Celtic win Scottish Cup and clinch double - with implications for Rangers and Hibs
Another trophy for Celtic as they take down second-tier Pars
Celtic have won the Scottish Cup after a 3-1 win over Dunfermline Athletic at Hampden Park.
Goals from Daizen Maeda, Arne Engels and Kelechi Iheanacho sealed the victory for Celtic and landed them a domestic double a week on from clinching the Premiership title.
The win over the Pars concluded a fairytale return to Celtic for veteran manager Martin O’Neill, who came back to the club not once but twice this season on an interim basis to rescue them from a potentially trophyless campaign.
It now remains to be seen what the future holds for O’Neill, 74, with Celtic now primed to make a decision on who leads them going forward.
They were too strong for Championship outfit Dunfermline Athletic, who are managed by former Celtic boss Neil Lennon. He was coming up against his old head coach from his days as a Leicester City and Celtic player, but was unable to get one up on him.
Celtic’s victory has implications for two other top-flight teams in terms of their European commitments for the 2026/27 campaign.
The Europa League second qualifying round spot is now reserved for the third-placed team in the league, meaning Old Firm rivals Rangers will start off in that competition rather than the Conference League.
Hibs also benefit from Celtic’s victory as the fifth-placed team in the Premiership. They will join Motherwell in the Conference League second qualifying round.
A near sold-out Hampden was decked out in green and white and black and white. The match started evenly and Dunfermline came so close to taking the lead on nine minutes when Callumn Morrison nipped in between Celtic defender Alistair Johnston and goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo to prod the ball towards an empty goal, only for centre-half Liam Scales to clear the ball off the goalline.
Nine minutes later, Celtic broke the deadlock. In-form striker Maeda latched on to a long Johnston ball forward and with Dunfermline defender John Tod missing his clearance, the Japanese went clean through on goal and chipped the stranded goalkeeper Aston Oxborough.
Celtic added a second strike on 36 minutes when midfielder Engels whipped the ball beyond a static Oxborough from outside the penalty box.
Dunfermline rallied at the start of the second period and forced a handful of half-chances through striker Chris Kane, who had come on at the break, and Matty Todd, while Alfons Amade saw a 62nd-minute strike whistle inches past Sinisalo’s post.
Substitute striker Iheanacho had a goal disallowed for Celtic on 66 minutes due to offside. However, the Nigerian was not be denied and scored from close range on 73 minutes to put the outcome in no doubt.
Dunfermline did land a consolation strike on 80 minutes when another replacement Josh Cooper netted a rebound from close range after Charlie Gilmour’s goalbound effort was blocked.
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.