Keane seals Celtic win

New-signing rubber-stamps place in last eight

Last updated: 7th February 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Keane seals Celtic win

Keane: Winning goal

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Robbie Keane came off the bench to help Celtic book a place in the quarter-finals of the Active Nation Scottish Cup following a 4-2 win over Dunfermline.

The Division One side put in a brave performance in an entertaining tie, coming from behind to lead and have the Old Firm giants shaking on their feet. Diomansy Kamara had put Celtic ahead after just 19 minutes, pouncing on a loose ball to unleash an unstoppable drive into the top corner.

But Dunfermline hit back in stunning fashion, equalising just a minute later when David Graham stole in ahead of the Celtic defence for his fifth goal of the season.

The Fifers then went ahead on 27 minutes after Paul Caddis nudged David Graham in the box, allowing Andy Kirk to coolly slot past Artur Boruc to give his side a shock lead.

But Celtic went into the break level after a sustained period of pressure, Morten Rasmussen reacting quickest in the six-yard box to poach an equaliser after Dunfermline had failed to clear Kamara's cross.

Rasmussen then made it 3-2 in the second half, stealing in between two defenders to slide home, before Robbie Keane scored his first goal for the club from the spot after he had been brought down by Austin McCann.

Deserved Lead

The First Division side, as expected, tried to unsettle Celtic early on but their class came to the fore in the 19th minute when Kamara gave the visitors a deserved lead.

Parkhead debutant Edson Braafheid left Willie Gibson down the left-hand side and his cutback was crashed off the bar by Georgios Samaras.

The Fifers failed to clear their lines and when the ball eventually fell to Kamara, he thundered a shot from the edge of the box high past Pars goalkeeper Greg Fleming.

Celtic's joy was short-lived as less than two minutes later, Nick Phinn found space on the right to cut the ball back for Graham to slide in the equaliser.

The goal stunned the visiting support but there was more drama in the 26th minute when the home side forged ahead through a Kirk penalty.

Celtic defender Caddis was adjudged by referee Charlie Richmond to have pushed Steven Bell in the back as he awaited a Phinn cross and when the Celtic protests died down, the Irishman sent Boruc the wrong way from the spot.

Impact

The Glasgow giants wavered for a few moments before reasserting themselves but Dunfermline scrapped and fought to keep their lead intact.

However, in the 43rd minute Rasmussen got Celtic back level when he scooped the ball in from close range at the second attempt, after Parkhead skipper Scott Brown's effort fell kindly to the former Brondby striker.

And after the re-start Celtic regained the lead when Kamara's cross from the right was turned into his own goal by Woods, with Rasmussen in close attention.

Then Keane, making his second appearance since his last minute January transfer window switch from Tottenham, made the desired impact after coming on as a half-time substitute, winning a penalty from McCann's clumsy foul.

The Irishman stepped up to stroke the spot-kick home and herald the start of his new career at Celtic Park club, making his side's place in the last eight safe in the process.