Third time unlucky for plucky Inverness

Scottish Cup Fifth round/ Inverness Caledonian Thistle 1 Celtic 2: Perhaps Inverness Caledonian Thistle were aware that, having sickened Celtic in such high profile fashion in the past, retribution was inevitable.

It arrived in the cruellest of manners in the Scottish Highlands yesterday, Gordon Strachan's side recovering from a goal down to book their place in the Scottish Cup semi-finals with two goals in the dying stages of an intriguing if never pulsating tie.

Inverness, then a First Division team, eliminated Celtic from this competition in 2000 and 2003, the pair's only previous Scottish Cup meetings. How they did not complete a memorable hat-trick is something their players will ponder in the coming weeks, after a Steven Pressley header and Kenny Miller's sublime finish overturned a Graham Bayne opener for the hosts.

With 90 seconds remaining Strachan's team were facing a second premature end to their cup campaign in as many seasons, but a remarkable finale ensured the Premier League champions-elect will take their place in Thursday's draw for the last four alongside Hibernian, Dunfermline and the winners of the previous evening's meeting between Motherwell and St Johnstone.

In fact, with the clock at 88 minutes here bookmakers would have been preparing to make Hibs odds-on favourites to win their first Scottish Cup in 105 years. Whatever faults this Celtic team may have, however, they retain an uncanny capacity to rescue victory from the jaws of defeat, the reasons for which escape even their manager.

Bayne handed Inverness a deserved 18th-minute lead after rounding off a sweeping move involving the outstanding Ian Black and Barry Wilson, the striker side-footing the ball past Artur Boruc from six yards.

Celtic, without the injured striker Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, offered little in response, with Miller, their sole forward, largely anonymous.

Bayne almost doubled the home side's lead on the half-hour, but his strike was correctly ruled offside during a spell in which Thistle's football easily eclipsed that of their visitors.

Shunsuke Nakamura struck an angled drive against the Inverness upright early in the second period, but the match was conspicuous for the fact that neither side's goalkeeper had to make many meaningful contributions. Noticeable, too, was that the normally reliable Nakamura was on the periphery, the Japanese midfielder's skills perhaps dulled by a sticky pitch.

There was therefore no hint of the rousing finish Celtic were about to supply as the home team evidently grew in confidence and the champions struggled to create anything in the way of clear-cut opportunities.

Pressley, who lifted the Scottish Cup as Hearts' captain last May, flicked a Stephen McManus header past Michael Fraser from close range from Nakamura's only effective corner of the match to equalise.

At that point a replay seemed inevitable, but Miller curled an 18-yard shot beyond Fraser after a neat one-two with Celtic's debutant substitute, Cavan-born Cillian Sheridan, 50 seconds into stoppage-time.

"That is actually the best we have played here since I came to the club," said Strachan afterwards, in what was a tacit compliment to his opponents.

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