ladies gear up for battle of the greens

Paul Cuddihy
‘WHEN the Celts go up to lift the Scottish Cup…’ is a refrain more normally heard at Hampden and associated with the Celtic first-team and great cup triumphs of the past.

But it’s a song that could be reverberating round the stands at McDiarmid Park this Saturday as the Celtic Ladies bid to lift their first ever trophy.

Less than a year after their inception, the Ladies team are just 90 minutes away from winning the Scottish Cup. Only Hibernian stand between them and a fairytale ending to their inaugural season, though given the fact the Edinburgh side are the cup holders, it will be no easy task for the Hoops.

However, confidence is high in the Celtic camp, boosted in no small part by the knowledge that they were the first team in over two years to beat Hibs when they won 2-0 at Barrowfield at the end of last year.

By coincidence, the sides also meet tonight (Wednesday) in a league match that will be a precursor to the main event in Perth on Saturday.

Celtic Ladies Head Coach Brian Delaney is naturally delighted at the prospect of the cup final and believes it’s a reward for the endeavours of the team throughout the season.

“First and foremost, I’m really proud of the players,” he told the View. “I’m delighted for them and for the staff as well because a lot of hard work has gone into it from everyone.

“For the Celtic Ladies to get to the cup final is a fantastic achievement and I’m sure every minute of every day all the players are thinking about.

“It’s been a colossal effort to get there and it’s a huge day in the ladies’ football calendar. It’s referred to as the ‘National Day’, and it’s a big, showcase day.

“In terms of reaching the Scottish Cup final, it’s something we thoroughly deserve. On the way we beat some really good teams, including Glasgow City who are currently top of the league. They’re a good and well-established side, so it was a fantastic scalp to knock them out.”

As for the Scottish Cup final against Hibernian at McDiarmid Park this Saturday, May 11, it’s gearing up to be a tight, close-run game.

However, the memory of that victory over Hibs last year along with, hopefully, another good result tonight, will be invoked in the dressing room ahead of the season’s finale.

“When we beat Hibs last year, it was down to good, old-fashioned hard work, a desire and a belief among the players,” Delaney said.

“It was certainly a pivotal moments of the season. We showed we could compete with Hibs, we could match their desire and we would stand up and be counted on the day and it was a fantastic achievement in itself which gave the players a real belief in their own abilities.

“The players are fit, they’re confident, they’ve got ability and as long as we can handle the occasion we’ll do fine.”

The Unite Scottish Cup final between Celtic and Hibernian is at McDiarmid Park, Perth this Saturday, May 11 (kick-off 3.15pm). The National Day event at the stadium kicks off at 11am with an Under-15 girls’ international match between Scotland and Holland. Entry to the event is FREE.