Dunfermline steal points at Parkhead

Celtic 1 Dunfermline 2

Jimmy Calderwood’s party-poopers gatecrashed Celtic’s championship celebrations with a confidence-boosting victory at Parkhead today ahead of their glitzy Tennent’s Scottish Cup final meeting at Hampden Park on May 22.

Martin O’Neill’s men were presented with the Bank of Scotland Premier League trophy but the atmosphere went flat courtesy of spoiling Dunfermline’s smash and grab triumph.

The champions looked hungover at times as Barry Nicholson and Gary Dempsey crashed home goals either side of Henrik Larsson’s 37th goal of the season.

The celebrations have been in full swing since winning the title a fortnight ago and Celtic would have gone ahead within the first six minutes had it not been for a brilliant reflex save from departing Dunfermline goalkeeper Derek Stillie.

Alan Thompson played the ball out wide to Aiden McGeady, who stamped his mark on senior football with a goal at Hearts, and he picked the midfielder out in the centre but the Pars keeper changed direction and turned the header around the post.

Stanislav Varga seemed to get caught up in the occasion and gave the ball dangerously to Dempsey but his curling effort was comfortably held by teenager David Marshall.

The Hoops were hoping for a rare Neil Lennon goal in the 12th minute but he blazed over the top before Varga followed him into the fans behind the goal from a free-kick.

Yet more sublime skill from McGeady left Gary Mason floundering, like Andy Webster last week, but his deep cross failed to find Larsson at the back post.

The spark that goes with all great parties went out of the game long before Barry Nicholson had the audacity to put Dunfermline ahead in the 28th minute.

Lee Bullen broke upfield and Neil Lennon and a number of defenders were far too casual in trying to get back which proved their downfall.

The left-sided defender picked out Derek Young and Marshall did well to save his initial effort but he was badly let down by his team-mates as the former Rangers man arrived at the far post to prod Bullen’s cross into the back of the Celtic net.

Sutton tried to lift the crowd and his own team-mates with a fierce volley from Mjallby’s pass in the 34th minute but Stillie had no problem in saving it.

The goalkeeper breathed another sigh of relief a minute later as McGeady’s corner flew across the face of goal but missed everybody before going out of play.

O’Neill attempted to inject his side with some strong running from midfield with the introduction of Stephen Pearson for McManus at the break.

It took Celtic just two minutes to draw themselves level when Larsson appeared unmarked at the near post to head McGeady’s corner into the back of the net from close range for his which ignited the atmosphere once more for a short while.

But the visitors again had the cheek to go ahead for the second time, in the 59th minute, when Marshall sowed a rare lapse in concentration and was slow to get down to Dempsey’s 30-yard drive and the ball squeezed inside the post to prompt a joyous dance routine.

Celtic, however, were bemused as to how they failed to draw level within a minute when Sutton’s shot came back off the post, Stillie kept out Varga’s follow-up effort and Mjallby headed the rebound over the crossbar from close range.

Sutton was appealing for a penalty in the 65th minute when he appeared to get pushed from behind as he tried to get on Thompson’s free-kick.

The party threatened to turn sour when Thompson and Stillie were booked for squaring up to each other after the goalkeeper appeared to make a meal after a tasty challenge.

Varga looked as though he had already been overdoing the celebrating as he made a mistake in the 70th minute to let Hunt in but this time he was saved by Marshall.

McGeady tried something special in the 73rd minute but his speculative right-foot shot was saved by Stillie before he blazed over moments later.

That was his last contribution as he was replaced by Craig Beattie in the 75th minute and he was unlucky not to draw his side level within seconds of his introduction.

His strike was acrobatically pushed over by Stillie before Varga missed an open goal and had a last-gasp effort saved before the final whistle.

It was Dunfermline who celebrated their first win at Parkhead since 1997 and now they have real hopes of partying again in Glasgow later this month.