THE widespread concerns about a Hampden pitch that had been relaid just days before the Scottish Cup semi-final proved ill-founded this weekend – until the very last kick of a remarkable encounter between Celtic and Rangers on Sunday.
Television replays proved categorically that the ball had moved off its spot just before Tom Rogic of Celtic fired his penalty high over the crossbar to gift Rangers the narrowest of triumphs.
Up until that moment, neither the Dundee United or Hibs players on Saturday or the combatants in the Old Firm match had experienced any problems or expressed any concerns with the much-maligned playing surface.
Mark Warburton, the Rangers manager, admitted that James Tavernier, his right back, had experienced the same problem as Rogic as he sent the third spot kick of the shoot-out over its intended target.
“It happened to Tav’s as well,” he said. “It was that bit of turf. When you have so many predominantly right-footers coming up with the same planting foot, you have the same issues. I think Tav was affected too.
“There was the same sort of flight on the ball. It just takes a fraction of an inch for your foot to get under the ball. For both players, you have to feel something when the ball goes over.
Warburton, though, thought Hampden Park Ltd deserved credit for their work on the grass, which had been started just six days before the first semi-final, at the National Stadium.
“The pitch was excellent yesterday,” he said. “All credit to them. It has taken enough criticism. To relay it that quickly and get it to perform to that level was really good.”
Meanwhile, Warburton, whose side had practised penalties in training at Auchenhowie last week and had agreed their order for a potential shoot-out before kick-off, revealed he had prohibited his players for Panenka attempts.
Jason Cummings, the Hibs striker, attracted widespread derision for trying the sort of spot kick made famous by Antonin Panenka of Czechoslovakia in the 1976 European Championship final – and chipping the ball over the crossbar.
The capital club won the game on penalties after the match with United had finished 0-0 after 120 minutes – with Cummings atoning for his earlier miss and firing Rangers into the final.
Asked if he would allow his players to take a Panenka, Warburton said: “If I could spell it, I would say no. I saw that. Alan Stubbs (the Hibs manager) was quite restrained I think. I’m not sure I would be quite as restrained.
"We practised it. We knew our sequence. We knew who was going to do what. It had been practised for many, many weeks.”
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