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Celtic erases Scottish Cup nightmare
STRANRAER, Scotland (Reuters) -- Celtic atoned for its humiliating Scottish Cup exit last year to Inverness Caledonian Thistle by progressing into this season's fourth round with a 4-1 win at Stranraer on Sunday. Goals from Joos Valgaeren, Jackie McNamara, Lubomir Moravcik and an own goal by Stranraer's Keith Knox ended the second division side's hopes of causing another upset. The makeover at Celtic has been so radical since the Inverness result that the club not only has a new manager, but Martin O'Neill fielded none of the players who featured in that defeat, labeled the worst in Celtic's 113-year history. Stranraer, a tiny port 150 kilometers southwest of Glasgow, managed a 5,000 crowd for the tie, and while it gave Celtic several anxious moments in the first half, once Valgaeren had scored the contest was over. The Belgian international hit his third of the season after 25 minutes, with a stooping header from Ramon Vega's head-on. McNamara then made it 2-0 on 51 minutes with a low shot from a fine Henrik Larsson pass. Knox scored an own goal five minutes later, turning in Bobby Petta's low cross. Ian Harty reduced the deficit with a six-meter shot with five minutes to play, but Moravcik responded with a low shot of his own two minutes later. Celtic captain Tom Boyd sat in the Parkhead stand 12 months ago nursing an injury as Inverness ripped his team apart. He said: "We learned our lesson. We will never underestimate another team again and we gave Stranraer respect. "The Inverness game was the worst 90 minutes in football. They don't come any worse than that night but the harmony in the squad was not right." Celtic's reward is a fourth round tie at St Johnstone or Dunfermline while holder Rangers must travel to the Highlands to face first division Ross County after beating Brechin 2-0 at home on Saturday.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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