Celtic Seal Hampden Final Pace With One Change — Celtic Vs Dunfermline Athletic
Celtic vs Dunfermline Athletic kicked off the Scottish Cup final at Hampden Park at 3pm BST, with Martin O’Neill making one change to the side that beat Hearts last weekend. James Forrest came into midfield for Sebastian Tounekti, while Celtic chased their first silverware since that win and Dunfermline aimed at their first major trophy since 1968.
Forrest Joins Celtic Midfield
Forrest’s return to the starting group gave Celtic another route through a final that carried more than one edge. He could win the Scottish Cup for the ninth time with the club, a mark that put his selection into sharper focus than a normal tactical switch.
Tounekti dropped to the bench, the only change from the Hearts side. Kasper Schmeichel and Cameron Carter-Vickers remained sidelined, so Celtic arrived without two regular names while still carrying the burden of expectation that comes with a cup final at Hampden Park.
Lennon Hands Dunfermline Starts
Neil Lennon went with Aston Oxborough in goal and gave starts to Andy Todd and Tashan Oakley-Boothe. John Tod also started, and Andy Todd lined up alongside his brother Matty Todd in a Dunfermline side built around familiar connections on a day when the club needed something from a major final.
Zak Rudden was available again after three months out with a shoulder injury suffered in a Cup tie against Kelty Hearts. Billy Terrell was among the substitutes after last weekend’s playoff semi-final defeat against Partick, a reminder that Dunfermline were arriving at Hampden with one competition ending and another still offering the chance to change the club’s season.
Hampden Carries The Stakes
Dunfermline came in hoping to win their first major trophy since 1968, while Celtic were trying to add silverware just a week after beating Hearts. Lennon’s own tie to the occasion added another layer: he had been in charge of Dunfermline for 14 months, but he also spent the best part of 10 years as O’Neill’s midfield lieutenant at Leicester City and Celtic before taking the reins at Celtic Park in 2010.
Before the final, Lennon said the occasion would be "be surreal considering how long I’ve known [Martin], what he’s done for my career and what influence he’s had on me". That line matched the shape of the final itself, with one club protecting its recent winning momentum and the other trying to end a 56-year wait for a major trophy in the same stadium.
