Mark Atkinson and Graham Falk report from Hampden after Celtic took down St Johnstone.
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00:005-0 to Celtic here at Hamden Park against St Johnson. Mark, a very one-sided game.
00:06Yeah, once Celtic got in front, it was mission accomplished really for Brendan Rojas' men.
00:12It took 34 minutes for him to score the opening goal, but once the tap was turned on, it couldn't stop.
00:19St Johnson were drowned 4-0 down at that half-time and in the end it couldn't do anything.
00:23I think St Johnson was quite lucky that it was only 5-0 in Celtic procession into the 70-finals.
00:28We talked earlier in the week about how Celtic respond to defeat and obviously they won heavily last week in the league,
00:38but they had a point to prove against St Johnson. You beat them 1-0 in the last game.
00:42St Johnson actually started OK for 20 minutes, but there was always a feeling that if Celtic got won,
00:47then they were going to get as they did 5-0.
00:49Yeah, so they were going to start with that low block and I think Celtic just needed to be patient,
00:53which they were. They probed away. McGregor, Hatate, Engels trying to find runners through.
00:59It was actually a mistake from St Johnson that let Celtic in. It was a pure goal kick from Barry Douglas.
01:04Alistair Johnson intercepts it as St Johnson aren't set up properly and Celtic take advantage.
01:10Really good goal by Kyle McGregor.
01:11And you've got the feeling that once Celtic got in front, they really wanted to put us to bed quickly.
01:16The memory of what happened a fortnight ago in the German Park was fresh in memory, element of revenge.
01:21Element of a team that now wants to sprint through the finishing line.
01:25They've had their little blip, but that's how they want to see it.
01:27And now they want to go and get that treble.
01:29They can win the league officially next weekend.
01:32They can come back here against Aberdeen and get it all done.
01:34And once they got going, St Johnson were ragged and Celtic's pacing power far too much.
01:40I think actually there's a wonderful disappointment for Celtic.
01:43It is that they didn't actually score no goals.
01:45Yeah.
01:4567 minutes, they're five to luck.
01:47This could be anything.
01:49So in the end, yeah, it'll be, I'm sure by the end, he'll be delighted to get through and to score five goals.
01:56Desk over St Johnson.
01:57It's a horrible way to lose in a final.
02:00Yeah, you never want to come to the National Stadium and get absolutely film.
02:03But I think sometimes how good Celtic can be, we want to be.
02:07And there's plenty of players I could pick out here.
02:09But I feel like I do this every time I come to a Celtic game.
02:11Callum McGregor again.
02:13Yeah, Callum McGregor opened the scoring and was front and centre of everything that Celtic were doing well.
02:18I thought Rio Hattati didn't play the full game anymore.
02:21But actually, he was the one that probably started it all off.
02:25He was the one that was constantly looking for passes.
02:28I think he got three assists in this game in the first half.
02:32So really impressive performance by him.
02:35And it just showed how vital he is to often Celtic do.
02:38But I think what St Johnson didn't do well enough is he didn't actually get in the faces of McGregor and Hattati and Engels.
02:44They allowed him too much time on the ball.
02:46And that eventually showed.
02:48And I think, I'm trying to think back to an easier Celtic Scottish Cup semi-final that I can think of.
02:55And there isn't one quite frankly.
02:56This is a very straightforward exercise Celtic.
02:59It wasn't controversial because it wouldn't have mattered.
03:01But we were robbed a little bit of a goal of the season contender with St Johnson.
03:04But it was a foul, wasn't it?
03:05Poor Mackenzie Kirk.
03:06He had actually put it in his incumbent at half time.
03:09He almost scored with a lovely back heel.
03:10And then, what, 25 yards or anything?
03:12Yeah.
03:13I mean, this is a shot.
03:14You?
03:14No chance of saving it.
03:17But it was correctly ruled out because I think Ademida was clearly pushed by Daniels Belides.
03:21And VAR got involved again not long afterwards to deny Celtic a penalty.
03:25That one I think was a little bit more controversial.
03:27I think I was a penalty.
03:29Yeah, I thought so actually, yeah.
03:30Not that it mattered.
03:31An iota, other than potentially giving Celtic even greater scoring.
03:35Yeah.
03:35So, Aberdeen in the final.
03:36But a tougher test.
03:38I think Aberdeen probably deserved finalists yesterday as well.
03:41Yeah.
03:41I mean, Aberdeen have played really well in patches this season.
03:44They took a point off Celtic in the league.
03:47I think it was back in September, October time.
03:49They've definitely got more threat going forward against St Johnston.
03:53But my worry for Aberdeen, which it always is when I watch my in-school teams,
03:56they're too open at the back.
03:58And if you're playing Celtic for a treble, it's a really tough ask.
04:01I mean, they've got a poor record here against Celtic.
04:03They've had numerous painful defeats against Celtic,
04:07especially under Brendan Rodgers.
04:09Too recently as well, 5-1 and 6-0.
04:116-0, obviously.
04:12They've been in the sports semi-final earlier in the season.
04:15So, Jimmy Toglino have to find a way of halting this juggernaut.
04:19I think Celtic have shown at times this season that they can be fallible.
04:24But I worry that when it really comes down to it for Aberdeen,
04:27it's going to be so cheap of people to ask.
04:28But look, a good cup final, nonetheless, I would say you could argue
04:32that it's the two best teams in the country this season.
04:35I know Rangers are sitting second only for Aberdeen at the start of the season.
04:38They were so strong.
04:39And that might actually...
04:40You could always argue it's a fitting final,
04:43given what we've seen in the Scottish football this season.
04:45But right now, if you put it tomorrow,
04:47for me it is Celtic, I don't know.
04:49They just feel unstoppable.
04:49But, you know, fingers crossed, I have a bit of a closer game at the final mark.
04:53I think you will.
04:54Yes, I think you will.
04:55I think you will.