Celtic 5-0 Morton: Kyogo Furuhashi reaches 20-goal mark for the season with brace

Kyogo Furuhashi reached the 20-goal mark for the campaign as Celtic beat Morton 5-0 in the Scottish Cup.

The Japanese striker equaled his tally from last season thanks to a first-half brace in the fourth-round tie at Celtic Park.

Aaron Mooy also scored a brace and David Turnbull scored his second spectacular goal of the week, but the match was not without controversy after the first goal came off the back of an extraordinarily harsh VAR decision against former Hoops defender Efe Ambrose. .

Celtic’s Kyogo Furuhashi scored a brace against Morton as he reached 20 goals for the season

Morton had enjoyed some decent periods of pressing before Mooy opened the scoring from the spot and had a chance to take the lead after Callum McGregor went wide from long range at the other end.

Lewis Strapp was given the kind of opportunity the 2,000 or so fans in the sold-out away end would have dreamed of after playing a one-two with Robbie Crawford. But the left back fired straight at Joe Hart from 10 yards out.

Aaron Mooy put Celtic on the rise when he scored from a penalty in the 18th minute

Morton kept pressing and Robbie Muirhead was unable to convert the ball from close range after Jack Baird’s header.

Play continued for about two minutes after Liel Abada spotted a blocked shot, but video assistant referee Craig Napier saw something seemingly unnoticed inside the stadium and eventually notified referee Kevin Clancy.

Footage showed Abada’s shot struck Baird’s foot and then bounced away from the goal and grazed Ambrose’s arm, which was slightly outside his body. Napier decided that it was a “clear and obvious” mistake by Clancy, who pointed to the spot after studying the incident on his monitor.

Mooy sent Brian Schwake the wrong way on 18 minutes and Celtic doubled their lead three minutes later when Ambrose hit a hard touch on the edge of his box and Abada sent Furuhashi into the net.

Morton had his own VAR check for a potential penalty when Alistair Johnston shut down Strapp in the act of shooting, but there was no offence.

Abada and Daizen Maeda threatened before Celtic went further ahead on 42 minutes when Furuhashi played Turnbull back to find the bottom corner with a first-time side kick from 22 yards.

Furuhashi struck again in stoppage time after Grant Gillespie delivered a fresh air blow to Abada’s cutback.

Japanese midfielder Tomoki Iwata replaced McGregor at half-time to make his debut.

David Turnbull celebrates with teammates after finding the net during Celtic’s win

Ambrose survived yet another VAR review after a more obvious hand. It was not called as the ball struck his rear arm after leaving his own foot.

Morton defended well and was on his way to a second-half shutout after Abada hit the post and Schwake made the save from Turnbull and Johnston.

But Mooy added a fifth in the 84th minute when he struck from close range after substitute Sead Haksabanovic dribbled on target.