Celtic progressed to the fifth round of the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup with a 2-0 win over sixth-tier non-league side Auchinleck Talbot at Rugby Park.
The match was due to be played at the West of Scotland league side’s home Beechwood Park, but Police Scotland advised the game was moved to the home of Kilmarnock fifteen miles away.
Striker Johnny Kenny got Celtic ahead 33 minutes with a stabbed effort from close in, before substitute Sebastian Tounekti killed any hope of a Talbot equaliser with just five minutes to play.
A performance with enough reason to give fans of a Celtic persuasion concern as to why they were unable to put away a side five divisions below them with ease, as chants against the club’s board were vocally heard from the first whistle.
Talbot goalkeeper William Muir produced a great stop to deny Celtic forward Johnny Kenny five minutes in. The Irishman got his head on the end of a headed cutback from Luke McCowan, but was denied by Muir as well as the linesman’s offside flag.
Last season’s runners-up maintained the early pressure, with McCowan almost registering an assist once more five minutes later. The former Ayr United man tried playing in Prestwick native James Forrest, but a fantastic defensive intervention diverted any danger.
Celtic’s best opportunity to put themselves ahead came 24 minutes in. Anthony Ralston fired a ball in across the deck which made its way to an arriving Michel-Ange Balikwisha. The Celtic number ten however, blazed his attempt over from less than twelve yards out.
The ‘bot had their best chance of a shock lead come just after half an hour played. A looping free-kick was failed to be punched clear by Viljami Sinisalo and bounced in the Finnish international’s six-yard box, before being eventually bundled clear for a corner kick.
The breakthrough finally came for the favourites two minutes after the scare. McCowan payed the ball from the right flank low into the Auchinleck area, and Johnny Kenny got across his man to poke the ball home and net his sixth goal of the season with a first time finish.
And it could so nearly have been two for Kenny just a couple minutes into the second half. James Forrest, who swapped wings with McCowan, floated a ball into Muir’s six-yard area, but Kenny’s header cannoned off of the crossbar.
Talbot gave the Parkhead side another fright just after the hour stage. Kyle McAvoy was slipped in down the right inside the box with time and space to pick out his teammates, but his cross lacked any accuracy as it went wayward into he side netting.
Within a minute, the action moved from one goal to the other, as Johnny Kenny chipped the ball over Muir to score what he thought was his and Celtic’s second of the afternoon. The offside flag was raised, though, and a lengthy VAR check agreed with the on-field call.
Another headed opportunity went begging for the away side with fifteen minutes to play. Liam Scales dinked cross was perfectly timed to match Anthony Ralston’s run from deep, but the right-back’s header towards the bottom left corner was an inch or two wide of the post.
Benjamin Nygren stung the palms of Muir a minute or so later, with the Swede forcing the Talbot goalkeeper into making his first real save since Kenny’s chance early in the match.
Tunisian winger Sebastian Tounekti got the Celts their two-goal cushion with five minutes to play. Paulo Bernardo found him in his natural position, and the 23-year-old cut in on his right foot and curled a beauty to put some polish on a sub-par performance from Celtic overall.
The fairytale is over for Auchinleck Talbot as they bow out the competition with their heads held high after a resilient effort defensively and not shy in the attack either.
As for Celtic, the 42 time winners are in the hat for the next round, but will need to up their game against better opposition, whom they face twice in the next week in two away contests to Bologna in the Europa league on Thursday, and league leaders Hearts on Sunday.
AUCHINLECK TALBOT: Muir 7, Schoneville 5 (Kerr 79’ 1), Wilson 5 , Sime 6, McCubbin-Boyd 5 , Gillies 5, Main 6(Wood 87’) , Clark 6, Crooks 6 (Kazoka 87’1), McPherson 5, McAvoy 4 (Nimmo 82’ 1)
CELTIC: Sinisalo 4, Balikwisha 4 (Nygren 67’ 2), McCowan 5, Kenny 5 (Yamada 86’ 1), Bernardo 6, McGregor 6 (Hatate 86’ 1), Murray 5, Forrest 7 (Tounekti 62’ 4 ), Donovan 5 , Ralston 5 , Welsh 5 (Scales 67’ 2)
