Manager's post-match reaction to Scottish Cup semi-final win

Manager's post-match reaction to Scottish Cup semi-final win

Martin O’Neill was delighted to see his side book their place in next month’s Scottish Cup final with a 6-2 extra-time victory over St Mirren at Hampden today.

It was a rollercoaster of a game, with Celtic leading 2-0 at the break thanks to goals from Daizen Maeda and Anthony Ralston, only for St Mirren to score twice in the second-half to take the game into extra-time.

But the Hoops scored four goals in the first period of extra-time courtesy of Luke McCowan, Benjamin Nygren and a Kelechi Iheanacho double to put the game beyond their opponents and set up a clash with Neil Lennon’s Dunfermline Athletic next month.

Speaking to Celtic TV after the game, the Celtic manager said: “It was a brilliant day and I couldn’t be more pleased with the team in many aspects.

“We can get it forward a wee bit more quickly at times but, overall, for us to fight back – it was getting very close to a win in normal time, but St Mirren came roaring back and got a great goal, so we had to do it all over again.

“And the goal just a couple of minutes into extra-time helped us enormously. We got a surge of confidence after that and we went on to win convincingly.

“It was a tough afternoon, but there were some great goals, Kelechi Iheanacho coming on and doing brilliantly, Luke McCowan scoring as well, so I’m delighted that we won.”

And speaking of the impact that Kelechi Iheanacho made, Martin O’Neill said: “Everyone in the dressing-room knows that he has been a really good player.

“He’s had a few injuries and he’s been trying to get that fitness, but a properly fit Iheanacho is definitely a handful as he’s proved today.”