SCOTTISH CUP/Semi-finals: First division Ayr United were back at Hampden Park on Saturday for the second time in less than a week following their 4-0 defeat by Rangers in the CIS Insurance Cup final.
This time it was against champions Celtic, who barred their way into the final of the Scottish Cup.
Few pundits were predicting anything bar another defeat, but Ayr manager Gordon Dalziel was able to name a stronger team following the return of strikers Scott Crabbe and Eddie Annand.
Crabbe had been cup-tied and Annand suspended last week, with the former starting today in place of Brian McLaughlin and the latter beginning on the bench.
As for Celtic, they had warmed up on Tuesday night with an awesome 4-0 win at Motherwell to move to the brink of a second successive title under Martin O'Neill.
Midfielder Neil Lennon and centre back Bobo Balde had missed that match through injury, but both were back, with Lubo Moravcik and Tom Boyd dropping down to the bench.
Steve Guppy kept his place on the left ahead of Alan Thompson, who was available again after suspension.
Goals from Henrik Larsson and a late double from Alan Thompson ended the first division club's challenge and guided Celtic to their second Scottish Cup final in a row.
Manager Martin O'Neill expects to know within the next month how much money he will have to spend next season.
The Parkhead boss brought John Hartson, Momo Sylla, Balde and Guppy to the east end of Glasgow for the current campaign - spending just £8.2 million to add to his treble-winning squad.
But he has admitted he already has two players in mind to help boost their European campaign next season.
Yesterday, a goal in each half from Rangers midfielder Christian Nerlinger plus a clincher from captain Barry Ferguson killed off Partick's giant-killing hopes and confirmed the booking of another Old Firm final.
The game was no great spectacle and Partick, as Ayr had before them, found that endeavour in front of a partisan backing and on a rutted Hampden pitch was not enough on the day.
Rangers manager Alex McLeish was once again without some of his more high-profile players, with Ronald de Boer, Shota Arveladze, Bert Konterman, Craig Moore and Arthur Numan all missing.
Rib injury victim Ferguson took another pain-killing injection to play, but, nonetheless, the starting line-up was a surprising one.
McLeish had given fringe players the chance to impress in midweek and the quality of the 5-0 demolition of Kilmarnock meant some were simply undroppable.
So showboater extraordinaire Andrei Kanchelskis, hat-trick hero Neil McCann and centre back Bob Malcolm all kept their places.
