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By JOHN MCGARRY Published: 05: 46 AEDT, 9 March 2026 | Updated: 06: 10 AEDT, 9 March 2026 View comments Martin O'Neill hailed his depleted side for producing a defensive masterclass which saw them advance to the semi-final of the Scottish Cup. With skipper Callum Mc Gregor and Kieran Tierney absent through injury, Celtic were second best across 120 minutes yet dug deep to prevent Rangers from scoring. Forced to take penalties at Rangers’ end of the stadium, O’Neill watched Tomas Cvancara put his side through by converting their fourth following two misses from the home side. Asked to sum up the rearguard action, he said: ‘It was really, really strong. I don’t want to delve into the past, but I’ve come here with really, really strong defences before. ‘But the number of blocks that we got in, the number of last-ditch challenges that we made in the game, just to stay in the tie, it was really amazing. ’ O’Neill felt the achievement was even more commendable due to losing two of his key men in advance. Celtic boss Martin O'Neill was delighted with his team's rearguard action in the victory at Ibrox Keeper Viljami Sinisalo was singled out for praise after Celtic's Scottish Cup quarter-final win ‘That shouldn’t be overlooked, ’ he said. ‘Callum was feeling it in Aberdeen. I think the medical team were saying it’s something that was here last year that’s maybe come back. ‘So, the best thing to do was just to take him out of it. Kieran was certainly not right to start in the game. He might have been able to have come on, I think, but I thought, well, who knows what might happen during the course of it? ‘He might have been forced to go on after five minutes in the match and then he wouldn’t have lasted. So, for us to miss two big players like that and still come through, it was brilliant. ’ Effusive in his praise for goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo, O’Neill said: ‘He did really well for us. I just asked him, could he command the six-yard box? 'And he did that wonderfully well. And, when it looked as if he might have been beaten, somebody else got the block on for him. So, I was really delighted with him. ’ Celtic didn’t manage a single shot on target in 120 minutes but showed calm nerves to convert four perfect penalties at the Rangers end through Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Auston Trusty, Reo Hatate and Cvancara. ‘I must admit they took them brilliantly, ’ said O’Neill. ‘They were obviously under a lot of pressure to do it. Celtic defender Auston Trusty celebrates after scoring in the penalty shootout with Rangers ‘You can take penalties (in training), which we did, but you just don’t know what it’s like until you step up and take them. It was pleasing to see how well they did it. ’ Celtic have now won three and drawn once from four straight away games, with O’Neill hoping the results can spur them on for the rest of the season. ‘I think any victory at Ibrox is big news for us, ’ he said. ‘From that viewpoint, it was great to win and we’re into the semi-final of the cup. There’s still a million miles to go, both that and in the league, but that should give the players an enormous boost. ‘I went to Dundee yesterday with Shaun Maloney and Mark Fotheringham to watch the game. So, we’ve got Motherwell next, which will not be easy for us. ‘The boys have a couple of days off now, which they deserve for their efforts. ‘And I think we’re back on Wednesday morning, so it gives us a little run-through until Saturday. ’
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