Celtic were made to work hard for their place in the League Cup final as they edged out First Division Falkirk 3-1 in an entertaining semi-final at Hampden on Sunday.
Gary Hooper had already seen his 11th-minute strike harshly ruled out for offside before Scott Brown put the Hoops ahead from the penalty spot after Darren Dods had wrestled Thomas Rogne to the ground in the 26th minute.
Falkirk, who had defeated holders Rangers and fellow SPL side Dundee United on the way to the semi-final, were not overawed by the occasion and got themselves level through Jay Fulton in the 40th minute following a fine flowing move.
Fulton missed a great chance just after the break before Anthony Stokes restored Celtic's lead with a curling free-kick ten minutes after the break.
Celtic keeper Fraser Forster made a couple of crucial saves before Stokes tapped in his second goal against his former club in the 86th minute as the Hoops progressed to face Kilmarnock in March's final - though coach Neil Lennon admitted it had not been plain sailing.
"People might say that Falkirk deserved better but looking from my point of view we missed so many chances today," Lennon said.
"We've hit the bar twice, we've hit the post and we've missed two one-on-ones with the goalkeeper so we could have won the game more comfortably," he opined.
Falkirk counterpart Steven Pressley thought his side had been terrific, despite losing.
"Our players can go away from here exceptionally proud," said Pressley.
"We came here against an in-form Celtic side and we gave them one hell of a game."
Falkirk had started on the front foot with Keiran Duffie not far away with an early effort from distance.
Moments later Kallum Higginbotham went on a surging run before picking out Farid El Alagui but the Moroccan sliced his first time effort wide.
Celtic soon settled into the game and had the ball in the net in the 11th minute.
Michael McGovern tipped a curling shot from Brown on to the post before Hooper rifled the rebound in to the roof of the net but his effort was harshly chalked off for offside.
Things got worse for the Bairns in the 26th minute when Brown gave Celtic the lead from the penalty spot after referee Euan Norris penalised veteran defender Dods for hauling Rogne to the ground at a corner.
Falkirk got themselves on level terms in the 40th minute. David Weatherspoon broke at pace down the left wing before picking out Higginbotham, who sent a defence splitting pass to Fulton with the 17-year-old sending the ball into the net through Forster's legs.
The Bairns had to do without manager Steven Pressley in the second half after he was banished from the dugout following an angry outburst at referee Norris while Ki Sung Yeung replaced Emilio Izaguirre at the break.
The First Division side were presented with a great chance to take the minutes after the restart when the impressive Higginbotham found the unmarked Fulton at the back post with a cross but the teenager blazed his half volley over the bar from eight yards.
McGovern tipped Rogne's strike from a corner on to the crossbar but could do nothing to prevent the Hoops going ahead in the 56th minute when Stokes curled a superb free-kick into the bottom right-hand corner from 25 yards.
And Stokes made sure of the win four minutes from time when he tapped in his second from four yards out after great work from strike partner Hooper.
Source: AFP
