Celtic came from behind in dramatic fashion to secure a 2-1 Scottish Cup quarter-final victory away to Inverness Caledonian Thistle on Sunday.

The Hoops were 1-0 down when, in the 88th minute, former Hearts captain Steven Pressley headed home his first goal for the club to level the scores.

Kenny Miller’s shot from the edge of the box in injury time then booked the Glasgow giants’ place in the last four.

Caley had gone ahead through Graham Bayne’s close range shot in the 18th minute after a strong run and cross from Barry Wilson.

Celtic’s Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, Craig Beattie and Maciej Zurawski had all failed fitness tests, meaning a lone role up front for Miller.

The Scotland international saw an early effort blocked by the foot of Caley keeper Michael Fraser.

However the hosts then hit back when Ian Black’s pass found Wilson. He beat Celtic’s Mark Wilson and crossed for Bayne, who made no mistake from close range.

Scottish champions-elect Celtic, however, still had most of the ball and Japanese playmaker Shunsuke Nakamura forced a fine save out of Fraser with a curling shot.

Even so the Hoops might have been 2-0 down when keeper Artur Boruc failed to hold John Rankin’s shot and Bayne followed up only to see his effort disallowed for offside.

Early in the second-half Nakamura came close to an equaliser when his shot from a tight angle bounced out off the underside of the crossbar after he had been played in by a Miller back-heel.

As time ran out, the league champions piled on the pressure but it looked as if Inverness were on the verge of repeating their Scottish Cup wins of 2000 and 2003 against the team from Parkhead.

However dreams of another memorable victory were cut short by Pressley who rose to head home a crucial equaliser after Stephen McManus had nodded a Nakamura corner over to the far post from the edge of the area.

Minutes later Miller finished off a fine one-two with Aiden McGeady to curl a right-foot shot past the beaten Fraser, thus keeping alive Celtic’s penchant for scoring crucial, late goals.

Source:Soccer News