While both  teams had to wait 45 mins for the ref, Celtic started like a whirlwind from the off.  Brian Slevin and Conor Byrne both hit the woodwork twice in the first 10 minutes.  As this suggests, it was all one way with Raheny hanging on  for grim death and Celtic going close again with Slevin, Byrne, Gareth O'Hara and Dermot Murray all going close before the break.  0-0 at half-time.

Celtic had not put a foot wrong and should have been at least 6-0 up at half time, and you could feel the tension all round.

Dermot Murray opened the second half by bursting down the left, crossing for Brian Slevin to acrobatically bicycle kick the ball onto the bar with the keeper stranded. It definitely looked like it was going to be one of those nights when manager Slevin replaced introduced Junninio Elliot whose first contribution was to slice open the Raheny defence to send Conor Byrne in for goal number 50.  1-0 to Celtic.

From the restart, Slevin won the ball and played a wonderful one-two with the diminutive Elliot, who slotted Slevin through to chip the keeper.  2-0 to Celtic with two goals in 2 mins, both made by young Elliot.

Celtic poured forward with Slevin and Byrne both striking the woodwork again before Jovan Prodanic finished the game off with a delightful goal.  3-0 to Celtic.

Raheny got a very late consolation goal in injury time.

This win takes the league title race to the final week.  What a finish to a very exciting and very very very long season!!  Yes indeed, it has dragged on.