Scottish Cup Final: Can Martin O'Neill's former captain Neil Lennon stop Celtic double?

The William Hill Scottish Cup Final will see two Celtic legends go head-to-head when the Premiership champions line up against Dunfermline at Hampden Park on Saturday.

Martin O’Neill will take on Neil Lennon, who he signed for the Hoops in 2000, after previously bringing the Northern Irish midfielder to Leicester City.

Celtic, who won their 56th Scottish Premiership title in dramatic fashion against Hearts last weekend, are now in search of a double when they come up against the Pars.

The club last won Scottish football’s oldest trophy in 2024 with a 1-0 victory over Rangers, after losing 4-3 on penalties to Aberdeen in last year’s Hampden showpiece.

Dunfermline, who haven’t won the Scottish Cup since 1968, when they defeated Hearts 3-1, missed out on a Premiership play-off spot after going down 3-2 to Partick Thistle over two legs at the semi-final stage.

The Pars were granted an allocation of 17,000 tickets for the final against Celtic, and have sold around 15,000 with three days remaining.

Celtic’s road to the final

Auchinleck Talbot 0 Celtic 2 (January 18)

Celtic booked their place in the fifth round of the William Hill Scottish Cup with a 2-0 victory over sixth-tier Auchinleck Talbot at Rugby Park.

It took until the 33rd minute for the Hoops, managed by Wilfried Nancy, to break the deadlock when Johnny Kenny converted a deflected cross from Luke McCowan.

Substitute Sebastian Tounekti confirmed the win with an 87th minute curling strike into the top corner.

Celtic 2 Dundee 1 (February 7)

It was the late show for Celtic when they welcomed Steven Pressley’s Dundee to Celtic Park for the fifth round tie.

The home team were trailing 1-0 to the Dens Park side after a 49th minute strike from Ethan Hamilton looked likely to cause a cup upset before Sebastian Tounekti’s 92nd minute equaliser forced extra time.

Debutant Junior Adamu then scored a dramatic extra-time winner, with a back heel no less, to ensure Martin O’Neill’s team booked a quarter-final clash with derby rivals Rangers.

Rangers 0 Celtic 0 (4–2 penalties) (March 8)

Crowd trouble marred this tense Old Firm derby after the traditional away allocation of 7,500 fans was permitted for the game that ended goalless at Ibrox.

Neither side could find the breakthrough after 120 minutes of football, leading to a penalty shoot-out to determine the winner.

Rangers captain James Tavernier hit the bar with his spot-kick before Djeidi Gassama blazed over. On loan striker Tomas Cvancara sealed the 4-2 victory for Celtic.

Celtic 6 St Mirren 2 AET (April 19)

Celtic took the lead after just one minute when Saints goalkeeper Ryan Mullen made an error which allowed Daizen Maeda to give the Hoops the lead.

The St Mirren No1 was replaced in goal minutes later by teenage keeper Grant Tamosevicius after pulling up injured.

Anthony Ralston added a second on the stroke of half-time before St Mirren’s Mikael Mandron fired in a double, including a 90th minute leveller to take the game into extra time.

Two quick goals from Celtic striker Kelechi Iheanacho, followed by Luke McCowan and Benjamin Nygren in a ruthless six-minute spell in the first half of extra time, confirmed the win for Martin O’Neill’s side.

Dunfermline’s road to the final

Dunfermline 2 Queen of the South 1 (November 29)

Dunfermline came from behind to run out 2–1 winners at East End Park over League One Queen of the South in the competition’s third round.

Neil Lennon’s side went behind after just four minutes through an own goal from John Tod as he attempted to clear the ball after a long throw in.

The Doonhammers lead, however, lasted just three minutes when Pars striker Chris Kane equalised before firing the home side ahead just eight minutes later to ensure there would be no upset.

Dunfermline 1 Hibernian 0 (January 17)

Dunfermline were handed another home tie in the fourth round of the William Hill Scottish Cup with the visit of top flight Hibernian.

The Pars hadn’t taken to the field for three weeks before the game took place due to postponements, and Hibs were bidding for more cup glory after last winning this trophy exactly ten years ago.

But it was the Fife side, in front of the largest crowd at East End Park in almost 16 years, that came out on top thanks to a freakish stoppage time own goal from Hibs’ Miguel Chaiwa

Dunfermline 2 Kelty Hearts 0 (February 2)

League Two side Kelty Hearts were the next arrivals at East End Park, this time to vie for a place in the last eight of the William Hill Scottish Cup.

A goalless first-half led to a nervy second 45 minutes for the Championship side against the part-time team but substitute Chris Kane rescued the Pars with a second-half double.

Goals on the 75th and 87th minute sealed the victory to earn Dunfermline a first Scottish Cup quarter-final in 17 years.

Dunfermline 3 Aberdeen 0 (March 7)

Dunfermline entered the quarter-final stage as one of two non-Premiership sides left in the competition when they faced holders Aberdeen at East End Park in front of a sell-out crowd.

The Pars flew into a two-goal lead midway through the opening half with strikes from Matty Tod and Olly Thomas.

Stand-in Dons manager Peter Leven watched as his side went down to a team one division below to book a semi-final spot for the first time since 2009.

Dunfermline 0 Falkirk 0 (4-2 on penalties) (April 18)

Neil Lennon’s team were paired with bitter rivals Falkirk for the semi-final at Hampden, just like their last cup semi-final when the two squared off in 2009.

The Fife side, who were kicking off their fifth game in two weeks, played out a goalless draw against the Bairns at the national stadium.

Spot kicks would decide this one, and it was Dunfermline who came out on top. Brad Spencer’s attempt hit the post, before Aston Oxborough saved Liam Henderson’s penalty.

Tashan Oakley-Boothe fired in the winner in the dramatic decider to seal the club’s first Scottish Cup Final in 19 years – and handed Neil Lennon a date of destiny with his former Celtic manager Martin O’Neill.

Celtic v Dunfermline: Scottish Cup history

The two clubs first met in 1961, when Dunfermline were under the management of Celtic icon Jock Stein. The Pars ran out 2–0 winners in front of over 87,000 fans in a replay at Hampden.

Four years later, the clubs met again in the 1965 final in front of 108,800 supporters. This time, Jock Stein was in the Hoops dugout, and he led his side to a 3-2 win with a double from Billy McNeill and a goal from Bertie Auld.

After a 39-year wait, the two sides went head-to-head again in 2004 when Martin O’Neill’s side came from a goal behind to win 3-1 against a Dunfermline side led by Jimmy Calderwood. A Henrik Larsson brace and a strike from Stiliyan Petrov completed the comeback.

Three years later, Gordon Strachan was in the Celtic dugout when the Hoops faced Stephen Kenny’s Dunfermline.

The game was settled by a 84th minute goal by on-loan Celtic full-back Jean-Joel Perrier Doumbe, in what was Neil Lennon’s last game at Celtic.