Cruising into the Scottish Cup final with a 4-0 win over Aberdeen, Celtic manager Neil Lennon received unexpected support from the Scottish Football Association president George Peat, who had previously described the club as 'tiresome'. In his semi-final programme notes, Peat praised Lennon's courage in the face of security threats, condemning the 'abhorrent and contemptible behaviour' directed at him.
Lennon welcomed the olive branch, stating: 'I haven't read it yet but I welcome those words. That's very nice of him.' The win marked Celtic's fifth meeting with Aberdeen this season, with an aggregate score of 21-1 in favour of the Glasgow side, including three red cards for Aberdeen.
The match turned early when Aberdeen defender Andy Considine was sent off after 18 minutes for tripping Gary Hooper. Despite Anthony Stokes having a penalty saved, Celtic took the lead four minutes into the second half through a Charlie Mulgrew free-kick that deceived goalkeeper Jamie Langfield.
Joe Ledley doubled the lead with a calm finish from Stokes's cutback, shortly after Aberdeen had a goal disallowed for offside. Kris Commons converted a second penalty after Derek Young 'foolishly conceded' a foul on Stokes, as Aberdeen manager Craig Brown admitted. Substitute Shaun Maloney completed the scoring from close range after build-up play from Scott Brown and Mark Wilson.
The victory exorcised the ghosts of last year's semi-final defeat to Ross County. Brown, who left Motherwell earlier this season, will face his former club in the final on 21 May, saying: 'No matter who they were playing, I would be supporting Motherwell.'
