Celtic’s manager Martin O’Neill will meet his former captain Neil Lennon in the upcoming Scottish Cup final after the Glasgow side edged past League Cup holders St Mirren 6‑2 following extra‑time in the semi‑final clash. The match began with Celtic taking an early 2‑0 advantage, thanks to goals from Daizen Maeda and Anthony Ralston, but St Mirren mounted a spirited comeback in the second half. Mikael Mandron was the catalyst, netting twice – including a dramatic equaliser in the 91st minute that forced the game into extra time.
Once the additional period began, the record‑breaking Hoops asserted their dominance. Kelechi Iheanacho struck a brace, while Luke McCowan and Benjamin Nygren added further goals, turning what had been a tightly contested encounter into a comprehensive victory for Celtic. The result also ensured there would be no repeat of the December League Cup final, where the two sides had previously met. Hampden Park is set to host an emotionally charged finale on May 23, pitting two of Celtic’s most influential figures against each other.
Lennon’s Dunfermline Athletic earned their place in the final after a penalty shoot‑out win over bitter rivals Falkirk in the other semi‑final on Saturday, echoing the dramatic nature of the competition. St Mirren’s night started poorly when backup goalkeeper Ryan Mullen was charged down by Maeda inside the opening minute.
The Japanese forward took a heavy touch, and Maeda slid in to tap the ball home, giving Celtic an immediate lead. Mullen’s misfortune deepened fourteen minutes later when he suffered an injury, prompting the 17‑year‑old Grant Tamosevicius to make his senior debut. On the opposite side, Celtic’s Viljami Sinisalo almost repeated a similar error when he was dispossessed by Mandron inside his own six‑yard box. Fortunately for the Finn, Killian Phillips failed to convert the resulting close‑range chance, sparing Sinisalo from a costly blunder.
Earlier, Sinisalo had produced a superb save to deny Liam Donnelly’s powerful header from a corner, showcasing his shot‑stopping ability. Tamosevicius, despite the pressure of the occasion, displayed composure.
He made a smart save from Maeda and displayed tidy footwork before being beaten by Ralston just before half‑time. Ralston’s effort struck the bar with a back‑heel flick from Yang, and the ball rebounded to the Scotland international, who forced a corner‑kick that led to a goal‑mouth scramble.
Eight minutes after the restart, Mandron sparked St Mirren’s resurgence. The striker, who had previously scored seven times in the club’s League Cup run, headed in a delicately chipped cross from Declan John, marking his first goal since December. Celtic responded by regaining some control, though they struggled to create clear‑cut chances. The final fifteen minutes of regular time saw St Mirren launch a flurry of attacks, testing Celtic’s defence.
In the 87th minute, Sinisalo produced a double‑save sequence, yet he could not prevent Mandron’s second goal in stoppage‑time. The French forward latched onto a through ball and unleashed a powerful strike into the far corner, sending the tie into extra‑time. The extra period belonged to Celtic.
Substitute Kelechi Iheanacho headed in James Forrest’s cross six minutes in, followed by a calm finish from Luke McCowan two minutes later. Iheanacho then found the top corner in the 100th minute for his second of the night, and Benjamin Nygren capped the scoring spree shortly thereafter, sealing a 6‑2 victory.
The defeated side, having reached the final the previous season, will now face Dunfermline Athletic – a repeat of the 2007 Scottish Cup final, which coincidentally was Neil Lennon’s last match as a Celtic player. Dunfermline’s manager, Neil Lennon, expressed that confronting his former boss Martin O’Neill would be “an honour and a privilege”. He reflected on their long‑standing relationship, noting that he first met O’Neill in 1996 when the latter signed him for Leicester, and later worked together at Celtic for a decade.
Lennon told Premier Sports, “It is quite a daunting prospect. It is going to be a privilege for me. It’s brilliant to be there in the first place. It is a real honour to be there with Dunfermline but to play Celtic, it is the stuff that you would never envisage and it has become a reality.” He added that their personal and professional bond has endured over the years, making the upcoming showdown all the more meaningful.
O’Neill reciprocated, saying, “I’ve just done an interview with him. He was doing some punditry work – he gets everywhere.
But he has done remarkably well. Did brilliantly for me at Leicester and at Celtic and he’s done brilliantly at Dunfermline – what an effort yesterday.
So I look forward to it.” Both managers highlighted the narrative weight of the encounter, emphasizing that the final will not only decide the trophy but also celebrate a decade‑long friendship forged through shared successes and challenges. As the Scottish football community anticipates the climax of the season, fans can expect a match rich in history, tactical intrigue, and personal rivalry. The Scottish Cup final promises to be a showcase of experience versus ambition, with O’Neill’s seasoned Celtic side seeking to add another silverware to their illustrious cabinet, while Lennon's Dunfermline aims to upset the odds and claim a historic triumph.
The stage is set at Hampden Park, and the football world will be watching closely as two of Scotland’s most respected figures prepare to write the next chapter in their intertwined careers.