John Hughes concedes Inverness Caley got lucky against Celtic

Inverness boss John Hughes concedes his team enjoyed much good fortune as they progressed to the Scottish Cup final on Sunday with a 3-2 victory over Celtic.

In a topsy-turvy encounter at Hampden, the game was marred by a controversial incident two minutes before half time when referee Steven McLean refused to award a penalty to Celtic when Josh Meekings prevented a header from Leigh Griffiths crossing the line with his hand.

Had McLean given the decision Meekings would have been ordered off and with Celtic already leading 1-0 the odds would have been heavily against Caley Thistle getting back into the tie.

It was certainly a penalty kick and a sending off, that’s what the rules state. And I share Ronny’s disappointment.

Celtic’s frustration was compounded when goalkeeper Craig Gordon was dismissed for bringing down Marley Watkins, with Inverness scoring from the resulting penalty by Greg Tansey.

For Hughes the match was a test of endurance as his side, who led 2-1 through an injury-time strike from Edward Ofere, won the match in the dying minutes with a David Raven goal, after John Guidetti had levelled for the Hoops.

Speaking to Sky Sports News HQ, Hughes said: "I was mentally drained and exhausted, but I’m quite sure the boys went on to celebrate well into the early hours of this morning. First and foremost the game preparation, we knew who we were playing against, Glasgow Celtic, a very formidable team and sweeping everyone aside in front of them.

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“We seem to be their hoodoo team, but in preparing the game it was hard work. Going into the game and the way the game panned out, it was full of incident and I have to be honest that we carried our luck because Celtic should have had a penalty and Josh Meekings should have been sent off.

“And that’s the luck you have to have against Celtic, but take nothing away from Inverness, tactically we were spot on, we took the game to Celtic, and having that little bit of luck, and also the one with Craig Gordon getting sent off.

“It’s total advantage Inverness and you don’t want to be playing Inverness when you are down to 10 men even if you are Celtic, because our style of play is keep ball, we like to keep the ball, we like to make switches of play, we took the sting off it.

'Adventurous'

“But leading 2-1 and Celtic scoring late on you’re saying to yourself, here we go it’s penalty kicks, and I’m saying to myself, you don’t get a better chance to beat Glasgow Celtic when they are down to 10 men.

“I was looking to make a substitution, and I was going to be very adventurous and take off David Raven, not for his performance, because I felt he was absolutely outstanding, and put on an attacking winger, and thankfully I never and David Raven came up with the goods.

“So to score the goal right in the last two minutes, Celtic cannot come back from that, and I’m absolutely delighted for everyone concerned at the club.

Celtic manager Ronny Deila expressed his frustration at the game-changing moment when referee McLean and two of his assistants in close proximity failed to signal for a hand-ball.

And Hughes certainly has sympathy his Celtic counterpart over the Meekings incident.

“Oh, 100 per cent, 100 per cent, it was certainly a penalty kick and a sending off, that’s what the rules state. And I share Ronny’s disappointment,” Hughes said.

“It was incident-packed and thankfully it went Inverness’s way, and as I say, it’s a remarkable story. The cub’s only been going for 20/21 years, we only carry a supporters base of three-and-half thousand, so getting to a Scottish Cup final and having a chance to win it is absolutely remarkable.

It’s a win-win situation right now and I want to win it and hopefully we win it and take the cup back to Inverness.

Three of the semi-finalists were former clubs of Hughes, who played for Celtic, Falkirk and Hibernian, before he went on to become boss of the latter pair.

And Hughes reckons it will be better to play Falkirk in the final given Hibernian’s history of not winning the trophy since 1902.

Hughes said: “Falkirk were playing my other ex-club, I played and managed Hibs and I’m a Hibs supporter, born and bred in Leith, so when they two were playing I was sitting on the fence.

“And knowing the history of Hibs, not winning it since 1902, for them to get to the cup final and me to deny them if we beat them, I don’t think that would go down too well.

“Now it’s Falkirk in the final. I had some wonderful times at Falkirk, really, really enjoyed my playing days there and managing the club. It’s a win-win situation right now and I want to win it and hopefully we win it and take the cup back to Inverness.”