Thank you very much for joining me.
Here is Ewan Murray’s report from Hampden.
Jota: “That is something that we wanted to achieve. I am proud of everyone, it was hard work.
“It was a special feeling to score in the final. Thanks to everyone who helped me to do that.
“It is another reason for everyone to be happy. As players we just want to give thanks to the fans, for the big family that Celtic is.”
Here come Celtic … Hart is up first with his gloves still on.
Caley are first up for the runners-up medals and some kinds words from a dignitary.
The trophy is on the pitch and we are awaiting the ceremony.
Callum MacGregor: “A really tough game, finals are never easy. First half we weren’t great but got the goal. We put ourselves under a bit of pressure but came back to finish the game.
“You’ve got to bounce back when you suffer defeats in football. You have to pick yourselves up, that’s what the boys did. It’s taken us two years to get our trophies back.
“The sun is out and it’s a great day. We have to enjoy the day.”
Simon McMahon emails: “Dundee United made lighter work of Ross County in 2010, Will. 3-0, no drama. Pity it’s been downhill all the way since.”
Ange offers a little fist pump to the fans at the final whistle. Will he be there next season to build on Celtic’s eighth treble?
Full time: Celtic 3-1 Inverness
Was it ever in doubt? Probably not. Celtic were utterly dominant from the first whistle to last but Caley reduced the deficit to add some spice, only for Jota to confirm Celtic’s domestic treble. What a season they’ve had.
90+4 mins: Jota gets the man of the match award from James McFadden. He has looked dangerous and deserves his award.
The Celtic fans are doing the Poznan. It looks lively at Hampden.
90+2 mins: Jota is done. Forrest is coming on.
GOAL! Celtic 3-1 Inverness (Jota, 90+1)
Abada’s cross is lifted to the back post where Jota is waiting. He chests the ball down and pings it into the back of the net from a yard. Game over.
Updated
90 mins: Haksabanovic is slipped through inside the box, he takes aim across Ridgers but his boot keeps Caley in the final.
Six minutes added on.
89 mins: Caley are doing their best to press the Celtic defence and win the ball back but their opponents work through it. Turnbull gets the ball on the right and fires in a low cross but it is cleared.
88 mins: Caley need to push everyone forward now. They have nothing to lose. Welsh goes down injured and needs treatment. It does allow everyone a little reset and take on instructions.
86 mins: That was Caley’s first shot on target of the match.
GOAL! Celtic 2-1 Inverness (Dan Mackay, 84)
Caley are back in it! An incredible cross from the right finds Mackay in the box, who sends a diving header beyond Hart.
Updated
83 mins: Abada wants to add to his goal but he miscues a shot from the edge of the box and the ball boys are forced to collect.
81 mins: Haksabanovic cuts in from the left, plays a one-two and takes aim for the top corner but he whacks it over.
Doran and MacGregor on, Allardice and Shaw off.
79 mins: Celtic are maintaining possession as they look to tick down the clock on their way to a treble.
77 mins: Hatate and O’Riley are off for Celtic, Haksabanovic and Turnbull on.
75 mins: Delaney and Samuels are getting some minutes for Caley. Devine and McKay are off.
73 mins: Ridgers makes a complete hash of a clearance, Abada picks up the loose ball and lays it into the path of O’Riley, who aims for the top corner but there is not enough pace on the shot to test the goalkeeper.
71 mins: Abada pings a cross into the box for Oh to attack but Devine is there to block. We are far more likely to see a Celtic third than Caley getting back into the game.
69 mins: Will Caley try to get back in the game or just hope to not lose by too many to maintain their pride?
67 mins: VAR had a long check to make sure there was not an offside in the buildup but in the end the lines show everything is fine.
Mackay comes on for Henderson for Caley.
Updated
GOAL! Celtic 2-0 Inverness (Abada, 65)
MacGregor gets into the box down the left and pulls the ball back for substitute Abada to knock in from six yards. This game is done an dusted.
Updated
63 mins: Another chance for Caley to get the ball in the box results in Hart claiming a wayward free-kick. They really need better delivery from set-pieces.
61 mins: Celtic are playing pretty slowly at the moment. You would think they would be eager to finish this match off.
59 mins: O’Riley rifles a shot at goal but it is deflected behind for a corner.
Sub for Celtic: Kyogo departs, replaced by Oh.
57 mins: Allardice wins possession on the halfway line and ploughs forward. He looks to slip a pass through but it is a poor one and the chance is gone.
55 mins: Caley lump a free-kick into the box but Hart comes to claim to remember what the ball feels like.
53 mins: McKay is down after getting his studs caught on the ankle.
Maeda is shown on the Celtic bench with a massive ice pack on his leg.
51 mins: Celtic make their way into the Caley box'; the hoops outnumber the blue shirts but they try to walk it into the net and the defence scramble it away.
49 mins: Very much a similar vibe to the first half with Celtic dominating possession. Caley do, however, get the ball into the Celtic box but Hart is there to collect.
47 mins: Kyogo latches onto a through ball but Ridgers is out quickly to close the angle. The Celtic man is offside.
A half-time change for Celtic with Abada on for Daizen.
Second half
Here we go again!
The goal.
#KYOGOAL loves a final! 🙆♂️
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) June 3, 2023
⚽️ His 34th goal of the season puts the Celts in front before the break!#CELICT | #ScottishCupFinal | #COYBIG🍀pic.twitter.com/JO4Yuknqbc
Down in England.
Half time: Celtic 1-0 Inverness
An utterly dominant performance. The only surprise is that Celtic have not put this game to bed.
44 mins: Carson goes into the book for kicking the ball against Jota after being fouled by Welsh.
42 mins: It should be two for Celtic and Kyogo. He is found in space on the edge of the area, takes a touch to get the ball out of his feet but then tries to find the corner with the outside of his boot and completely miscues it.
40 mins: What is Plan B for Caley?
“Greetings from Caley, er, Cali!” emails Peter Oh. “We have a town here in California called Inverness. It’s nestled along Tomales Bay, on the inland-facing side of the majestic Point Reyes National Seashore, just a short drive north of San Francisco. I don’t know, however, if they’ve got a club called Inverness Californian Thistle.
“Celtic will almost certainly win but I’ve got a soft spot for underdogs, and ‘Thistle at the final whistle!’ has got a nice ring to it.
“Have a great summer!”
GOAL! Celtic 1-0 Inverness (Kyogo, 38)
It was inevitable. O’Riley drills a cross to Kyogo, who gets across his marker and whacks a perfect finish beyond the goalkeeper from 10 yards.
Updated
36 mins: Caley are looking relatively comfortable when defending. There is no sense of panic but it will take incredible levels of concentration to maintain this level.
34 mins: Maeda drives into the box but the ball takes a ricochet and Caley are able to volley it clear. The ball then comes straight back.
Maeda cuts inside once again from the left and takes aim but drags his shot well wide from 20 yards or so.
32 mins: Caley get into the Celtic half and the ball ends up back with Ridgers.
30 mins: Taylor hits the referee with a pass! It turns out Caley are playing with 12 men behind the ball. What larks.
Caley goalkeeper Ridgers has not actually made a save yet.
28 mins: Maeda sends in a cross that is deflected, causing some mild panic in the box but Caley react first and ping the ball upfield. Obviously, it comes straight back.
26 mins: The official stats claim Celtic have enjoyed three quarters of the possession but it feels a lot more.
Joe Hart must be stood on the edge of his box thinking about what he is going to do on his summer holiday. Will he have an Aperol spritz? Should he book the French place with a nice view?
Updated
24 mins: Jota backheels the ball to Hatete in the box but the Celtic man slips and cannot get a shot away. On the upside, it is a sign of intent.
“At least Mary Waltz can console herself American league and players are feeders to bigger clubs and leagues,” says Yash Gupta. “You can still enjoy their progress. Try imagining them players managers going to a rival that you passionately hate. For many reasons I think a move for Postecoglou makes sense and is the best candidate even if one of Poch, Slot and Nagelsmann are not coming. His appointment makes sense above all those even though Spurs are in this situation because Slot rejected them. Good to see Hart doing well. Sometimes a change in scenery is all you need and he found it finally at Celtic after several disappointments following Man City departure.”
22 mins: Despite having all the possession, Celtic cannot find the final pass. They are looking slightly pedestrian against the low block of Caley.
20 mins: O’Riley has a half chance in the box but can only hit the ball into the ground on the slide, sending it bouncing well over the bar.
I think this is the first time I have been compared to Martin Amis.
@Will_Unwin "If I do not say anything for a while, just assume that Celtic are in possession"
— The Justin Horton Show (@ejhchess) June 3, 2023
Didn't the late Martin Amis have a line in Money to the effect of "assume I am smoking unless I explicitly say otherwise"?
18 mins: Caley’s concept is very much to desperately try to hold out and nick one by hook or by crook. I can’t see it working.
16 mins: A Celtic free-kick is lifted into the box but Caley hold firm and pummel the ball away but it just comes straight back.
14 mins: If I do not say anything for a while, just assume that Celtic are in possession. It is understandably one-sided at the moment.
12 mins: Celtic are starting to click and their movement is starting to cause problems for the Caley defence. I am not sure Caley have made it out of their own half yet.
I say that and then a long ball is played over the top for Henderson to chase but Hart is out quickly and removes the danger.
10 mins: “Morning greetings Will,” emails Mary Waltz. “Celtic will win, the only question is how much they have to struggle. On the future of Ange. One must embrace the realities of being a feeder league. Not that it happens all that often but being a fan of American football (soccer) comes with the knowledge that when an exceptional player or manager is developed on this side of the pond he will be leaving sooner rather than later. We lose our best and brightest to Europe and that is just stark reality. Same situation for the Scots.”
8 mins: Caley are just about keeping Celtic at arm’s length currently. They look well-organised but it will be a tiring evening in the sunshine because Celtic are enjoying all the possession.
6 mins: Whenever Celtic missplace a pace, there is a huge cheer from the Caley fans. I think it is indication of how difficult they are expecting the match to be.
4 mins: The Jota mullet is absolutely magnificent. He looks like he could have been playing for Celtic in the late 1980s with that mane.
Updated
2 mins: It’s an electric atmosphere inside Hampden.
Celtic look lively already and very much in the mood to ensure they do not suffer an upset.
Kick off
Peep! Peep! Peep! Here we go!
Here come the teams …
“Hi Will,” emails Simon McMahon. “Today reminds me of 15 May 2010, the day Dundee United claimed their second Scottish Cup against Ross County, then in the Scottish Championship. Unusually for United, given our record in cup finals, we just knew we’d win. As, I’m pretty sure, did the County fans. I think even the most optimistic ICT fan would concede that they probably have two chances of winning, slim and none, and slim just left town. But you never know, I suppose. Except when you do.”
You never know … (we definitely know)
Needless to say, the Celtic fans massively outnumber the Caley fans but it looks like a cracking atmosphere.
Ange Postecoglou: “The club has had a lot of success recently, including trebles. We can add to that and that’s what I will try to do.”
He refuses to discuss his future.
“Anytime you are here at Hampden, it is always a special occasion. Cup final is a special day and I am glad to be a part of it.”
Updated
Billy Dodds: “I don’t want to come here and camp on the 18-yard box.”
Good luck with that, Caley.
Caley’s last match of the league season was a home defeat to Ayr on May 5. Will they be undercooked for today?
BBC are obviously showing the Caley win from 2000. They might need a bit more of that spirit today, not to mention another utterly atrocious Celtic performance.
Ange Postecoglou savours the moment.
A lovely journey.
The Road to Hampden 🏟️ pic.twitter.com/OPSIPYWnmv
— Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC (@ICTFC) June 3, 2023
It is even more impressive that Caley have made it to the final considering they lost to Queen’s Park in the fourth round, only for their opponents to be booted out of the competition for fielding an ineligible player.
Get in the mood for the match with Ewan Murray on Big Ange.
Starting lineups
Celtic: Hart, Johnston, Starfelt, Iwata, Taylor, McGregor, Hatate, O’Riley, Jota, Kyogo, Maeda
Subs: Siegrist, Haksanabovic, Abada, Turnbull, Oh, Bernabei, Forrest, Ralston, Welsh.
ICT: Ridgers, Duffy, Harper, Welsh, Deas, Devine, Carson, McKay, Allardice, Henderson, Shaw
Subs: C Mackay, Doran, MacGregor, Hyde, D Mackay, Delaney, Samuels, Woods, Boyd
Updated
Welcome
This could be another momentous afternoon for Celtic with a domestic treble being dangled in front of their faces. They start the day as heavy favourites to win the Scottish Cup to add to their collection alongside the Premiership and League Cup trophies.
It could, however, be Ange Postecoglou’s final game in charge of the Glasgow club, with Spurs very interested in making him Antonio Conte’s permanent replacement. The Australian has enjoyed pretty much constant success in Scotland and will have deserved his move to the Premier League.
Inverness finished sixth in the Scottish Championship, so the fact they are in the final is pretty miraculous in itself but few give them any chance whatsoever today. Stranger things have happened in football as 8 February 2000 will testify. It was the night they went ballistic at Parkhead. They also have a former Rangers player in the dugout in the form of Billy Dodds, so he will be mighty eager to get one over on Celtic.
Let’s hope for a cracker!
Kick-off: 5.30pm BST
