Celtic supervisor Martin O’Neill will face his former captain, Neil Lennon, within the Scottish Cup remaining after the Hoops ultimately beat League Cup holders St Mirren 6-2 after additional time within the semi-finals.
Regardless of racing right into a 2-0 lead by means of Daizen Maeda and Anthony Ralston, Mikael Mandron impressed a heroic second-half comeback by scoring twice, together with a dramatic 91st-minute equaliser to take the sport to additional time.
Nevertheless, the document champions fought again in model with a brace from Kelechi Iheanacho and objectives from Luke McCowan and Benjamin Nygren, emphatically blowing their opponents away and guaranteeing there could be no repeat of December’s League Cup remaining.
Celtic’s Kelechi Iheanacho celebrates placing the Hoops forward in additional time
Hampden Park will now host an emotional finale between two Celtic greats on Could 23 after Lennon’s Dunfermline Athletic shocked bitter rivals Falkirk with a shoot-out victory within the different semi-final on Saturday.
St Mirren obtained off to a nightmare begin when backup goalkeeper Ryan Mullen was charged down by Maeda, ensuing within the opening purpose inside the primary minute.
The ex-Celtic youth stopper, who was deputising for the injured Shamal George, took a heavy contact earlier than the Japan worldwide pounced and slide tackled the ball into the online.
Mullen’s error was compounded 14 minutes later when he pulled up with an harm of his personal, which means 17-year-old Grant Tamosevicius was thrown on for his senior debut.
On the different finish, Celtic’s Viljami Sinisalo virtually produced an similar mistake when he was dispossessed by Mikael Mandron inside his personal six-yard field, however the Finland worldwide’s blushes have been spared as Killian Phillips didn’t convert the ensuing close-range alternative.
This got here simply moments after Sinisalo produced a wonderful cease to disclaim Liam Donnelly’s highly effective headed effort from a nook.
Celtic’s Luke McCowan celebrates scoring their fourth
Tamosevicius did not seem like fazed by the event; he made a wise save from Maeda and had some tidy moments along with his toes earlier than ultimately being crushed by Ralston on the stroke of half-time.
The Scotland worldwide thundered an effort in off the bar with the final kick of the primary half after stepping onto Yang’s intelligent backheel.
Nevertheless, eight minutes after the restart, St Mirren have been again in it by means of Mandron.
The striker, who bagged seven on his group’s journey to League Cup glory earlier this marketing campaign, headed in Declan John’s chipped cross to attain for the primary time since December.
Celtic then quickly regained management, although with out creating clear-cut probabilities, earlier than dealing with a barrage of Buddies assaults within the remaining quarter-hour.
Sinisalo pulled off a wonderful double save within the 87th minute, however could not maintain out Mandron’s second in stoppage-time because the Frenchman latched onto a by means of ball and belted it into the far nook to ship the tie to extra-time.
Nevertheless, parity did not final lengthy.
Substitute Iheanacho headed in James Forrest’s cross six minutes into extra-time earlier than Luke McCowan calmy rolled in one other two minutes later.
Iheanacho then discovered the highest nook within the one centesimal minute for his second, and Benjamin Nygren accomplished the scoring shortly after.
Final yr’s crushed finalists will now face Dunfermline Athletic in a repeat of the 2007 Scottish Cup remaining – which coincidentally was Lennon’s final match as a Celtic participant.
