Celtic secured a spot in the Scottish Cup final under manager Martin O’Neill, who will face off against his former captain Neil Lennon. The Hoops overcame a strong challenge from St Mirren, ultimately winning 6-2 in extra time. Daizen Maeda and Anthony Ralston gave Celtic an early 2-0 lead, but Mikael Mandron's brace, including a 91st-minute equalizer, sent the game into extra time. However, Celtic responded with a strong performance, as Kelechi Iheanacho scored twice, and Luke McCowan and Benjamin Nygren added goals to seal the victory.
The Scottish Cup final will be an emotional reunion for O’Neill and Lennon, who will meet on May 23 at Hampden Park. The matchup comes after Lennon's Dunfermline Athletic shocked Falkirk with a shoot-out victory in the other semi-final.
The game got off to a dramatic start when Maeda scored in the first minute, capitalizing on a mistake by St Mirren's backup goalkeeper Ryan Mullen. Celtic's Viljami Sinisalo also had a close call, but his mistake was not punished. The match saw several exciting moments, including a smart save by 17-year-old Grant Tamosevicius, who made his senior debut for St Mirren. Mandron's goals brought St Mirren back into the game, but Celtic's extra-time performance proved too strong.
The final will be a repeat of the 2007 Scottish Cup final, which was Lennon's last match as a Celtic player. Lennon expressed his honor and privilege at facing his former manager O’Neill, with whom he has a strong personal and professional relationship.