A RELIEVED Neil Lennon last night looked forward to the opportunity of finishing the season with a domestic double.
"We need to win the cup final," said a determined Lennon after goals from Kris Commons, Victor Wanyama and Anthony Stokes helped his side defeat Dundee United 4-3 after extra-time and set up a showdown with Hibernian on May 26.
"We've had a monumental season until now," said the Celtic manager. "We're a point away from winning the title having had a great European campaign. We just fell short in [the Scottish Communities League Cup] semi-final and now we're in another cup final. We have performed heroically."
Yesterday's win over United brought to an end a run of three consecutive defeats at the national stadium for his side. "I'm glad to get over the line at Hampden for the first time in a while," said Lennon. "We have a cup final we now need to win."
That relief in ending a poor run of form at Hampden was evident in Kelvin Wilson afterwards, too, although the Celtic defender did not expect to receive many pats on the back for squeezing past United in extra-time. "I bet the next one will be 'ah, but they didn't play well, though,'" he said.
"We never get the plaudits that we're meant to but we have won the game so that's all that matters. We ground out a result so we are happy with that."
Biram Kayal and Victor Wanyama will miss the final after being booked yesterday but Lennon can rejoice in the return of James Forrest, who was influential yesterday. The Scotland internationalist had been described as a severe doubt to make yesterday's semi-final by the Celtic manager on Friday. "I lied," said Lennon yesterday.
"I wanted to keep James under wraps. I didn't want to give anything away. We knew he was fit and we knew he'd be a surprise package in there for Dundee United."
The manager was coy on the future of match-winner Stokes who is awaiting Celtic's decision over whether the club will exercise an option to extend the forward's contract. "In my mind I have already made it," said Lennon on that decision. "But I haven't told Anthony that yet."
The first double for the club since 2007 is now on the line and Lennon was content that his players were able to get through a semi-final in which United came back from 1-0 and then 3-2 to force extra-time. "They will come in a stronger mood, but it will be the same pressures, the same environment," he said. "There are times when good players make rash decisions and you see that again today.
"No matter what your form is going into the game, as we know from previous experience, that can go out the window. But thankfully it didn't today. We stuck at it. We became strong in extra-time and scored a brilliant goal to win it."
Celtic require only a point from their five remaining league matches to secure the title but Commons would not allow himself to look ahead to a well-earned rest at the end of the season. The Celtic forward had taken painkillers to alleviate the effects of an ankle injury and scored twice on a satisfying afternoon.
"Our main focus at the minute is getting the league wrapped up," he said. "If I start thinking about the summer I'll hang myself. The cup final is the biggest game for us now."
Jackie McNamara, the Dundee United manager, who included 16-year-old John Souttar in the centre of defence and 17-year-old Ryan Gauld in a forward role, could not fault his side after the defeat. "It's difficult to take and disappointing," he said. "I thought every single player was magnificent and they gave Celtic a lot of problems today.
"The mental strength was good. I told them after the game that they showed they could handle the pressure – if they were aged 16 or 17 or 30."
Among the most impressive of the United players was Gary Mackay-Steven, whose first-half equaliser was supplemented by two goals from Jon Daly. The winger was a constant threat to Celtic – Mackay-Steven's cross was headed in by Daly to force extra time – and he might even have been awarded a penalty in the first half after he went down under a challenge from Wanyama.
"To me, it looked like a stone-waller but I haven't seen the replays," said Willo Flood, the United midfielder. "He's gone past him and has been taken down. It didn't look like [Wanyama] got near the ball.
"I've asked the referee what happened and he just said it was a collision and that it was accidental. But every foul is accidental – you never mean to foul anybody."
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