Celtic Ease Past Buckie Thistle in Scottish Cup Fourth Round

Holders Celtic cruised into the fifth round of the Scottish Cup following a dominant 5-0 victory over Highland League side Buckie Thistle at Glasgow‘s Celtic Park. The match marked the introduction of top-flight teams into the competition, and despite Buckie’s valiant efforts, they could not hold off the Scottish champions for long. After a goalless opening 25 minutes, Paulo Bernardo opened the scoring with a delicate chip, followed by goals from Odin Holm, Kyogo Furuhashi, Luis Palma, and Rocco Vata. Brendan Rodgers‘ side also had four goals disallowed during the game. Celtic’s win ensures their progress in the Cup as they aim to defend their title.

Buckie Thistle, a semi-professional team from the north east of Scotland, embraced the occasion and brought around 2,500 travelling fans to Celtic Park. Despite their fifth-tier status, they demonstrated resilience and made the hosts work. The persistent rain and a lengthy VAR delay disrupted the flow of the game in the early stages, but it eventually resumed, providing some thrilling moments for the spectators.

Celtic initially struggled to break through Buckie’s effective offside line, with several goals ruled out for offside, including an unfortunate own goal. However, Matt O’Riley assisted Paulo Bernardo for the opening goal, which seemed to lift Celtic’s confidence. Shortly after, Odin Holm doubled the lead with a clinical finish.

Buckie Thistle’s best chance of the game came when Josh Peters found himself through on goal, but his shot was blocked by Joe Hart. Celtic responded swiftly with Kyogo Furuhashi netting a well-worked goal, reminding supporters of his impact after his injury absence earlier in the season. Midfielder Luis Palma then got on the scoresheet with an impressive strike that beat the Buckie goalkeeper at his near post.

In the second half, Celtic continued to dominate the proceedings. Liel Abada had a goal disallowed for offside once again, while Buckie’s Josh Peters had his claims for a penalty waved away. Youngsters Mikey Johnston and Rocco Vata came off the bench and combined for Celtic’s fifth goal, securing a comprehensive victory.

After the match, Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers praised both teams’ performances, highlighting the high intensity and quality of goals scored. He also commended Rocco Vata on his first senior goal and expressed his optimism for the young player’s development. On the other hand, Buckie Thistle manager Graeme Stewart acknowledged Celtic’s superiority but commended his players for their hard work and expressed pride in their journey throughout the Scottish Cup.