O'Neill gets perfect send-off as Celtic win Cup

Celtic 1 Dundee Utd 0

A deflected Alan Thompson free-kick gave Celtic victory in the Tennent’s Scottish Cup final and manager Martin O’Neill the send-off he had hoped for.

O’Neill had made the emotional decision to step down to spend time with wife Geraldine, who has cancer, and his players responded by seeing off a stubborn Dundee United side at Hampden Park.

And it was the Northern Irishman who held the cup aloft first, with trusted cohorts John Robertson and Steve Walford beside him, as his players applauded from the pitchside.

The cup represents Celtic’s only silverware of the season, however, with the Bank of Scotland Premier League having been surrendered to Rangers last week.

And, although United hit the bar in stoppage time, there was no repeat of the surprise ending at Motherwell last week.

Celtic deserved their victory, having dominated proceedings and created the majority of chances.

And in the end they could also afford the luxury of a fluffed late penalty from Chris Sutton.

Earlier in the week, United had appointed Gordon Chisholm as Ian McCall’s permanent successor after a relegation-avoiding run at the end of the season and the former defender, who favours three at the back, had been boosted by the return to fitness of former Scotland international Paul Ritchie.

He also opted to thrust 17-year-old Gary Kenneth into the limelight but fortune did not favour the rookie when he diverted the ball into his own net in only the 11th minute after Thompson had fired in a free-kick to the near post.

Whether it had been an own goal or not was open to debate but Chisholm already knew of such misfortune as it had happened to him when he deflected an Asa Hartford effort to doom Sunderland to defeat to Norwich in the 1995 League Cup final.

The pace of Craig Bellamy had put Kenneth and his team in trouble in the first place as Allan Archibald had brought him down on the run to tee Thompson up for a set-piece that was cleverly dummied by Bobo Balde.

Ritchie also brought the Welshman down at full pelt and received a 31st-minute booking, although on that occasion United survived the free-kick.

There were other narrow squeaks before the half-time whistle too, with Derek McInnes blocking a goal-bound Bellamy effort and Stan Varga heading just over from the corner.

Mark Wilson did well to stop Thompson converting from a Sutton cross in front of goal and Stilian Petrov should have done better than to screw a shot tamely wide after Kenneth had gifted possession to him.

United’s only real first half chance was created by the pacy Jason Scotland soon after they fell behind and was made even more inviting by goalkeeper Robert Douglas’ failure to collect. The chance was there for Scotland striker Stevie Crawford to capitalise but he could not make contact at the vital moment and the chance was gone.

Douglas is one player whose contract is fast expiring, along with Jackie McNamara and Neil Lennon, and it was clear to see why.

O’Neill made one appearance from the dugout to berate linesman Andy Davis over a throw-in decision.

Davis was the man who Celtic had insisted should not have been appointed in the first place, having recommended giving Rangers a match-winning penalty at Hearts in March.

The under-fire official quickly received help in the shape of fourth official Willie Young, who sent O’Neill back from whence he came.

Celtic carried on where they had left off after the restart and Archibald saved his side from falling further behind within three minutes with a block in the six-yard box from Hartson after Bellamy had slipped effortlessly past Kenneth on the touchline to set up the chance.

Referee John Rowbotham, who will retire after this game, waved play on after Petrov had gone down in the box as he and Kenneth chased a long ball and it seemed the official had got it spot on.

Barry Robson was booked in the 52nd minute for hacking Bellamy down and Archibald was again his side’s saviour by deflecting a fierce Sutton drive away from goal as Celtic attacked relentlessly.

Hartson headed over but when United won a rare corner at the other end they were relieved to see Archibald volley a good chance over the bar.

United enjoyed their best spell of the game after that but were unable to fashion a clear-cut chance and, when Robson saw a shot blocked, Bellamy launched a lightning-fast counter-attack that almost made it 2-0.

It needed Bullock to make two stops from Thompson in the goalmouth scramble that ensued and the pressure was only off once Sutton skied an attempted long-ranger.

Hartson was replaced by defender Joos Valgaeren in the 73rd minute in a move designed to protect the lead, with the Hoops mindful of the two late goals at Motherwell last week that had ended up costing them the league.

Within three minutes United had responded by replacing midfielder McInnes with pacy but unreliable striker Collin Samuel.

Bullock, the former Barnsley goalkeeper, made a smart, low save to keep out a long-ranger from Thompson but was not required to make a save when Bellamy failed to hit the target from a good position in the next attack.

United sent James Grady and Stuart Duff on for Crawford and Brebner with eight minutes remaining but within seconds Kenneth had brought Bellamy down for a penalty, taking away his legs after Petrov had helped the ball on with his head.

Sutton took the spot-kick but lost his footing at the vital moment, ballooning the ball harmlessly over.

Archibald was booked for a foul on Petrov after Aiden McGeady replaced the tiring Thompson and the defender, who had been his side’s best performer on the day, realised luck was not with him when he fired a stoppage time drive past Douglas that bounced off the crossbar.