Celtic’s manager Martin O’Neill is set to meet his former protégé, Neil Lennon, in the Scottish Cup final after the Hoops edged past League Cup champions St Mirren 6-2 following extra time in the semi-final showdown. The match began brightly for St Mirren, who surged into a 2-0 advantage thanks to early strikes from Daizen Maeda and Anthony Ralston. However, Celtic’s Mikael Mandron sparked a dramatic resurgence in the second half, netting a brace that included a 91st‑minute equaliser, forcing the encounter into extra time. Once the additional period commenced, the record‑breaking side reclaimed control with a dazzling display.
Kelechi Iheanacho scored twice, while Luke McCowan and Benjamin Nygren each added a goal, effectively dismantling the opposition and ensuring there would be no repeat of the December League Cup final drama. The victory sends Hampden Park into a poignant climax on May 23, pitting two of Celtic’s most iconic figures against each other after Lennon's Dunfermline Athletic stunned Falkirk in a penalty shoot‑out in the other semi‑final. St Mirren’s night started poorly when backup keeper Ryan Mullen mis‑controlled a ball that Maeda charged down, resulting in an opening goal within the first minute.
The young Scottish goalkeeper, drafted in for the injured Shamal George, made a heavy touch that allowed the Japanese forward to slide the ball into the net. Mullen’s misfortune deepened fourteen minutes later when he limped off with an injury, prompting 17‑year‑old Grant Tamosevicius to make his senior debut. On the opposite side, Celtic’s Viljami Sinisalo nearly mirrored the error when Mikael Mandron stripped him of the ball inside his own six‑yard box. Fortunately for the Finn, Killian Phillips failed to convert the ensuing 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 his debut, appeared composed. He produced a tidy save from Maeda and displayed confident footwork before eventually being beaten by Ralston at the stroke of halftime. Ralston’s effort rattled the crossbar after a clever back‑heel from Yang, setting the tone for what would become a tightly contested first half.
Eight minutes after the restart, Mandron restored St Mirren’s momentum. The striker, who had previously contributed seven goals on the club’s route to League Cup glory, headed home Declan John’s chipped cross, marking his first goal since December. Celtic responded by regaining possession, though clear‑cut chances were scarce. In the final fifteen minutes, the Buddies pressed forward relentlessly, testing Celtic’s defence.
Sinisalo delivered a remarkable double save in the 87th minute, yet could not prevent Mandron’s second goal in stoppage time. The French forward latched onto a through ball and thundered it into the far corner, sending the match into extra time.
The extra period saw Celtic dominate swiftly. Substitute Iheanacho headed in James Forrest’s cross six minutes in, followed by a calm finish from Luke McCowan two minutes later. Iheanacho then struck 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 triumph.
Looking ahead, Celtic will face Dunfermline Athletic, recreating the 2007 Scottish Cup final – a fixture that also marked Lennon’s final appearance as a Celtic player. Dunfermline’s manager, Neil Lennon, expressed that confronting his former boss Martin O’Neill will be “an honour and a privilege.” Lennon, who served under O’Neill at both Leicester City and Celtic, 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. I played under him for ten years. I went to see him in February and said it’s 30 years since we first met, in 1996 when he signed me for Leicester.
We have a brilliant relationship personally and professionally all the way through, it is going to be an honour for me.” O’Neill reciprocated the sentiment, noting, “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.” The semi‑final not only delivered a thrilling contest but also set the stage for a historic final that pits two of Scottish football’s most respected figures against each other, promising an emotional and fiercely contested climax to the season.