Now for the really interesting part. Celtic’s completion of a domestic double was every bit as straightforward as Dunfermline feared it could be. Whether that achievement is sufficient for Martin O’Neill to be handed an extended stay as the Celtic manager should soon become clear. O’Neill has support, internally and externally, for his cause. Even at 74, he clearly fancies the job.
Dragging Celtic towards trophy success on back-to-back weekends shows he retains capability. The key, unknown and unanswered question is whether O’Neill’s recent body of work will prove sufficient for the Celtic hierarchy to back him in the longer term, as opposed to a younger coach such as Robbie Keane. O’Neill will hold talks with Dermot Desmond, Celtic’s main shareholder, in the coming days.
“If the season was to start tomorrow, I couldn’t do it,” O’Neill said. “But the season doesn’t start tomorrow. The Scottish season does start quickly though and I’m getting old.”
He has no reason to care that this Scottish Cup final pretty quickly became a non-event. It was champions of the country against a second-tier side and looked every bit of that. Dunfermline initially looked paralysed by the occasion, which was all over bar formalities – with Celtic two goals to the good – at the interval. Neil Lennon enjoyed some superb times under O’Neill when a Celtic player more than two decades ago. This time, Lennon and Dunfermline suffered at the hands of an old master.
This most exhausting of Celtic seasons ended with a trophy being paraded in the Hampden sun. The Scottish Cup, which Celtic were beaten to by Aberdeen a year ago, had been reclaimed. O’Neill was serenaded by adoring punters. Celtic’s fans also chanted Lennon’s name. “That was nice,” said Lennon. “They weren’t singing that five years ago.” The reference was to the bruising end to Lennon’s second Celtic tenure. He believes it should be up to O’Neill whether he stays in place.
The buildup to this final had been dominated by the fallout from the conclusion to the Premiership season. The marauding supporters who forced the ending to Celtic’s decisive win over Hearts also fuelled harsh words between clubs. It took a mere 90 seconds for the Celtic fans here to revert to sectarian abuse of the Hearts manager, Derek McInnes, which was as predictable as it should have been a cause for eyerolls.
There was almost on-field embarrassment for Celtic in the ninth minute. Confusion in their defence allowed Callumn Morrison to steal in, with the forward’s shot cleared from the goalline by Liam Scales. Celtic were to heed the warning.
Alistair Johnston’s pass from deep asked a question of John Tod the Dunfermline centre-half should have emphatically answered. Instead, he completely miscued his attempt at a clearance. Step forward Daizen Maeda, who confidently lobbed Aston Oxborough.
It appeared the goalkeeper saw Arne Engels’s second for Celtic too late to do anything about it. In summing up their tame approach, tDunfermline failed to apply any form of pressure on Engels as he collected the ball 25 yards out. A low, fierce shot flew past the static Oxborough.
Lennon understandably threw caution to the wind after the break. The deployment of Chris Kane and Zak Rudden in attack gave Dunfermline at least some physicality. Yet playing catchup with Celtic is not a game many in Scotland can succeed at. Alfons Amade was close to reducing the deficit, with a long-range effort that flew narrowly wide of Viljami Sinisalo’s right-hand post. Kelechi Iheanacho had the ball in the net at the other end, but Yang Hyun-jun had strayed offside.
Not even officialdom could deny Iheanacho with his next opportunity. Celtic may well have been awarded a penalty for handball by Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen as the striker bobbed and weaved his way through the defence. Iheanacho scored from six yards rather than 12 after evading Oxborough’s reach.
Dunfermline did grab a consolation and something for their support to cheer. Alistair Johnston blocked a shot into the path of Josh Cooper. With his first touch since entering the fray as a substitute, Cooper tapped home. Dunfermline had lacked nothing in spirit. Instead, they faced vastly superior opposition. Celtic remain Scottish football’s dominant force.
“The occasion startled them a little bit and that is OK, it is their first final,” said Lennon. “Bottom line is, we are playing the best team in the country. Quality counts and the quality was with Celtic. The better team won, there is no question about that.”
