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. ” As for any boost to the squad’s confidence going into the last five league games of the season, starting with next weekend’s home match against Falkirk, the manager added: “We’ve ended up scoring six goals. "Now I know that the game was 2-2 after 90 minutes, but at the end of it all we’ve got the capabilities and that’s the confidence coming back.
“Today’s performance, particularly in extra-time when we scored four goals in relatively quick succession has got to give us an enormous boost. ” Fixtures Celtic Vs. St.