Kyogo Celtic magic in focus as talisman goes 'bang' to make sizzling Hampden heat irrelevant

Danny Devine thought Kyogo was resting in the Hampden sun for the majority of his 59 minutes cup final action.

But it was the Inverness defender caught napping for a split second by a classic Furuhashi run that proved key as Celtic made the breakthrough and left Inverness in the shade. The Highlanders had kept the Hoops’ star man quiet for the opening 37 minutes with a stifling game plan that was being deployed to perfection. But when the Japanese ace turned it on for one devastating front post run Billy Dodds’ side had no answer.

To be fair better teams and players have failed to handle Kyogo’s lightning quick movement in the box these past two years. It didn’t help that Caley Thistle had to wait four weeks without a competitive game to face the best team in Scotland.

They were far from caught cold though as Daniel MacKay’s 84th minute header halved the deficit and gave the 6500 fans in the blue and red corner hope of a second Hampden fairytale in eight years. Devine, a veteran of that 2015 Scottish Cup triumph, insists every one of Dodds’ players can hold their heads up high after pushing the all-conquering Hoops all the way in the blistering Hampden heat.

The Northern Irishman said: “I actually thought the heat affected them as well as us. I thought it was a very sluggish game. Maybe it was because we sat in and they were being patient.

"I thought Kyogo doesn’t do much off the ball. I think he rests off the ball. Then bang he’s away and he has that sharpness. Obviously he took his goal well and obviously I’m bitterly disappointed with the first goal. But if you give him that half yard he will punish you.

“You’re trying to watch the ball then they’ve got other players. I think Greg Taylor found himself in the No10