Score Five and Lose

This Sunday (27/9/09) sees the 20th anniversary of one of the most incredible games played in European club competition.  In the first round of the 1989/90 European Cup Winners Cup, Celtic were drawn against Partizan Belgrade.  The first leg, played in Mostar due to previous crowd trouble involving Partizan fans at their home stadium, ended in a 2-1 win for the side from the former Yugoslavia.

Another close contest was expected in the return leg in Glasgow, but few could have foreseen the drama that would unfold over the course of 90 minutes.

Celtic were managed by former captain and club legend Billy McNeill in his second spell as boss.  The Scottish Cup Final win against Rangers the previous season would turn out to be McNeill’s last trophy as Manager and during the 1990’s Rangers went onto dominate Scottish football. 

Partizan were managed by former Southampton defender Ivan Golac.  Their domestic cup win was a rare bright spot in an era belonging to the great Red Star Belgrade side of Prosineski, Savacevic and Pancev, who became European champions in 1991.

A crowd of just under 50,000 were in attendance and the majority were stunned when Partizan took a 7th minute lead.  Some poor marking allowed Vujacic a free header from a corner, and he put Partizan in the driving seat.

Celtic needed something special – enter Dariusz ‘Jacki’ Dziekanowski.  The summer signing from Poland was an instant hit with Celtic fans after a fortuitous strike in a draw with Rangers.  While clearly a gifted striker, his time in Scotland is remembered as much for his exploits off the field (he enjoyed the Glasgow nightlife), as on it.  This was by far his most memorable performance in a Celtic jersey.

A header across goal by Paul Elliott was nodded home by Dziekanowski and Celtic went in at half-time with a glimmer of hope.  The tie was alive once more.

Despite a poor recent run, Celtic had drawn three and lost the other three of their last six matches in all competitions, the crowd felt this could be another famous European night at Celtic Park.  What they didn’t expect was five goals in twenty minutes at the start of the second half. On 46 minutes, Peter Grant’s drive was parried by the Partizan keeper Pandurovic, and Dziekanowski nipped in to level the tie on aggregate.

During the 1980’s and early 90’s Celtic’s defence was nicknamed ‘the sieve’, and it was a blunder at the back that allowed Partizan to equalise again.  Derek Whyte was caught in possession and Djordjevic broke away to make it 2-2 on the night.

A second away goal for Partizan meant that Celtic now required two goals to go through.  Dziekanowski seemed to be on a one man mission to win the tie and completed his hat-trick, drilling a half volley under the Pandurovic from just inside the penalty box.  By now, the match was developing into something special.

As Celtic pressed for a fourth goal, they left the back door open.  Three defenders were rooted to the spot as Djurovski received a through ball, rounded Pat Bonner in the Celtic goal, and eventually slammed the ball home.  Surely that would be enough to send the visitors through?

It wasn’t.  From the right hand side of the penalty box, Dziekanowski (yes, him again), sent a low ball across goal which was met by the sliding Andy Walker, who put Celtic 4-3 ahead.  The crowd were finding it difficult to believe what they were witnessing.

The match was almost like a game of tennis, where a player trying to break serve reaches advantage, only to be continually pegged back to  deuce.  Despite the second half onslaught from Celtic, and the noise levels created by their fans in the mostly terraced stadium, Partizan had managed to hang in there. 

However, the belief that they were only delaying the inevitable seemed to be confirmed when Dziekanowski arrived in the 6 yard box to flick a cross from the left into the net.  For the first time since Mike Galloway’s equaliser in Mostar, Celtic were ahead in the tie.  This led to pandemonium inside Celtic Park.

All they had to do was see out the remaining 9 minutes of the match.  In the modern game that would involve keeping possession and running the ball into the corners.  Remarkably, Celtic went all out for the sixth goal that would finally kill off Partizan.  This approach was due to a combination of Celtic’s cavalier style of play, and sheer naivety.

There was one more goal to come.  With barely a minute left, a diagonal ball to the back post was nodded across and Scepovic headed the ball into the roof of the net.  5-4 on the night meant that Partizan would go through on the away goals rule.  Most of the stadium looked on in stunned silence as the visiting players celebrated in front of the Main Stand.

Despite the outcome, some Celtic fans describe the match as one of the best they have ever seen.     To have come so close to securing a famous victory, only to have it snatched away in the dying minutes was heartbreaking, particularly given the efforts of Dziekanowski.  However, Partizan deserved enormous credit for being so positive, especially away from home.

1989/90 turned out to be the first of five straight seasons without a trophy for Celtic.  Dziekanowski never scaled the same heights again, moving to Bristol City in 1992.  He then had spells in Germany and Switzerland but failed to settle at any other club.

Partizan reached the quarter finals of the Cup Winners Cup, before losing to Dinamo Bucharest.

It was not to be Ivan Golac’s last visit to Scotland.  After applying unsuccessfully for the Celtic job when McNeill was sacked in 1991, he became manager of Dundee United and led them to their only Scottish Cup triumph in 1994.