Dundee United 3 Celtic 4; aet: match report

By Roddy Forsyth, Hampden

8:08PM BST 14 Apr 2013

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William Hill sponsors the Scottish Cup, but the weekend instalments were scripted by Harry Hill. Back to back semi-finals won by the odd goal in seven after finishing 3-3 in normal time – what are the chances of that happening?

Sunday's instalment at Hampden Park was not a mirror image of the previous day's mesmerising contest between Hibernian and Falkirk but it was just as compelling.

Celtic ended a sequence of three consecutive defeats at the national stadium, but the outcome remained uncertain until Craig Thomson sounded the final whistle after half an hour of extra-time had been extended by a further two minutes.

The roar that emanated from the Celtic support – and their management team – was composed of equal parts acclaim and relief.

For their part, United deserved the salutes of their followers, disappointed but proud of the team's full blooded attempt to overcome the odds – and their gift to Celtic of a goal of a start.

Saturday's event featured a slew of teenagers, mostly in Falkirk colours, but United threw cadets into this battle in the shape of John Souttar – the 16-year-old who, earlier this season became the youngest player every to wear a senior shirt at Tannadice – and Ryan Gauld, at the age of 17.

The youngsters were entitled to wonder what exactly they had been thrust into when Celtic went ahead after a minute.

Prompted by Victor Wanyama, Kris Commons bored straight through the middle of the United half, shrugged aside Mark Millar and cracked a left foot drive beyond Radoslaw Cierzniak, whose first touch of the ball was to retrieve it from his net.

Many a team, conceding early to one or other of the Old Firm sides in Glasgow, have crumpled under the burden, but to United's considerable credit, they bedded into the game and looked undaunted by their task.

Even so, the game might easily have run away from them when Mikael Lustig got on the end of a typically incisive cross from Emilio Izaguirre in the 20th minute, but the Swede headed against the post when he should have scored. United's response was to strike twice in six minutes.

Their equaliser was a delight, flowing from one end to the other from Barry Douglas through Jon Daly and wide right to Gary Mackay-Steven, who played a give and go with Gauld before curling his finish around Fraser Forster.

When they took the lead it was from a well tried combination, a Douglas free kick on to the six yard line for Daly to head home.

The Tangerine faithful had not even got through their first celebratory chorus when Celtic were back on level terms after another pinpoint delivery from Izaguirre invited Wanyama to outjump Douglas and bounce his header away from Cierzinak.

Three goals in half an hour on Saturday had sent some Hibs fans scurrying for the exits, but with four goals shared inside the same span on this occasion, anybody choosing to leave their seat did so in peril of missing more of the same at each end.

It took until the hour-mark for that to happen and again Izaguirre forced the opening with a cross which struck Commons – evidently on the arm – before crossing the line.

With a hat-trick in prospect, Commons pursued scraps of possession like a ravenous hound but it was Daly who found the mark again, beautifully peeling into space between Wilson and Izaguirre to float his header home.

Full-time arrived with the final still beckoning for both teams, although not for Wanyama or Beram Kayal, both of whom had earned cautions that precluded a return visit to Hampden.

For a brief, tantalising moment in the first half of extra-time, it seemed as though the Terrors were about to nose in front again with a repeat ploy as Daly met a Douglas corner kick with a header that beat Forster but skipped back off the post.

Within four minutes United's Dubliner was outdone by his fellow citizen in the Hoops attack as Anthony Stokes rose to connect with a cross from James Forrest and headed forcefully past Czerniak to ensure a collision of the greens in the final against Hibs on May 26.

Match details

Dundee United (4-4-1-1): Cierzniak; Watson, Souttar, Dillon, Douglas; Mackay-Steven, Flood, Millar (Armstrong 62), Rankin (Boulding 106); Gauld (Gardyne 83); Daly.
Subs: Banks (g), McLean.
Booked: Flood, Millar, Armstrong.
Celtic (4-4-1-1): Forster; Lustig (Stokes 76), Wilson, Ambrose, Izaguirre; Forrest, Wanyama (Kayal 76), Ledley, Mulgrew; Commons (Samaras 102), Hooper.
Subs: Zaluska (g), Watt.
Booked: Wanyama, Kayal.
Referee: Craig Thomson.

Taken from telegraph.co.uk