By Cathal Dervan

The Bhoys are still just two wins away from another Scottish title, but it wasn’t to be their day on Sunday as Walter Smith’s record of defiance against the champions remained intact on his first game back at Parkhead as the new Gers manager.

The game wasn’t without incident, as expected, with Irish international Aiden McGeady furious that he wasn’t awarded a first half penalty after a challenge from Ehiogu by referee Stuart Dougal.

“I thought that it was a definite penalty. I was going to have a shot at goal if I got past him so it was disappointing. I don’t want to say too much about the referee but I don’t think that he had his best game,” he said.

“But if we had just put one of those chances away it would have been a different story. They seemed to get a lift when they got their goal and we couldn’t seem to get hold of the ball for long periods in the second half.

“After the game we tried to figure out what happened because it was in total contrast to our first half performance. I think there were some tired legs after our game against AC Milan in midweek.

“If you play 120 minutes against AC Milan and play again four days later then you are always going to feel a little bit tired, but you can’t use that as an excuse. I suppose the good thing is that we still have a healthy lead at the top of the league.

“Statistics don’t lie. I think we have been the better team this season by a good bit but obviously Rangers fans are going to be buzzing because they beat us and the Rangers players will also take heart from that.

“But we’ve still got a healthy lead and we want to wrap the title up as soon as possible.”

Celtic manager Gordon Strachan declined to talk about an incident after the full time whistle when skipper Neil Lennon appeared to launch a water bottle at the dugout and looked to be remonstrating with some of his own fans.

Asked what he could say about the incident Strachan said, “Nothing whatsoever. I want to talk about the game, the game was great.”

Celtic midfielder Jiri Jarosik had no doubt that Austrian referee Konrad Plautz was to blame for his team’s heroic Champions League exit in Milan last Wednesday night when they went down 1-0 to an extra time Kaka goal.

Plautz ruled out penalty appeals for a Maldini handball and a late challenge on Shunsuke Nakamura as the Celts bowed out in style from Europe’s top competition after holding Milan scoreless for normal time in both legs.

Jarosik said, “I realize that Milan had many goal scoring chances but we have to look at the penalty incidents and feel that we were hard done by. It is very hard to take to go out like that.”

“I felt we should have had a penalty with the Maldini handball and there was the Nakamura incident. The linesman should have helped the referee on the handball decision but he was an arrogant man, he didn’t speak to us and he looked as if he wanted to help AC Milan more.”

Young Irish defender Darren O’Dea added, “It was a desperately disappointing end to our campaign and there was a lot of emotion in our dressingroom. We really felt we did enough over the two legs to go through.

“In the end the breaks just didn’t go our way but there is a great feeling of pride as well. We are a very close-knit team and are all proud to have been a part of it. It is a sore one but we will come back.”

Lucky Stokes

ROY Keane has given Irish teenager Anthony Stokes the benefit of the doubt again after he axed the striker for missing the team bus to Saturday’s 2-0 win at Barnsley that moved them up to third in the Championship table.

Stokes, Swedish winger Tobias Hysen and Hungarian goalkeeper Marton Fulop were all late for the bus on Friday. “Three players were late for the bus so we left them behind. I was disappointed with them, you’ve got to respect your teammates and be on time.

“If you can’t be on time, you’re not going to play. If it was in any other line of work, you would have to turn up on time. If it was in a factory you would be docked some pay or even fired.

“We are not going down that road and it has been dealt with internally. The players have received their punishment and they will be back involved on Tuesday. It’s history now.”

By Tuesday, Keane added, “I’ve spoken to them this morning, it has been dealt with and we move on. I’m not here to crucify footballers. They made a mistake, like we all make mistakes, and they had to be punished for that.

“But that’s been done now and they will all come into contention for the next game. We need as many players as we can get and they can be important for us. I’m sure they’ll have the right attitude, if selected.”

Dubliner Stokes was also in trouble with Keane when he turned up late for training last month.

Keane also hit out at a journalist in his post match press conference on Saturday who questioned him about his own time keeping during his international career when Keane famously left the Irish team waiting for him in Boston on their way from the 1992 U.S. Cup.

“I was never late for a match, that was for a plane. What are you trying to say?” Keane said. “That there’s one law for me and one for them? Anyway we waited for them. Get your facts right before you start patronizing me.

“Players get the benefit of the doubt, once, twice three times. I don’t go round punishing people left, right and center.”

More Injuries

ROBBIE Keane and Robbie Doyle are major injury worries for Ireland boss Stephen Staunton as he prepares to name his squad to play Wales and Slovakia in the Croke Park double header at the end of the month.

Manchester United’s John O’Shea and Levante defender Ian Harte are also doubts for the games against Slovakia and Wales, with O’Shea limping out of Saturday night’s FA Cup draw at Middlesbrough with a hamstring strain.

Captain Keane scored twice for Spurs in their impressive 3-2 win away to Portuguese side Braga in the last 16 of the UEFA Cup on Thursday night, but picked up an ankle injury in the process.

He missed Sunday’s thrilling 3-3 draw with Chelsea in the quarterfinals of the FA Cup and is rated as a doubt by Staunton, who is also awaiting news on Reading striker Doyle.

The Wexford-born former Cork City star is still struggling to fully overcome the hamstring injury that kept him out of the San Marino game.

Better news for Staunton concerns the return to fitness of Aiden McGeady, Stephen Carr and Shay Given who all missed the trip to San Marino.

“I am fully fit now and looking forward to playing at Croke Park,” said Given at the launch of the FAI summer schools in Dublin on Monday.

“We all know the significance of playing at Croke Park, we all know what the games mean and we are really looking forward to them now.”

Staunton has also made enquiries about Wigan striker Caleb Folan, who has scored twice in five Premiership appearances for the club since moving from Chesterfield for $1 million in January.

The player is currently investigating his eligibility for an Irish passport under the parentage rule his grandparents are Irish and Staunton has discussed his availability with Wigan boss Paul Jewell.

Young Wolves striker Stephen Ward and Birmingham goalkeeper Colin Doyle are expected to be named in the squad, but Celtic defender Darren O’Dea may have to wait a little longer for his chance.

Larsson Leaves

FORMER Celtic hero Henrik Larsson has returned to Swedish side Helsingborgs after a successful stint at Manchester United that included the winner against Lille that booked their place in the quarterfinals of the Champions League last week.

“There really is a lot of quality here and there is no reason why they cannot go on from here and win the European Cup,” said Larsson.

“They have players who have done it in the past and have a lot of experience and that’s going to be important in the next stage.”

Soccer Shorts

WALES boss John Toshack has included Ryan Giggs, Craig Bellamy and Gareth Bale in his squad for the game against Ireland at Croke Park on Saturday, March 24, but Robert Earnshaw and Jason Koumas are missing through injury and suspension . . .

CASH strapped Longford Town have been forced to release defender Stephen Paisley after a contractual dispute with the player now attracting interest from Drogheda United, Bohemians and St. Patrick’s Athletic . . .

FORMER Derry

City defender Pascal Vaudequin looks set to be installed as the new manager of Sligo Rovers after he was spotted in the crowd when the Sligo side beat hosts Galway on Friday night.

Sports Shorts

CRICKET: Ireland warmed up for their World Cup opener against Zimbabwe on Thursday with victory over Canada in their final warm-up game last weekend when they bowled the Canadians out for 115 in 33 overs in Trinidad. Ireland will meet Zimbabwe on Thursday, Pakistan on St. Patrick’s Day and then the West Indies on their inaugural visit to the World Cup finals . . .

RACING: hopes for this year’s Cheltenham received another blow at the weekend when in form jockey Paul Carberry was ruled out of the festival with a foot injury. Carberry is joined on the absentee list by a host of top rated Irish horses including War of Attrition, Mac’s Joy, In Compliance, Celestial Wave and Al Eile . . .

SNOOKER: Rocket Ronnie O’Sullivan was a popular winner of the Kilkenny Irish Masters on Sunday when he thrashed Australia’s Barry Hawkins 9-1 in the final at the Ormonde Hotel . . .

GOLF: Darren Clarke is to be awarded an honorary degree from Queen’s University in Belfast.