 | Boroc scores against Zaluska to make it 10 all |
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Well, that is not something you see everyday. Both Dundee United and Celtic showed they has penalty takers in depth at the end of extra-time after playing 90 minutes of a stalemate in the second Co-Operative Cup semi-final at Hampden on Wednesday night. I have no idea if this has ever happened in a semi-final before but the electronic scoreborads at Hampden could not cope with double figures as the penalties mounted up. It was United who cracked as every player took at least one penalty - including both goalkeepers before United suffered their second Hampden penalty shoot-out heartache in 11 months. It was Willo Flood who missed his second spot-kick that allowed Scott McDonald the chance to become the hero with the winner and set up an Old Firm final on 15 March. In the first set of five penalties, Flood, substitute Jon Daly, Warren Feeney, Craig Conway, and Paul Dixon all scored for United as did McDonald, Gary Caldwell, Shunsuke Nakamura and substitutes Barry Robson and Georgios Samaras for Celtic. Moving to sudden death, Morgaro Gomis, Garry Kenneth and David Robertson scored for the Taysiders to be equalised in turn b Lee Naylor, Marc Crosas and Scott Brown. United captain Lee Wilkie had his kick saved by Artur Boruc, but Celtic defender Glenn Loovens had his saved by Lukasz Zaluska, who will join Celtic in the summer. Mihael Kovacevic scored for the Taysiders but United were pegged back level again by Andreas Hinkel before the two Polish keepers scored against each other. It was back to the beginning again and Flood clipped the bar then watched as McDonald finished the tie. It was tough luck on United who lost the final on penalties to Rangers last season.
 | Less than happy |
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The game was a bit of a disappointment as both sides threatened to burst in to life but neither not quite manage it. They were not helped by the much-criticised Hampden pitch which had players wary of slick passing along the ground as they tried to retain possession. There were occasional moments of goalmouth excitement but not that many that lingered in the mind. Celtic midfielder Nakamura flicked in a shot past Zaluska which Feeney cleared a yard from goal then the United striker threatened at the other end when he headed Kenneth's cross wide of the far post. In the 19th minute, after Celtic had failed to capitalise in a couple of corners in quick successions, the Tannadice side broke quickly and an incisive pass from Feeney put Francisco Sandaza in but his toe-poke lacked the power to beat Boruc. In the 34th minute Sandaza might have got a better contact on Conway's free-kick, the Spanish striker heading past from 10 yards out. Celtic defender Naylor curled in the best cross of the first half which Wilkie did well to avoid putting past Zaluska with his shin while Parkhead midfielder Brown finished the 45 minutes with a decent shot from the edge of the box which the United keeper pushed clear.
When Zaluska gratefully palmed an inswinging Nakamura corner over the bar after a minute of the restart, the second half up was up and running. The breakthrough, though, looked no closer as the hour mark passed and the tension mounted. In the 66th minute, with United on top, Sandaza volleyed high over the bar after Wilkie had headed down a deep free-kick from Dixon. United midfielder Prince Buaben came much closer when he drove inches wide from the edge of the box in the 72nd minute, enough of a worry for Hoops' boss Gordon Strachan to send on Samaras for Vennegoor of Hesselink and then Robson for Aiden McGeady soon afterwards. The double substitution helped Celtic stem the tide but with seven minutes remaining Robson escaped a booking when he clearly dived inside the United box in attempt to win a penalty. The Celtic goal survived a couple of scares near the end but there was almost a certain inevitability about the extra-time which followed the final whistle. As legs grew increasingly tired, a great saving tackle by Wilkie prevented McDonald latching on to a Samaras cross at the near post. Samaras and Nakamura both hit the side-netting with efforts as Celtic dominated the first period. When the side turned round, Flood played a one-two with Feeney to take him in to the Celtic box only to screw his effort off-target. Moments later, Feeney was inches away from reaching a Conway cross while Crosas hit the bar at the other end with a cross-cum shot seconds before Samaras did the same with a close-range header. But like extra-time, the game seemed destined for penalties and the most dramatic of finishes to a cup tie seen at the national stadium for decades.
Celtic: Boruc, Hinkel, Caldwell, Loovens, Naylor, Nakamura, Scott Brown, Crosas, McGeady (Robson 75), McDonald, Vennegoor of Hesselink (Samaras 73)
Subs Not Used: Mark Brown, Hartley, O'Dea
Booked: Loovens
Dundee Utd: Zaluska, Dixon, Wilkie, Kenneth, Kovacevic, Flood, Gomis, Buaben (David Robertson 90), Conway, Feeney, Sandaza (Daly 86)
Subs Not Used: McGovern, Dillon, Swanson. Booked: Buaben, Dixon
Att: 19,258
Ref: C Murray
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