Sport

Lennon welcomes easy win and olive branch from SFA

SCOTTISH FA CUP SEMI-FINAL: SCOTTISH FA CUP SEMI-FINAL: Aberdeen 0 Celtic 4: AFTER CELTIC manager Neil Lennon had watched his…

EWAN MURRAY at Hampden Park
Mon Apr 18 2011 - 01:00

SCOTTISH FA CUP SEMI-FINAL:SCOTTISH FA CUP SEMI-FINAL: Aberdeen 0 Celtic 4: AFTER CELTIC manager Neil Lennon had watched his side ease into the final, he welcomed an unexpected olive branch offered by the president of the Scottish Football Association (SFA).

Lennon and Celtic have been engaged in what has seemed like open warfare with the SFA this season, but president George Peat, who previously described Celtic as “tiresome”, used his semi-final programme notes to support Lennon.

The manager has been exposed to security threats recently and Peat said: “I admire Neil’s courage in handling the abhorrent and contemptible behaviour to which he has been subjected and put on record my condemnation of such cowardly acts. Much has been made of the supposed ‘SFA v Celtic war’ in the media but the reality is somewhat different.”

Lennon said: “I haven’t read it yet but I welcome those words. That’s very nice of him.”

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Aberdeen will be glad to see the back of Celtic. Five meetings this season have resulted in an aggregate win of 21-1. Aberdeen have also had three players dismissed and their quest for a final place was doomed after 18 minutes when Andy Considine was sent off for tripping Gary Hooper.

Anthony Stokes had his penalty saved and Celtic did not break the deadlock until four minutes after the interval. Charlie Mulgrew deceived goalkeeper Jamie Langfield with a free-kick – intended as a cross – for the opening goal.

Joe Ledley doubled Celtic’s advantage with a calm finish from Stokes’ cutback.

Moments earlier Aberdeen had a goal disallowed for offside.

Kris Commons successfully reverted to penalty duty for Celtic’s second spotkick. Substitute Shaun Maloney then rounded off the scoring from close range after neat build-up play from Scott Brown and Mark Wilson.

Guardian Service

ABERDEEN:Langfield, Young (Vujadinovic 65), Diamond, Considine, Smith, Magennis (Blackman 61), Jack, Milsom, Aluko, Maguire, Vernon (Paton 78). Subs not used: Howard, Robertson. Booked: Milsom, Diamond.

CELTIC:Forster, Wilson, Rogne, Mulgrew, Izaguirre, Brown, Kayal (McCourt 61), Ledley (Maloney 69), Commons, Hooper (Majstorovic 79), Stokes. Subs not used: Zaluska, Forrest.

Referee:William Collum (Scotland).

Sent off:Considine 18

Attendance:30,381