Final proves one mountain too many for Lennon's Dunfermline
"Bedraggled" is how former player Ian McCall described Dunfermline Athletic in the first half of this Scottish Cup final. The Championship side were "pulled all over the shop" by a hungry Celtic in the opening 45 minutes and went into the interval two goals down and with their Hampden hopes already all but gone. There was a genuine fear things could get ugly for Neil Lennon and his side but a half-time cajoling - rather than a scolding - and a bold triple substitution paved the route for an unforeseen response and respectable showing.
"We got a little bit spooked first half after the first goal and were a little bit off the pace," Lennon told BBC Sport Scotland. "We got them in at half-time and we played ever so well second half but we just lacked that quality. There's not many teams who have it like Celtic have it, but second half we did ourselves justice.
" Although Dunfermline didn't return to the Kingdom with the trophy in tow, the underdogs heading home with their heads held high after a positive season. Dunfermline beaten by Celtic in final 'Celtic can discombobulate you' In the build-up to this story-laden final - Martin O'Neill against Lennon, the shared ties with Jock Stein, and the David v Goliath nature of the Premiership champions against the Championship side - Lennon met his former Celtic captain Scott Brown for a BBC interview. In that chat, Lennon admitted that upon his appointment at East End Park 14 months ago, he never could not have imagined leading them to Hampden.
The sleeping giants of Scottish football were in a Championship relegation scrap and devoid of direction. Miles away from a first Scottish Cup final in 19 years. But by beating three top-flight sides - Hibernian, Aberdeen and Falkirk - they made it, all while throwing all their energy into a promotion push.
Lennon has never hidden that was the main aim of the season, repeating as much after the painful play-off semi-final defeat against Partick Thistle last Friday. And at times in the first half here, it looked like Dunfermline were still suffering from their gruelling league exploits, combined with a little stage fright. Lennon was left "disappointed with their mentality" in the first half, but insisted there was "no berating them" at the break.