CELTIC opened their eyes this morning to confront a Treble dream in tatters ...

and a sense of injustice at the manner in which it unravelled.

Leigh Griffiths gave voice to the anger within the Celtic dressing room when the striker let rip at the officials who he believes cost the Parkhead side a domestic Treble.

Ronny Deila's side were dumped out of the William Hill Scottish Cup by a late, extra-time winner from Inverness Caley's David Raven, but it was the controversy before that which had Griffiths riled.

As the game headed towards the half-time break, and with Celtic leading 1-0, Griffiths had a header punched away by Inverness defender Josh Meekings.

It was an infringement which was missed by referee Steven McLean, who was then advised by the additional assistant behind the goal, Alan Muir, that the ball had struck Meekings in the face.

Griffiths pestered McLean after Meekings had admitted to him that he had used his hand, but by that point the decision had been made.

"We have a lot of disappointed lads inside that dressing room," said Griffiths. "We've been robbed. When you have officials behind the goals, they need to be doing their job. If he thinks that's hit him in on the face ...

"I don't really want to say too much about the officials because I'll end up in trouble. But it's a massive, massive decision and it's cost us the game."

Hoops skipper Scott Brown was pulled away from the referee at full-time as the Inverness players celebrated on the turf, and the anger within the Celtic camp was palpable.

"It was very disappointing," said Griffiths. "We had a chance to go and make history. We didn't get the result in the end.

"I have asked the centre-half in the second half if it has hit his hand or his face and he said it hit his hand 100 per cent, so in my book that's a penalty and a red card.

"We have probably the best penalty taker in the league in Kris Commons, who I am sure would go and tuck it away and put us 2-0 up. They'd have been down to ten men and it would have been a mountain for them to climb to come back.

"I knew it was a penalty. I think everyone in the ground knew it was a penalty. He is the one who said it hit him in the face (additional assistant). I asked the ref why he didn't give the penalty and he said the assistant behind the goal said it hit him in the face. I don't know what angle he is looking from because everyone else could see it was a penalty.

"He said the referee behind the goal said it hit him in the face and there is nothing I can do about that now. It is a game-changing decision. We go in 1-0 up at half-time, so we should come out and see the game out, so credit to Inverness because they came out and had a right go."

Celtic's irritation was compounded when they were reduced to 10 men shortly before the hour mark when Craig Gordon was shown a straight red card for bringing down Marley Watkins, and Greg Tansey netted the spot-kick to draw Inverness level.

From there on the Parkhead side looked ill at ease, with the nervousness of substitute keeper Lukasz Zaluska quickly spreading through the back four.

And while Griffiths was angry at the way the game panned out, he revealed Hoops boss Ronny Deila was probably the most dejected figure of all in the aftermath of the result.

The Norwegian manager has been candid throughout the campaign about his aspirations to bag a Treble in his first season at the club, an ambition that had gathered pace and momentum when Celtic claimed the League Cup last month.

He will now need to pick up himself, as well as his team, ahead of Wednesday night's trip to face Dundee at Dens Park.

"I think the gaffer is the most disappointed person out of everyone," he said. "He'd only have been the third Celtic manager to have won a Treble.

"He would have made history and, as players, we would have become legends.

"But it's difficult to do that. I said it during the week that when you are that close to winning a Treble, the games get harder. Inverness stood in our way and did a job.

"Now we have to go again and pick ourselves up for the rest of the season. We have a massive game at Dens on Wednesday. Dundee will be up for it as we've just played 120 minutes in a semi-final.

"We have three days and then we have to play Dundee at a difficult venue. But we need three points."

And Griffiths himself now is looking to get the league title in the bag as quickly as possible to assuage the pain of yesterday's disappointment.

"It will fire us up," he insisted. "We aren't far away from clinching the league now. We have two hard games in the next week at Dens and against Dundee United at Tannadice. If we can pick up six points, we will be in a really good position."