Humble Queen´s give kings of Celtic Cup fright

Celtic’s millionaires were given a real fright by amateurs Queen’s Park as they struggled to beat the second division minnows 2-1 in the Scottish Cup at Parkhead here Saturday.

The Scottish Premier League champions appeared to be coasting to a place in the quarter-finals with first-half headed goals from Gary Caldwell and Scott McDonald.

But a howler from Celtic keeper Artur Boruc allowed 20-year-old substitute Adam Coakley, who had only been on the pitch for a little over five minutes, to score and hand Queen’s Park a lifeline.

Coakley then saw red for his second booking with ten minutes to go for a rash challenge on Lee Naylor, having already been booked for his goal celebrations.

Scotland’s oldest club can be proud of their contribution to the game as the team made up of students and tradesmen came close to causing what would have been one of Scottish football’s biggest upsets.

Queen’s Park came flying out the blocks and were first to try their luck at goal in the third minute.

Ryan Holms, who scored the winner against Peterhead in the previous round, broke through the Celtic defence and let fly with a shot which Boruc dived to his right to save even though the ball appeared to be heading wide of his post.

James Brough came to the rescue for Queen’s Park in the ninth minute when he first cleared a Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink shot off the line and then turned the Dutchman’s second attempt round the post for a corner.

Celtic took the lead in the 19th minute through Caldwell.

Darren O’Dea rose highest at the far post to knock a Naylor free-kick from the left across goal to Caldwell, whose unstoppable header flew past the outstretched David Crawford and into the top corner.

Queen’s Park were fortunate not to find themselves further behind in the 42nd minute when Crawford missed his clearance from a Shaun Maloney corner but O’Dea’s shot was deflected out by a Spiders defender.

Celtic doubled their lead in first-half injury time through McDonald in almost a carbon copy of the opening goal.

Vennegoor of Hesselink knocked a cross from the left across goal and the Australian international had the easiest of tasks to head past Crawford from two yards.

Queen’s looked to pull an early goal back in the second-half and pushed men forward. Steven Nicholas saw his volley from the edge of the box deflected out for a corner by Andreas Hinkel in the 48th minute before Paul Harkins teed up Ian Watt in the box but the forward’s strike went well wide of the post.

The Spiders came close to scoring in the 63rd minute when Holms fired in a powerful shot across goal from the right which hit Nicholas and shaved the post as it hit the side netting.

A Boruc blunder handed Queen’s Park a much deserved goal in the 66th minute.

The Polish keeper let substitute Coakley’s shot slip out of his grasp and the former Morton player was there to knock his own rebound in from point-blank range.

Queen’s Park were reduced to ten-men in the 81st minute when scorer Coakley saw red. The 20-year-old, who was booked for his celebrations after his goal, received his second yellow for a rash challenge on Naylor.

With five minutes remaining Gardner Speirs threw on subs Paul Ronald and Ross Dunlop to chase an equaliser but it was Richard Sinclair who had the best chance.

The ball broke to the defender in the Celtic box from a corner but he couldn’t keep his effort down.

Celtic’s Old Firm rivals Rangers play Forfar at Station Park on Sunday.

Elsewhere Inverness Caledonian Thistle defeated Kilmarnock 2-0 in blizzard conditions in the Highlands, while a Steve Lovell goal for Falkirk knocked Hearts out at Tynecastle.