St Johnstone host Premiership leaders Celtic on Saturday in a game that is being shown live on Sky Sports with a 12.45pm kick-off.
Since returning to the top flight in 2009, Saints have enjoyed two wins over Celtic but Airdrie manager Gary Bollan fondly recalls a season when the McDiarmid Park men recorded a hat-trick of victories over this weekend’s opponents.
Saints won 1-0 away and 2-1 and 1-0 at home, with Keith O’Halloran scoring the winner in the third of those 1998/99 contests in Perth in April 1999.
Bollan said: “We had gone into that first Celtic game just after a 7-0 home defeat from Rangers. Paul Kane had got sent off and Stéphane Guivarc'h, who had not long won the World Cup with France, came on as substitute and scored twice for Rangers.
“It was not the ideal preparation but Nick Dasovic scored early at Celtic Park and we saw the game out. That was no mean feat as Celtic had been champions only a few months before.
“It took me a while to break through at St Johnstone after I broke my foot in my first week and it was not diagnosed correctly. I was back training after being told it was fine and was in agony but finally it got sorted. Once that was out the way, I enjoyed my time there, especially that fine season.
“The second win was started by Miguel Simao scoring just before half-time. Henrik Larsson equalised and we had to work hard to get in front again thanks to Kieran McAnespie. I remember Miguel celebrating in front of the Celtic fans and that not going down too well!”
The Portuguese player, who was exuberant in his celebrations, had been an international opponent of Bollan’s some nine years before the pair joined up to see off Celtic.
Bollan added: “Miguel played against me in the Scotland U16 side that reached the World Cup Final at Hampden in 1989. We beat them in the semi-finals and he took a fair bit of ribbing about that.
“He would always retaliate by saying that Portugal must have been the better side as they were the European Champions. I just pointed out Brian O’Neil’s goal had beaten them, Luis Figo and Rui Costa and all, at Tynecastle.”
The third and final win that season was a 1-0 success thanks to a goal from O’Halloran, with Bollan adding: “We were not just successful against Celtic as we beat Rangers at home as well and ended the season in third place. Things went really well for us that season and that was built on the manager, Sandy Clark, having a settled squad and a settled system.
“There was also a great team spirit and work ethic and when you start doing well on the back of those things your self-belief grows.
“We reached the final of the League Cup, as well as the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup, however could not get the better of Rangers in either of those games. It was a really successful season full of great players and great characters.
“The settled team I mentioned would have been along the lines of Alan Main in goal and then John McQuillan and myself in the full-back roles. You had Alan Kernaghan and Jim Weir in the centre of the defence and a midfield of John O’Neil, Nick Dasovic, Paul Kane and Miguel.”
“Up front, Sandy had the choice of any two from George O’Boyle, Nathan Lowndes and Roddy Grant. There was a real strength in that team.
“That team lost the League Cup Final at Parkhead in 1998/99 so it was great to see St Johnstone go back there last season and win the Scottish Cup.”
Craig Stewart
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