GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - APRIL 19: Celtic's Kelechi Iheanacho celebrates with his teammates after scoring to make it 5-2 during a Scottish Gas Scottish Cup semi-final match between Celtic and St Mirren at Barclays Hampden, on April 19, 2026, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Rob Casey/SNS Group via Getty Images)
Celtic fans have been waiting all season for a burst of football from their team.
When least expected it suddenly emerged at Hampden as they booked a place in the final of the Scottish Cup.
A season defined by the actions of Michael Nicholson has been on the brink of implosion from the first kick of the ball.
Not content with selling Kyogo Furuhashi in January the gormless CEO upped his game during the summer transfer window.
He sold Nicolas Kuhn and Adam Idah covered by the cunning plan of bringing in Shin Yamada. The striker rejected in January by Brendan Rodgers.
To upset the dressing room even further Nicholson went into hiding having almost completed the transfers of Daizen Maeda and Yang Hyu-jun.
The hangover has been horrendous.
Celtic have played the dullest of football to a backdrop of utter chaos.
You name it they’ve done it.
NICHOLSON’S PLANNED DECLINE OF CELTIC
As well as wrecking the playing squad Nicholson appointed the worst manager in Celtic’s history and killed off the flickers of atmosphere by banning the Green Brigade.
Since January 5 Martin O’Neill has been on the ultimate firefighting exercise.
There was a 4-0 win in his opening match against Dundee United. Since then it has been a war of attrition, battling over the line with very little pleasing on the eye.
CelticTV from minute 96 to 102 of today’s Scottish Cup semifinal.
An unbelievable 4 goal outburst.
Looking forward to MON and Lenny on the touchlines for the Final. pic.twitter.com/S1mP1Po6Dm
— JBNYSports (@JBNYSports) April 19, 2026
When Mikael Mandron equalised for St Mirren in the first of four added minutes it looked like another chapter of misery.
Celtic were out in their feet. The two goal half time lead had been turned over. Callum McGregor and Kieran Tierney were on the bench with James Forrest wearing the armband.
And then, six minutes into stoppage time it all turned around.
Forrest broke on the right, gained a yard then whipped a cross in. Old school style Kelechi Iheanacho rose and headed into the net. Celtic were in front!
A minute later Forrest was breaking down the right again. His pass into the centre was intercepted. The ball fell to Luke McGowan with the Greenock bhoy planting the ball behind St Mirren’s Grant Tamosevicius.
Two minutes earlier the 17-year-old keeper was living the dream.
Forrest is twice his age, his intervention turned the match. Hopefully it turned Celtic’s season.
Soon afterwards Iheanacho and Ben Nygren were adding to the scoresheet.
Suddenly Celtic fans were enjoying their football again.
In their previous three matches Celtic had scored three goals.
Inside six minutes at Hampden, into extra time they scored four goals.
Now the trick is to take that form, confidence and goal touch into the five remaining SPFL matches.
