21BallBooked at 60mins
  • 3Shinnie
  • 11Mackay-Steven Substituted forMcLennanat 45+2'minutes
  • 19FergusonBooked at 78mins
  • 10McGinnSubstituted forWilsonat 70'minutes
  • 16CosgroveBooked at 78minsSubstituted forAndersonat 79'minutes

Substitutes

  • 8Gleeson
  • 9Wilson
  • 15Wright
  • 17May
  • 20Cerny
  • 25Anderson
  • 27McLennan

Referee:
o Andrew Dallas
Attendance:
o 50,936

Articles

  • Match Report (see end of page below)

Pictures

Forum

MOTM

Stats

Home Team
Celtic
Away Team
Aberdeen

Possession
Home52%
Away48%

Shots
Home17
Away7

Shots on Target
Home7
Away2

Corners
Home6
Away3

Fouls
Home14
Away15

Articles

Celtic 1 – 0 Aberdeen: Ryan Christie goal settles Betfred Cup final

Published: 17:00 Sunday 02 December 2018
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https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/competitions/league-cup/celtic-1-0-aberdeen-ryan-christie-goal-settles-betfred-cup-final-1-4838037
Ryan Christie was the hero as Celtic made it a magnificent seven successive trophy wins with a 1-0 victory over Aberdeen in the Betfred Cup final at Hampden Park.

The midfielder, who had two spells on loan at the Pittodrie club prior to this season, scored what proved to be the winner with a shot in added time at the end of the first half.

Dons keeper Joe Lewis brilliantly saved Scott Sinclair’s controversial penalty in the 52nd minute of a pulsating second-half which thrilled until the final whistle.

Since taking charge of the Parkead club in 2016, boss Brendan Rodgers has won every piece of silverware on offer and this most recent victory – the 18th in the competition for Celtic – is the first step towards a domestic treble-treble.

Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes has now lost three cup finals to Celtic during the Hoops’ current period of domination which shows no sign of abating, but his side put up a valiant display, if there is any consolation to be had from that.

For Rodgers, he can do no wrong in Scottish football.

He made only one change from the side which started the 1-0 Europa League win over Rosenborg in Trondheim with deputy keeper Scott Bain taking over from Craig Gordon, as he had done in previous rounds of the competition.

McInnes went with the burly figure of Sam Cosgrove in attack and there was no sign of any Aberdeen reticence in the rough and tumble first half.

Hoops midfielder Tom Rogic struck the outside of the post in the seventh minute with a left-footed snap-shot from 25 yards before James Forrest’s attempt with the outside of his right foot escaped keeper Lewis’s right-hand post by a yard.

Bain was tested for the first time in the 16th minute with a close-range shot from Andrew Considine following a corner although the flag was up for offside.

Aberdeen battled for a share of possession and in the 36th minute midfielder Lewis Ferguson headed a Niall McGinn corner over the bar.

The Hoops defender was able to play on after treatment but the former Celt, after a lengthy spell of attention from the medical staff, was taken off the field in a stretcher to an ovation from both sets of supporters, to be replaced by Connor McLennan.

There were six added minutes at the end of the first half and just before they came to an end Celtic went ahead.

Christie raced on to a long pass from Boyata, forced his way past Dons captain Graeme Shinnie and with Shay Logan and Scott McKenna also in the vicinity, he slammed the ball high into the net, after his first shot had been parried by Lewis.

There was drama seven minutes after the break when Dons midfielder Dominic Ball was judged by referee Andrew Dallas to have handled a Christie pass inside the box.

It looked not only accidental but outside the penalty area – but Lewis threw himself to his right to push Sinclair’s penalty behind for a corner which was defended by the Pittrodrie side who recognised they had been given a lifeline.

Lewis then saved a powerful drive from Celtic defender Filip Benkovic and again the Dons held firm at the corner.

Defender Jozo Simunovic replaced Boyata on the hour-mark and immediately his attempted clearance smacked off his own crossbar.

Scott Brown came on for Rogic and the all-action match continued apace.

McKenna flashed a header across the Celtic six-yard box before Lewis saved two Odsonne Edouard attempts.

However, Aberdeen ran out of time before Celtic fans celebrated another trophy win with more promised before the end of the season.

Brendan Rodgers hails ‘incredible mentality’ of Celtic stars

Remaining Time -1:30
Stephen Halliday
Published: 19:48 Sunday 02 December 2018
https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/competitions/league-cup/brendan-rodgers-hails-incredible-mentality-of-celtic-stars-1-4838124
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers hailed the ‘incredible mentality’ of his players as they maintained their stranglehold on Scottish domestic silverware with the seventh consecutive trophy win of his tenure.

Ryan Christie scored the only goal of an absorbing Betfred Cup Final against Aberdeen, the midfielder’s strike against the club where he spent 18 months on loan being described by Rodgers as an act of the ‘football gods’.

While not entirely content with the technical and tactical level of his team’s performance at Hampden, Rodgers was full of praise for the heart and desire they displayed to extend the club’s domestic dominance.

It was a victory which also saw Rodgers reach a personal milestone as he equalled the all-time record of seven straight Scottish trophy triumphs for a manager set by Walter Smith at Rangers 24 years ago.

“Of course I take great pride in that and it feels great,” said Rodgers. “But my happiness is more for the players and the supporters. It’s a really satisfying day for us and the players deserve a huge amount of credit. The medal they have around their necks and the seventh trophy, they deserve all of it because they’ve been amazing since I came in.

“Like I said to them afterwards, we have to analyse the game because we can be better on the fast break attack and be more clinical. My overriding emotion is that I’m very proud of everything we are doing but we still have lots to improve on.

“They showed a lot of heart and a lot of fight. After the run of the games we’ve had, and especially after Thursday night away to Rosenborg, it’s a really tough game to play against Aberdeen because they’re very physical and very strong. To show the quality for the goal, that was probably our biggest moment in the first half.

“My only disappointment with the second half was we could have been more clinical in key moments, especially when you’re having to defend a bit deeper. We broke away fantastic, the pace we broke away with and the support we had up there but we never made the last pass, which then makes the game a lot tighter towards the end than it should have been.

“That’s my only criticism. It was incredible mentality from the players, the focus in their game was very, very good.

“It’s the footballing gods that we saw today with Ryan scoring the goal. Lo and behold, he scored against the team he was at for 18 months.”

BBC

By Tom English

BBC Scotland at Hampden Park

3 hours ago From the section Scottish League Cup 100

Celtic lift the Scottish Legue Cup
Celtic won a fiery Scottish League Cup final to clinch the trophy for the 18th time

Former Aberdeen loanee Ryan Christie scored the only goal as Brendan Rodgers led Celtic to his seventh straight domestic trophy and the club's 18th Scottish League Cup.

Dons winger Gary Mackay-Steven was knocked out by a clash of heads and carried off before Christie's strike in first-half injury time.

Celtic won a controversial 52nd-minute penalty but Scott Sinclair's spot kick was brilliantly saved by Joe Lewis.

Aberdeen could not find a leveller.

And Celtic could have doubled their lead when Sinclair broke free in the box but floated over, Lewis twice denied Odsonne Edouard, and the French striker spurned a great opportunity to play in a team-mate on an injury-time counter-attack.

The victory was Celtic's 22nd successive cup win since Rodgers took charge in the summer of 2016.

Cup win 'most satisfying' of seven in a row for Rodgers
Mackay-Steven 'okay' after cup final concussion
Cup final hero Christie feared Celtic exit
Who was your man of the match at Hampden?

Clinical Christie strikes
Ryan Christie scores for Celtic against Aberdeen
Ryan Christie fired past Joe Lewis at the second time of asking to put Celtic ahead

The final had been tighter than a drum before Christie's clinical moment, a game of huge intensity where Aberdeen went virtually man-for-man on Celtic's most influential midfielders and managed to all-but stifle their danger.

They had a scary moment early on when Tom Rogic saw a shot slap back off Lewis' right-hand post, but in the main it was an even contest.

Dominic Ball, Graeme Shinnie and Lewis Ferguson were in the faces of Christie, Callum McGregor and Rogic. Out wide, Sinclair wasn't getting any change out of Shay Logan down the left and James Forrest was in a battle with Max Lowe down the right.

Dons boss Derek McInnes would have been a happy man with the way things were going until late in the opening half. Their problems, ironically, started when they created a decent chance. Logan swung in a cross which was met by Mackay-Steven who headed straight at Bain.

What happened in the process of Mackay-Steven heading the ball was awful and deeply worrying. A clash of heads between the Aberdeen winger and Dedryck Boyata halted play for six or seven minutes. Boyata got up and a bandage was applied to his bloody wound. Mackay-Steven didn't get up, however. There was significant concern about his wellbeing as he lay on the floor.

Eventually, he was stretchered away and the final carried on into the final minutes of the half. That's when Aberdeen suffered their second blow, a double-whammy of disappointment. Five added minutes of six had been played when Boyata floated a ball over the top and into Aberdeen's penalty area.

Christie came to life in the blink of an eye, getting away from Shinnie and into space left by Aberdeen's sleeping centre-halves. The midfielder was one-on-one with Lewis, but the goalkeeper blocked his first attempt. When the ball fell loose, Christie was again the most alert man in Hampden. Even though he was falling over at the time he managed to stay in the moment, fend off Logan, and put the rebound into the Aberdeen net.
Celtic turn up the heat amid 'poor officiating'
Scott Sinclair's penalty is saved by Joe Lewis
Joe Lewis dived to his right to deny Scott Sinclair from 12 yards

Celtic – now bearing down on seven titles in a row under Rodgers – turned up the heat in the new half. Poor officiating gave them a golden chance to make it 2-0 when Ball was adjudged to have handled in the box. He didn't. When ball struck arm, the arm was outside the penalty area, but referee Andrew Dallas gave Celtic the decision and Sinclair stepped up.

Lewis' save was magnificent, the goalkeeper flinging himself to his right and beating the ball away. Moments later he went the other way to deny Filip Benkovic. The Dons were reeling.

Just after the hour, Boyata came off and was replaced by Jozo Simunovic who was on the field a matter of seconds when he stuck out a leg in trying to dispossess Niall McGinn and only managed to poke the ball on to his own crossbar. That was a dramatic moment – and it wasn't the last of them.

Things opened up and tempers became frayed. Scott Brown came on to the field and Celtic pushed for a second. McGregor launched a counter-attack and played in Sinclair whose dinked effort fell wide.

All the while, Aberdeen fought and scrapped to get themselves back into it. They threw their heart and soul into everything. James Wilson appeared off the bench and his hooked effort was saved by Bain. How the Dons craved a gilt-edged chance in those closing moments, but Celtic were too organised, too confident, too good.

They should have scored a second minutes from the end when Odsonne Edouard broke free and went himself when a simple pass to Sinclair or Kieran Tierney would have given Celtic a near-unmissable opportunity. Profligacy didn't cost them, though. They saw it out and won the day – again.

Match ends, Celtic 1, Aberdeen 0.

Full Time

Second Half ends, Celtic 1, Aberdeen 0.
Ryan Christie (Celtic) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Connor McLennan (Aberdeen).
Foul by Ryan Christie (Celtic).
Connor McLennan (Aberdeen) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Attempt blocked. Scott Brown (Celtic) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Jozo Simunovic (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Andrew Considine (Aberdeen).
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Attempt blocked. Odsonne Edouard (Celtic) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.

Substitution

Substitution, Celtic. Olivier Ntcham replaces James Forrest.
Attempt saved. Scott Sinclair (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Foul by Max Lowe (Aberdeen).
James Forrest (Celtic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt blocked. Callum McGregor (Celtic) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Foul by Andrew Considine (Aberdeen).
Odsonne Edouard (Celtic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Max Lowe (Aberdeen).
James Forrest (Celtic) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Substitution

Substitution, Aberdeen. Bruce Anderson replaces Sam Cosgrove.

Booking

Sam Cosgrove (Aberdeen) is shown the yellow card.

Booking

Lewis Ferguson (Aberdeen) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Scott Brown (Celtic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Lewis Ferguson (Aberdeen).
Foul by Lewis Ferguson (Aberdeen).
Mikael Lustig (Celtic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt saved. Sam Cosgrove (Aberdeen) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Foul by Mikael Lustig (Celtic).
Graeme Shinnie (Aberdeen) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt saved. Odsonne Edouard (Celtic) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Attempt saved. Odsonne Edouard (Celtic) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Attempt missed. Scott McKenna (Aberdeen) header from the centre of the box misses to the left following a set piece situation.
Foul by Filip Benkovic (Celtic).
Lewis Ferguson (Aberdeen) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Substitution

Substitution, Aberdeen. James Wilson replaces Niall McGinn.

Booking

Shaleum Logan (Aberdeen) is shown the yellow card.
Attempt missed. Scott Sinclair (Celtic) left footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses the top right corner.
Foul by Scott Brown (Celtic).
Sam Cosgrove (Aberdeen) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt missed. Odsonne Edouard (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box is too high.
Jozo Simunovic (Celtic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Graeme Shinnie (Aberdeen).

Substitution

Substitution, Celtic. Scott Brown replaces Tomas Rogic.
Foul by Tomas Rogic (Celtic).
Dominic Ball (Aberdeen) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Substitution

Substitution, Celtic. Jozo Simunovic replaces Dedryck Boyata because of an injury.

Booking

Dominic Ball (Aberdeen) is shown the yellow card.

Booking

Tomas Rogic (Celtic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Tomas Rogic (Celtic).
Dominic Ball (Aberdeen) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Joe Lewis.
Attempt saved. Filip Benkovic (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top right corner.
Foul by Mikael Lustig (Celtic).
Sam Cosgrove (Aberdeen) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Joe Lewis.
Penalty saved! Scott Sinclair (Celtic) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity, right footed shot saved in the bottom left corner.
Penalty conceded by Dominic Ball (Aberdeen) with a hand ball in the penalty area.
Attempt blocked. Niall McGinn (Aberdeen) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

Booking

Ryan Christie (Celtic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Ryan Christie (Celtic).
Graeme Shinnie (Aberdeen) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Max Lowe.

Second Half

Second Half begins Celtic 1, Aberdeen 0.

Half Time

First Half ends, Celtic 1, Aberdeen 0.

Goal!

Goal! Celtic 1, Aberdeen 0. Ryan Christie (Celtic) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the top right corner.
Attempt saved. Ryan Christie (Celtic) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.

Substitution

Substitution, Aberdeen. Connor McLennan replaces Gary Mackay-Steven because of an injury.
Delay in match Gary Mackay-Steven (Aberdeen) because of an injury.
Attempt saved. Gary Mackay-Steven (Aberdeen) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Attempt missed. Lewis Ferguson (Aberdeen) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left.
Attempt missed. Lewis Ferguson (Aberdeen) header from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right following a corner.
Corner, Aberdeen. Conceded by Dedryck Boyata.
Foul by Callum McGregor (Celtic).
Graeme Shinnie (Aberdeen) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt missed. Dominic Ball (Aberdeen) right footed shot from outside the box is too high.
Odsonne Edouard (Celtic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Andrew Considine (Aberdeen).
Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Scott McKenna.
Kieran Tierney (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Lewis Ferguson (Aberdeen).
Attempt missed. James Forrest (Celtic) right footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the left.
Attempt blocked. Tomas Rogic (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

Booking

James Forrest (Celtic) is shown the yellow card.
Attempt blocked. Callum McGregor (Celtic) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Foul by Gary Mackay-Steven (Aberdeen).
Callum McGregor (Celtic) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Niall McGinn (Aberdeen) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Kieran Tierney (Celtic).
Foul by Dominic Ball (Aberdeen).
Tomas Rogic (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner, Aberdeen. Conceded by Mikael Lustig.
Foul by Callum McGregor (Celtic).
Lewis Ferguson (Aberdeen) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Max Lowe.
Attempt missed. James Forrest (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left.
Foul by Max Lowe (Aberdeen).
James Forrest (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Graeme Shinnie (Aberdeen) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Callum McGregor (Celtic).
Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Max Lowe.
Tomas Rogic (Celtic) hits the left post with a left footed shot from more than 35 yards.
Shaleum Logan (Aberdeen) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Ryan Christie (Celtic).
Corner, Aberdeen. Conceded by James Forrest.
Foul by Callum McGregor (Celtic).
Lewis Ferguson (Aberdeen) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Ryan Christie (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Lewis Ferguson (Aberdeen).

Kick Off

First Half begins.
Lineups are announced and players are warming up.

Andrew Smith: Favoured by footballing gods, Celtic remain on an exalted level

Remaining Time -1:22
Andrew Smith
Published: 07:13
Updated: 08:01 Monday 03 December 2018
https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/teams/celtic/andrew-smith-favoured-by-footballing-gods-celtic-remain-on-an-exalted-level-1-4838172
It might already be too deep into this festive period – seems about three months it has been going already, frankly – to consider it, but Celtic ought to think about rushing out one of those modest tomes that are considered to make great stocking fillers.

The Little Book of Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic Firsts would be the obvious title. The only problem would be that it couldn’t be so little. And the only stocking it would fit into would have to be of the surgical variety.
Dedryck Boyata was able to continue after his clash of heads with Gary Mackay-Steven, and supplied the through-ball that led to the game's only goal. Picture: SNS
Dedryck Boyata was able to continue after his clash of heads with Gary Mackay-Steven, and supplied the through-ball that led to the game's only goal. Picture: SNS

In the never-ending sequence of success that Rodgers is presiding over at the Glasgow club, yesterday’s Betfred Cup final triumph made him the club’s first manager to rack up seven straight domestic trophy wins. Jock Stein was thwarted by Aberdeen when he sought to assemble that total in 1970. However driven and valiant the efforts of Derek McInnes’ men proved in a compelling slow-burner of a contest at Hampden yesterday, there was never any serious prospect of them halting the Celtic silverware juggernaut.

We keep saying that Rodgers’ side cannot keep hoovering up every Scottish competition they contest. Yet there is no sign of their resolve to do so being weakened, or fatally challenged. Even when yesterday may have been another “first” in the sense of it turning out to be the first of five cup deciders in which they haven’t exerted real authority over their opposition. But that is a minor detail. There was only one moment that Rodgers looked like losing his grip on a domestic honour. It came in the literal sense, as he slipped when carrying the League Cup trophy down the Hampden steps following the presentation. It seemed that the top clanked to the ground, but the Celtic manager explained afterwards that this wasn’t quite the case.“It was the base – I wasn’t supposed to take it and I can see why!” he laughed. “I dropped it – sorry.”

Rodgers has fashioned a side that never look like dropping off when it comes to getting their hands on silverware. They are first among unequals. So much so that the prospects of becoming the first team to clinch a “treble treble”, on the back of being the first team to claim back-to-back trebles, are now very real.

The Irishman spoke of the footballing gods having looked down on Ryan Christie through allowing the midfielder to emboss his recent remarkable recasting as a precious commodity in the ranks of the champions with a winning cup final goal against the team that were so central to his remoulding.

The footballing gods seem to have been permanently anointing the work of Rodgers in Scotland. He now has every opportunity to go one better than Walter Smith did between 1992 and 1994 and become the first manager of a Scottish 
club to win eight consecutive honours.

He already stands as the first manager to have enjoyed a run of 69 domestic games without defeat – beating a 66-match total for such a sequence that stood for 100 years.

Moreover, in having yet to lose out in any competition he has contested within these borders, he long ago became the first manager to have pocketed every winner’s medal across his first two seasons in 
Scotland.

The feat achieved yesterday will last longer in the memory than so many elements of the encounter that brought it about.

The head injury sustained by Gary Mackay-Steven after colliding with Dedryck Boyata in the 41st minute resulted in an eerie quiet enveloping Hampden as the Aberdeen winger remained motionless after being knocked out cold.

Mercifully, following the worried looks sported by other players and medical staff, Mackay-Steven regained consciousness subsequent to being strapped in 
and wheeled up the tunnel on a 
stretcher.

That the fates could even play for Celtic in the aftermath of this incident was reflected in a patched up Boyata – who had stitches inserted into a head wound at the side of the pitch while Mackay-Steven was receiving attention – proving the man to deliver the through-ball from which Christie manufactured an implausible strike.
Alfredo Morelos celebrates after scoring to make it 2-1 Rangers at Tynecastle Park yesterday. Pic: Rob Casey/SNS
Rumour Mill: Morelos ‘best striker in Scotland’ | Celtic ‘had no class’ | Rangers ‘won’t stop Collum refereeing games’

The fierce right-foot effort that Joe Lewis blocked seemed to leave him in too much of a stumble, and with too much of a stretch, to be able to make contact with the follow-up but somehow he did so to lash the ball left-footed high into the Aberdeen net. It was a moment of real quality in a final that, while infused with endeavour and application, had too many instances of the untidy, and a couple of the downright unsavoury.

An Aberdeen fan getting onto the pitch and actually breaking up play by getting in the way of the ball was one. Another came in stoppage time when Mikael Lustig, pictured left, taunted Lewis Ferguson with an up-close-and-personal celebration of the impending victory. It was tawdry, as was the Green Brigade section of the Celtic support situated behind the goal directing sectarian chants towards Derek McInnes as the Aberdeen manager received his loser’s medal. Both showed that, even in the ranks of winners, some can still contrive to betray a loser’s mentality.