After an intense semi-final weekend, Dunfermline Athletic are set to face Celtic in the Scottish Championship finals on 23 May at Hampden Park.
Kincardine Derby on Saturday
The weekend started off with long-term rivals Dunfermline Athletic and Falkirk.
Within the first two minutes, the first goal was almost scored by Pars’ Callumn Morrison, but the goal ultimately shot wide.
Falkirk striker Barney Stewart also headed towards a goal in the first half but was saved by Pars goalkeeper Aston Oxborough. Stewart was previously on loan to Dunfermline, a goal from him would have shot tensions through the roof.
At 90 minutes the result was still 0 – 0. A strong defence from both teams saw the match go to penalties after an additional 30 minutes that saw no luck for either team.
The Pars did phenomenally during penalties, which electrified fans across the stadium. Unfortunately for the Bairns, they continued to struggle against Oxborough.
The match ended with a Dunfermline victory with the penalties result being 4-2.
Celtic vs St Mirren on Sunday
Despite a difficult season for Celtic, they came into the semi-finals with full force. Celtic took an early lead with Daizen Maeda scoring within the first minute of the match, something Dunfermline’s Morrison had tried the previous day.
The Saints’ No 2 goalkeeper, Ryan Mullen, stood no chance against the rapid Maeda, who shot the ball into the goal during a pass between Mullen and defender Miguel Feckleton.
Mullen was later substituted for 17-year-old keeper Grant Tamosevicius after an injury left him unable to continue.
As the half time whistle blew, Anthony Raltson scored yet another goal for Celtic.
The second half brought St Mirren’s first goal by Mikael Mandron, bringing St Mirren back in to the game.
With 4 minutes extra time, Mandron scored yet another goal for St Mirren.
With the score equalised, extra time was given to decide who would make it to the final, echoing the match the previous day. The tense pressure saw Celtic thrive better than they have all season.
In the 96th minute, Kelechi Iheanacho scored yet another goal for Celtic, assisted by James Forrest.
Two minutes later, Celtic had scored their fourth goal, this time from Luke McCowan with yet another assist from Forrest.
It was clear that Celtic were moving to the final, but they were not done yet.
Again with two minutes since the last goal, Iheanacho scored another goal for Celtic. It was truly over for St Mirren but not for Celtic.
Two minutes was clearly a lucky interval for Celtic on Sunday, as two minutes after Iheanancho’s goal, Celtic’s final goal of the match was scored by Benjamin Nygren.
A strong game from both teams with the Hoops ultimately dominating in the final minutes.
The finals
With both Falkirk and St Mirren rattled, Celtic and Dunfermline Athletic are set to play against each other in the finals.
In the finals, we will see two managers very familiar with each other go head to head. Celtic’s current interim manager, Martin O’Neill had signed Dunfermline manager Neil Lennon back in 1996 for Leicester City. Four years later, O’Neill was manager of Celtic, bringing Lennon with him as captain.
This is the first time in 19 years that the Pars will have reached the Scottish Cup Final, a big motivator for the club that could carry them to success.
It could truly go either way in the finals. Despite the clean sweep from Celtic on Sunday, they have had a difficult season. Dunfermline has had a great season with big wins against Hibs and Aberdeen. The finals are not a match to miss.
Feature Image Credit: Molly Shields
