IF AT FIRST YOU DON'T SUCCEED...

Jodie Bartle was delighted to score her first goal for Celtic, a week after her derby strike was controversially disallowed

‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us…’

NOVEMBER was a a tale of two goals for Jodie Bartle – the one that wasn’t but should have been, and the one that most definitely was!

The first strike came in the last minute of the Glasgow derby against Rangers, a goal which would have given the Hoops a 1-0 victory. However, even as the ball was nestling in the back of the net, the referee’s whistle was still echoing in the air.

The official disallowed the goal, instead pointing to the penalty spot and explaining that he had already blown for a handball inside the box before Bartle’s strike.

It was harsh on the Celtic defender, who had been in the midst of celebrating her first goal for the club, while it also put added pressure on her team-mate, Summer Green, to convert the penalty. Thankfully, the American midfielder did just that to secure all three points for the Hoops.

Fast forward a week, and Celtic faced a Hibernian side who have been Scotland’s second best side in recent seasons.