Inverness Caledonian Thistle's 2 Scottish Cup victories over Celtic aren't however so much enough within the past that they'll not be highlighted whenever the combine are drawn along.
Yet the ghosts of 2000 and 2003 weren't Celtic's most distinguished worry here. For the Scottish Premier League leaders this was clearly a hazardous tie in bitter, blustery conditions and on a pitch that isn't conducive to the engaging aspect of the gorgeous game. Inverness, except the rest, have established themselves as a force within the high flight since inflicting an embarrassing defeat on Martin O'Neill's Celtic eight years ago.
The approach of Neil Lennon's category of 2012 was so admirable. Albeit a Ross Tokely error played a key half within the visitors' gap goal, Celtic were the vastly superior aspect within the second amount. From the instant Scott Brown doubled the Celtic advantage with a penalty once sixty seven minutes, the end result was never unsure.
Make that win variety fifteen in a very row, domestically, for Lennon's team. they'll head to Tynecastle, the scene of their last league defeat back in October, on Wednesday evening within the finest of fettle.
"We do well at the minute however things will modification terribly quickly," said Lennon. "This isn't a straightforward place to return however i believed we tend to were fantastic from begin to complete. "This is perhaps the toughest tie we tend to might have gotten, except Ibrox, thus i'm delighted to induce through."
Yet the ghosts of 2000 and 2003 weren't Celtic's most distinguished worry here. For the Scottish Premier League leaders this was clearly a hazardous tie in bitter, blustery conditions and on a pitch that isn't conducive to the engaging aspect of the gorgeous game. Inverness, except the rest, have established themselves as a force within the high flight since inflicting an embarrassing defeat on Martin O'Neill's Celtic eight years ago.
The approach of Neil Lennon's category of 2012 was so admirable. Albeit a Ross Tokely error played a key half within the visitors' gap goal, Celtic were the vastly superior aspect within the second amount. From the instant Scott Brown doubled the Celtic advantage with a penalty once sixty seven minutes, the end result was never unsure.
Make that win variety fifteen in a very row, domestically, for Lennon's team. they'll head to Tynecastle, the scene of their last league defeat back in October, on Wednesday evening within the finest of fettle.
"We do well at the minute however things will modification terribly quickly," said Lennon. "This isn't a straightforward place to return however i believed we tend to were fantastic from begin to complete. "This is perhaps the toughest tie we tend to might have gotten, except Ibrox, thus i'm delighted to induce through."
Inverness had actually enjoyed the brighter start. Nick Ross watched a deflected shot from Tokely's knockdown smartly saved by Fraser Forster. From the resultant corner, a Josh Meekings header was stopped courtesy of fine reactions from the Celtic goalkeeper.
Celtic's first chance of note resulted in a goal. Tokely had an opportunity to clear an only half-hit Kris Commons pass towards Samaras. Instead, the lumbering Inverness defender let the ball evade him; Samaras nipped in to lash a fierce drive beyond Jonny Tuffey. For all the goalkeeper was blamed in some quarters, the swerve on Samaras's shot was as notable as its' power.
Another Tokely error, moments later, should have lead to Celtic doubling their lead. Gary Hooper, though, was wasteful in allowing Tuffey to save. Tokely had achance to improve his day before half-time but headed wide from close range.
Celtic's brisk start to the second period highlighted that they wanted this encounter settled rather promptly. A fine, sweeping move resulted in Commons and Samaras getting in each other's road when seeking to convert a Hooper cross.
The next ball into the Inverness area, supplied with excellence by Joe Ledley, evaded all of the Welshman's Celtic team-mates.
The hosts had an apparently genuine cause for grievance as Gregory Tade was flagged offside when sent through on the Celtic goal. Kelvin Wilson looked to play Tade clearly on; it must be noted, however, that the striker was 40 yards from Forster and the Inverness bluntness in attack offered no guarantee that he would have scored.
A second Celtic goal was always likely to kill the contest. And so it proved as David Proctor tripped Hooper after being muscled off the ball by the Celtic striker inside the penalty area. Brown has rapidly established himself as Celtic's designated spot-kick taker after the club made an earlier, worrying habit of missing penalties. The captain duly scored from 12 yards for the second time in as many matches.
With a place in the quarter finals secure, the Celtic following could focus on vociferously offering their assertion that Rangers are about to either "die" or "go bust." At this moment in time, there is no need for such a focus from Glasgow's green and white contingent on anywhere else; Lennon is in charge of a juggernaut which shows absolutely no sign of halting or being halted.
