Partick Thistle 1-3 Celtic: Holders strike late to avoid League Cup upset
- Published
Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths celebrated his first goal of the season
Celtic scored twice in the last 12 minutes to avoid a shock against Partick Thistle and end a testing week by earning a place in the League Cup quarter-finals.
After losing at Hearts last Saturday, and going out of the Champions League in Athens, Brendan Rodgers' recast side took a lead through Leigh Griffiths.
Andrea Mbuyi-Mutombo levelled for the Championship hosts with 17 minutes left. But two goals in two minutes from Moussa Dembele and Tom Rogic ensured Celtic's safe passage.
It meant Rodgers avoided a third consecutive defeat and preserved his 100% record in domestic cup matches since taking charge of Celtic.
Celtic attack with intent
Rodgers made changes to the side that lost 2-1 against AEK Athens on Tuesday - perhaps with Thursday's Europa League play-off against Suduva in Lithuania in mind.
Scott Bain, Cristian Gamboa, Michael Johnston and the returning Emilio Izaguirre all made rare starts, but any notion Celtic were simply at Firhill to fulfil a fixture was put to bed early.
The League Cup holders looked eager to end a difficult week on a high, with a powerful low Rogic shot forcing goalkeeper Cammy Bell into a early save before Griffiths scored his first goal of the season.
Scott Sinclair turned his marker and pulled the ball back for the Scotland striker, who was given free rein by the Thistle defence to lash a shot into the centre of the goal.
It said much for 19-year-old Johnston that he was given a start, while the experienced Jonny Hayes sat on the bench, with Ryan Christie and Scott Allan both failing to make the squad at all.
And the winger was lively, skipping past Max Melbourne and snapping a low shot at Bell, then later seeing a deflected effort go past a post.
Celtic were a constant threat. Rogic found a gap between the two centre-backs but headed downwards, before Olivier Ntcham took aim from outside the box and struck the top of the crossbar.
Sinclair curled wide, then Dembele's first touch after replacing Griffiths was a left-foot volley which Bell had to push away.
Thistle's goal unsettled Celtic temporarily, but they were soon back in front when Gamboa's cross bounced in off the thigh of Dembele.
The third goal was near-enough identical. Gamboa raced on to James Forrest's through ball and crossed for Rogic to nudge in at the near post.
Mbuyi-Mutombo makes his mark
Andrea Mbuyi-Mutombo scored on his home debut
Former Inverness Caledonian Thistle striker Mbuyi-Mutombo was making his first appearance at Firhill, having opened his account on his midweek debut at Stranraer in the Challenge Cup.
The Congolese was lively down the left, managing to fool Gamboa early on before testing Bain at the near post.
He had a selfishness to his game, electing to ignore two options to his left when Thistle had Celtic outnumbered on the counter, instead shooting wide.
But his finish for the equaliser was top drawer. Aidan Fitzpatrick danced through the middle and slipped through Mbuyi-Mutombo, who finished coolly into a bottom corner.
Thomas O'Ware may even have put Thistle ahead had he got to a cross moment later; a miss Alan Archibald's side were punished for as Celtic quickly got themselves back into the lead.
'Match of managerial wisdom' - analysis
BBC Scotland's Chick Young at Firhill
It was one of those "surely not" moments as Partick Thistle equalised and Celtic were suddenly navigating towards the rocks of four games without a win. But this was a match of managerial wisdom.
Archibald conjured Thistle back into the tie with an eyebrow-raising change in which he replaced top scorer Kris Doolan instead of the erratic Mbuyi-Mutumbo. But then, wouldn't you know it, the Congolese player scored the equaliser.
But as Thistle celebrated, Rodgers was hatching his counter plan. Enter the big guns. Callum McGregor and Forrest turned it. In short, six changes for Celtic were too many.
When all is said and done, their big-time players are too good for Premier League opposition never mind a team from a division below.
'We switched off & it killed us' - reaction
Partick Thistle manager Alan Archibald: "We decided to sit off them, we didn't think we had the legs to deal with their pace. We got a lift with the goal, but we switched off twice in the last 15 minutes, which killed us. The young lads equipped themselves well."
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers: "We haven't played well but we got the job done. It was two fantastic balls in by Cristian Gamboa and two really good finishes. Both full-backs were very good; Emilio Izaguirre was fantastic given he's been away so long."