Few could quite believe it, and even fewer saw it coming. Celtic’s extra time surge against St Mirren, which booked their place in the Scottish Gas Men’s Scottish Cup final, even caught Martin O’Neill off guard.
Kelechi Iheanacho, Luke McCowan and Benjamin Nygren all struck inside six minutes, as O’Neill’s side turned the tie completely on its head in a stunning 6-2 win over the Paisley club.
“Did I think that we were going to score four goals in six or seven minutes? No,” admitted a relieved O’Neill post-match. “But it was for us to try and turn the game, turn the game in our direction again. They did it emphatically.
“I just never felt really comfortable, even at 2-0. St Mirren came back into the game.
“What I was really pleased about is naturally extra time when the players, you know, naturally are really disappointed, having to raise themselves again for the extra time.
“And James Forrest, one-v-one, takes a player on and Iheanacho scores the goal. A flood of confidence then at that stage and we do really, really well.
“I’m relieved to have won the game. But I’ve got a lot of pride about the side, in the way they focused in extra time.
“With St Mirren scoring so late on to equalise, they are in the psychological ascendancy. For us to retrieve that situation, in the manner in which we did, gives the team confidence, which is great. And gives us all renewed energy.”
Forrest, 34 and wearing the captain’s armband, turned back the clock to beat his marker and deliver a superb cross that Iheanacho nodded home for his first of the afternoon.
The winger is out of contract at the end of the season, but has no intention of playing for anyone other than Celtic before he retires.
“I would like to keep James for one more year, at least, so that he could see his career through at the football club,” O’Neill added. “I would be asking the board. And I think James would stay for another year. He’s 34.
“With just a little burst, you know, the one-v-ones. He has changed a number of games for us. You know, he changed the game at Aberdeen [on March 4]. I know Nygren scored the goal, but he came on and changed that.
“We scored from him getting the cross at Rangers [on March 1] as well, too. So, yeah, he’s definitely played a part.”
Celtic’s display against St Mirren mirrored the inconsistent level they have shown throughout the season. At one moment they looked flat and vulnerable, and moments later they were flying.
O’Neill believes his team can offer more intensity, but insists there are valid reasons behind some of the inconsistency.
“I do not want to change things too much here,” he admitted. “We’ve lost some big players, both in terms of being transferred. A couple of big injuries as well.
“If you win, that’s what it’s all about. I think that we’re capable of being more dynamic. And I think that that’s something that we can do, something that we try each week in training. And particularly now that we’re down to one game per week.
“The one thing that I can’t deny the team, and that is a really great spirit there to fight through that adversity, having the game taken away from them in one aspect, and then to come really roaring back.
“I think we could have crumbled in extra time, with St Mirren having the strong psychological advantage. But we turned it in our direction, which was great.”
With two goals in three minutes, it proved to be a huge afternoon for Iheanacho. Shortly after his header, the Nigerian forward produced a composed finish past Grant Tamesevicius. It marked his sixth goal in Celtic colours.
“Obviously, he’s had a few injury problems,” said O’Neill. “If you felt as if he started the games, he might not see the game through.
“We’ve got a couple like that at the moment. Today, his goals have been big for us. Really big. He says he is completely fit. And I’m not completely sure. But he was brilliant for us. He took the goals magnificently. You can see why he’s had a career.”
Celtic will now face Neil Lennon’s Dunfermline Athletic back at Hampden in the showpiece final on May 23.
The Pars defeated Falkirk on penalties in their semi final on Saturday. O’Neill was the man who originally brought Lennon to Parkhead from Leicester City over 25 years ago.
“I’ve just done an interview with him [Lennon]. He’s doing some punditry work. Gosh, he gets everywhere,” O’Neill joked. “But he has done remarkably well. [He] did brilliantly for me at Leicester and at Celtic.
“And he’s done brilliantly at Dunfermline. What an effort yesterday. So when the time comes, I’ll look forward to it.”