For Spit The Dog.

[Jockstar]

From soccernet.

Scottish Cup: Falkirk see off Celtic, Kilmarnock win

GLASGOW, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Holders Celtic crashed out of the Scottish League Cup after a dramatic penalty shootout against Falkirk in their quarter-final on Tuesday when Evander Sno missed the target in sudden death.

After a goal-less 90 minutes in the tie, before Celtic's lowest home crowd of the season of 18,684, two goals came within a minute in extra time.

Celtic's Jan Vennegoor had an angled shot deflected towards the back post in 99 minutes where Polish substitute Maciej Zurawski stooped to head home from a metre.

Falkirk surged upfield and Alan Gow whipped the ball across the face of goal seven metres out for Anthony Stokes to side-foot a volley high past keeper Artur Boruc to level the score.

The tie then lurched into penalty kicks where it ended 3-3 and moved to sudden death where Sno blasted his effort high past the left post for a 5-4 win for Falkirk. Falkirk scored through Vitor Lima and Jack Ross while Zurawski buried his spot kick for Celtic.

'We are suffering which you have to after a defeat. We have to deal with it and maybe we used up our luck on Saturday and that's life sometimes,' manager Gordon Strachan told reporters.

Falkirk manager John Hughes was thrilled with the victory.

'I am just so proud we took Celtic to penalty kicks and I am ecstatic that we went onto win it,' he said.

Kilmarnock beat Motherwell 3-2 in their quarter-final clash with a late winner from Australian striker Danny Invincibile.

Invincibile curled home a 70th minute shot to end a thrilling Cup tie which began with Frazer Wright putting Kilmarnock ahead in seven minutes. Motherwell levelled with a Richie Foran penalty in 25 minutes.

Wright grabbed Kilmarnock's second just a minute from the interval only for Motherwell to equalise again with DAvid Clarkson drilling in a low shot in 59 minutes.

Australian striker Invincibile swept in the winner to end a pulsating match in which Motherwell manager Maurice Malpas was sent to the stands.

Rangers face St Johnstone and Hibernian play Hearts in the other ties on Wednesday.

[Jockstar]

Celtic 1-1 Falkirk

PA

Falkirk won through to the semi-finals of the CIS Insurance Cup after a dramatic 5-4 penalty shoot-out win against Celtic after a 1-1 draw at Parkhead.

It was a remarkable end to what had been a dour match for the most part but the Bairns deserved their good fortune on the night.

After a goalless 90 minutes, Hoops substitute Maciej Zurawski headed the home side into the lead nine minutes into extra-time.

But within a minute the visitors were sensationally level when Anthony Stokes volleyed past Artur Boruc from 16 yards.

Penalties followed and there was disaster for Hoops substitute Evander Sno who fired wide in sudden death.

Patrick Cregg, Stephen O'Donnell, Liam Craig, Vitor Lima all scored from the spot for Falkirk, with Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, Aiden McGeady, Lee Naylor and Zurawski successful for the Hoops.

There was little to suggest things would end in drama and such was the lack of interest in the game the top section of the 60,000-capacity Parkhead ground was closed.

The Celtic fans who did turn up paid fitting tribute to Rangers legend Bobby Shearer, who died aged 74 on Sunday after a short illness.

The much-changed Hoops struggled to find any rhythm and in the seventh minute Bairns striker Alan Gow might have caused problems as he raced away but a lack of belief allowed Thomas Gravesen to recover and his attempted cross to Steven Thomson failed to reach its destination.

Falkirk keeper Jeroen Lambers saved Shaun Maloney's 25-yard free-kick in the 17th minute but Maloney was closer when his drive from 12 yards after Lambers had unconvincingly punched an Aiden McGeady cross was blocked by Bairns defender Darren Barr on the goalline.

On the half-hour Lambers had to be quick off his line to foil Stephen Pearson as he raced onto a clever Maloney through-ball and he was then called upon to make a decent save from Derek Riordan's angled drive after another precise pass from Maloney.

Even better was to follow as Lambers tipped over a Riordan free-kick which was heading into the top corner.

With a minute to go before the break midfielder O'Donnell was handily placed to prevent a header from Vennegoor of Hesselink sneaking inside the from a Riordan corner.

Falkirk were tested early in the second half but twice within a minute they could have taken the lead.

On the hour it was Celtic's turn to have some luck when captain Gary Caldwell scooped a Gow shot off the line after the best move of the match involving veteran playmaker Russell Latapy.

Seconds later, as the Hoops' defence was again caught flat-footed, Boruc parried a Gow effort from close range and O'Donnell headed wide from 10 yards.

In the 67th minute Stokes' left-footed shot from 20 yards rebounded off a post and Boruc but when O'Donnell followed up to help the ball over the line the assistant referee's quickly flagged for offside.

In the 85th minute Lambers pulled off a good save from Pearson's left-footed drive after he had been set up by Vennegoor of Hesselink.

Then, in the dying seconds, Pearson blasted the ball high over the crossbar after the Dutchman was again the provider.

Zurawski, who replaced Riordan two minutes before the end of normal time, popped up with his vital contribution nine minutes into extra time but the lead was short-lived when teenage striker Stokes volleyed home from 16 yards.

No more goals meant the drama of penalties and when Sno drove wide the Bairns were safely into the semi-finals.

[Spit the Dog]

Rangers, Celtic and Hearts are all out of the CIS Insurance Cup.

Only Killie, Hibs, St Johnstone and The Bairns left. All 4 teams must now fancy their chances of winning.

Does the winner still get into the UEFA Cup???