Cup loss will fire Celtic - Wilson

21 March 2011 10:00

Mark Wilson believes the sight of celebrating Rangers players at Hampden will fire up Celtic for the rest of the season.

The Hoops' dream of a domestic treble were scuppered yesterday when Nikica Jelavic's extra-time winner gave the Light Blues a dramatic Co-operative Insurance Cup victory, after Steve Davis's first-half opener had been cancelled out by Joe Ledley.

"I think that feeling we had at the end of the game is a feeling that we never want to have again," said Wilson.

"Looking over and seeing Rangers celebrate will definitely spur us on in the run-in But I think it was an even game and it was always going to be one goal that settled it, if not penalties.

"We wanted to win, it was a cup final against Rangers but we didn't manage to do that. But we still have two trophies to go for and we will go all out to try to achieve that."

Wilson was involved in two of the three ignored penalty claims during a pulsating game which ended with Celtic defender Emilio Izaguirre being sent off for a 'last man' tackle on Rangers substitute Vladimir Weiss.

In the first half he went down in the Rangers box after a challenge by Rangers defender Sasa Papac and then after the break, the ball appeared to hit his arm in his own box when Celtic were defending.

On the first incident the former Dundee United player said: "I'm not sure. I would need to see it again on television" but he admitted the ball had hit him on the arm.

"It definitely hit my arm but there was nothing I could do in a situation like that," he added. "I think the referee called it right, I think it would have been harsh to concede a penalty in that situation.

"You see that situation all the time and half of them are given, half are not. I was lucky that it wasn't given but it had no bearing on the game anyway."

Source: PA