Key Takeaways
- Neil Lennon says guiding Dunfermline to the Scottish Cup final ranks with any success he has tasted.
- The Pars reached the 23 May showpiece by beating Falkirk on penalties at Hampden Park.
- If Celtic overcome St Mirren, Lennon will face his former Celtic boss Martin O’Neill for the trophy.
Neil Lennon believes steering Dunfermline Athletic into the Scottish Cup final is as sweet as any of his seven winners’ medals with Celtic.
The Championship side edged past Falkirk on spot-kicks on Saturday to book a return to the national stadium on 23 May. They now wait to learn if they will meet Lennon’s old club Celtic or St Mirren, who clash in the second semi-final on Sunday.
A Celtic victory would set up a family-style showdown with interim Hoops manager Martin O’Neill, the man who first brought Lennon to Glasgow as a player and later helped him collect three Scottish Cup triumphs from the pitch.
After retiring, Lennon added four more cups as Celtic boss, the first coming in 2019 when he took over on a caretaker basis and defeated Hearts in the final. That win earned him the permanent post, a scenario similar to his rescue act at East End Park.
Lennan arrived at Dunfermline last March on a short-term deal, dragged the club away from relegation trouble and was rewarded with a two-year contract. His young squad have since climbed to third in the second tier and now dream of promotion through the play-offs.
Their cup journey has already seen them knock out top-flight pair Hibernian and Aberdeen, before Saturday’s tense shoot-out success over Falkirk.
After dropping to the turf to kiss the Hampden grass, Lennon told BBC Scotland: “It is amazing. We matched a Premiership side and held our nerve. This ranks with anything I have done.”
He praised 17-year-old striker Lucas Fyfe and former Falkirk forward Callumn Morrison for creating the best chances in normal time, but admitted the big stage tested his players.
“You could see the occasion weighed on some of them, yet they refused to fold,” he said.
Between the posts, Dunfermline were unbeaten in eight matches until Lennon rotated ahead of the final, slipping to defeat against Partick Thistle and drawing with Airdrieonians. He insists the squad must refocus quickly, with a league meeting against leaders St Johnstone on Tuesday that could decide their play-off fate.
“We’ll be back in training tomorrow,” he warned. “They are young and can drift if we switch off, but when they concentrate they can trouble anyone.”
Lennon dedicated the moment to his late father, saying thoughts of him steadied his nerves during the shoot-out.
“What this can do for the lads and for the city leaves me speechless,” he added. “I’m loving every minute, and this is the icing on the cake.”