Martin O’Neill has responded to the scenes that followed Celtic’s Scottish Cup penalty shootout victory over Rangers at Ibrox, refusing to let the disorder overshadow what he described as a magnificent team performance.
Celtic and Rangers had played out a goalless 90 minutes before an additional 30 minutes of extra time also failed to produce a winner. There were moments of controversy during the tie, with Daizen Maeda having a goal correctly ruled out for offside and Emmanuel Fernandez seeing a handball effort disallowed, but neither side managed to find a legitimate goal across 120 minutes of football.
Celtic then won the shootout 4-2 to book their place in the Hampden semi-final, and the full-time whistle triggered serious disorder at Ibrox as both sets of supporters invaded the pitch and clashed in ugly scenes that took considerable time to bring under control.
Speaking to Premier Sports in the immediate aftermath, O’Neill was measured in his response to the trouble, describing the confrontations as unfortunate but making clear he was not going to allow them to become the dominant story of the evening. He was determined that the performance his players had delivered would receive the recognition it deserved.
The Celtic manager was effusive in his praise for his squad, highlighting the physical demands of the occasion given that it was their fourth game in ten days. He said his players were out on their feet by the end but had defended with tremendous resilience, throwing their bodies on the line and producing blocks when they were needed most. He said he had the utmost regard for every one of them.
Attention now turns back to the Premiership, where Celtic trail Hearts by five points with the title race entering its most critical phase. The league championship remains the priority, but with a Hampden semi-final now secured, there is plenty for the Celtic support to look forward to as Rangers are left to reflect on another painful derby defeat.