Inverness CT 3-2 Celtic: Smelling Van Dijk & a naked bus trip home

Smelling Virgil Van Dijk, throwing up on the pitch, one of the best saves a defender has ever made, and a naked bus ride home.

Inverness Caledonian Thistle went in to their 2015 Scottish Cup semi-final as true underdogs against a Celtic side boasting a future Ballon d'Or winner, but won in controversial and dramatic fashion.

To mark the fifth anniversary of that win, BBC Scotland spoke to some of those who made Highland history.

• Inverness beat Celtic in controversial semi

'Celtic were there for the taking'

Inverness had held Celtic to a 1-1 draw in the league the previous weekend, and there was confidence in the camp that they could go one better at Hampden.

Former Inverness defender David Raven: "I remember the meeting before the game. It was like 'we're going to go for it, we're going to get after them'. We knew it would one of two ways - they'd put six past us or we'd beat them. But there was a feeling in the squad that they were there for the taking.

"We had 5,000 fans or something to Celtic's 30,000. It just made us laugh - it was like us against the world."

Former Inverness manager John Hughes: "It was probably one of those perfect storms. You look at where the players are now - the likes of Graeme Shinnie and Ryan Christie - and the spirit and camaraderie was fantastic.

"I just needed to guide them and stimulate them and let them take responsibility. There were some clever footballers in there. When you told them information, they took it on board and implemented it."

'Van Dijk looked and smelled the part'

Virgil van Dijk's free kick gave Celtic the lead

Despite a confident start from Inverness, they trailed after 18 minutes when Van Dijk's stunning free-kick soared past the wall and in off a post.

Former Inverness midfielder Greg Tansey: "As soon as he hit it I knew that was it. I felt like applauding him myself.

"I've never seen anything like him. Standing next to him, you realise how big he is, he's built like the perfect footballer. He even smells good as well. He carries himself in the right way, with confidence, but not arrogance."

Hughes: "I told Marley Watkins to get into him, every time, knock him on his backside and not let him get started. As soon as our top four pressed their four, the goalie had to kick it. As soon as he did, Watkins and the two wingers would tuck in, so when we won the header it gave us every chance of winning the second ball. It worked a treat."

'It was a blatant penalty'

The tactics might have worked, but the game almost slipped out of reach for Inverness just before half time. A Leigh Griffiths strike was heading for the net, only for defender Josh Meekings to stop the ball with his hand a couple of yards from the goal line. But the officials did not see it and Celtic were denied a clear penalty.

Raven: "If you look at the replay, it's blatant, but I was a few yards from where the ref was, and it looked to me like it hit his face. So I completely understood the referee not seeing it. You do think 'where was the linesman?' though.

Tansey: "I'm not even going to say I didn't see it - I was six feet from it and it was a blatant penalty. After that I thought 'maybe our name's on this'.

"I don't blame any Celtic fans for going mad - I'd have gone mad. But they win everything, it was about time at that point somebody turned up out of nowhere and won it. They've won it since, so they're all right. They'll live."

Josh Meekings stopped Leigh Griffiths' effort with his hand

'I can't repeat what Van Dijk said'

The momentum shifted violently after the break, when Celtic goalkeeper Craig Gordon conceded a penalty and was shown a red card for wiping out Marley Watkins.

Hughes: "Winning that penalty wasn't luck. We always left three up the park, and it let Watkins get one-on-one.

"Tansey stepped up and you think 'no problem' because he doesn't miss. But Celtic were trying to delay it..."

Tansey: "It was about four minutes I was stood over the ball, and for a lot of that time Van Dijk was in my ear. I can't repeat what he said but he had my favourite aftershave on so he smelled the part at least. I'd have done the same.

"I was trying to concentrate on anything except taking the pen. It didn't work, but I still scored. After that you could feel Celtic were lacking in confidence. We were in control."

'I had to be sick over the advertising board'

Inverness grew in confidence, and Edward Ofere put them ahead in extra-time. That joy was short-lived, though, as goalkeeper Ryan Esson misjudged a John Guidetti free-kick to gift Celtic a 103rd-minute leveller. However, the Highlanders would not be denied, and a winner came from an unlikely source.

Hughes: "We wanted our left-back, Graeme Shinnie, to play like a left winger, and the same down the other side with David Raven. And the goal was a cross from one full-back to the other. It was an absolute peach, everything we had coached and preached was in there. We trained like that every day, and it all it came out in that extra-time winner."

Raven: "In my head, I was going to score. I thought about it so much building up to the game. Even in extra-time, when the equaliser came, I was thinking 'this isn't meant to happen, we're going to win'. It's a funny, strange feeling that I've never had before and never had since.

"Then I scored. There's nothing in my life that's even come close to the feeling. I've had kids and got married, but for a shot of pure joy and adrenaline, the feeling I got then has been unparalleled. I'll never get that again."

David Raven says he will never replicate the feeling of scoring the winner

Tansey: "I remember running over and I was actually sick over the advertising boards because I was so tired. I jumped on Rav and had to jump back off to throw up. It was a rush of emotions, and we were all exhausted."

'Boys were running around naked on the bus'

Inverness had sealed their place in the Scottish Cup final - which they would go on to win against Falkirk - and didn't hold back in their celebrations on the long bus journey back to the Highlands.

Tansey: "It was like an 18th birthday party. The bus was full with every type of drink you could think of. Boys were running around naked and the driver must have been having a heart attack with it all - beer flying everywhere, everyone singing and dancing. It got so lively, I'm surprised the coach didn't tip."

Hughes: "We always used to stop for a few beers - I was just like 'aye, on you go'. When you achieve something, go celebrate it, as long as you celebrate it together."

Raven: "You just get lucky sometimes when you get a group of people and all of it clicks. Every club I've been to since, I've thought 'you're not doing it right'. We got the best out of each other. It was perfect."