Joe Hart on what Celtic are desperate to rectify before the end of the season

Celtic goalkeeper Joe Hart became the hero against Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup semi-final yesterday following a dramatic Hampden classic.

The Bhoys couldn’t stave off the Dons in normal or extra time, with goals from Nicolas Kuhn, James Forrest and Matt O’Riley matched by Bojan Miovski, Ester Solker, and Angus MacDonald, leading to a penalty shootout that was as captivating as the Game itself.

Adam Idah, Luis Palma, O’Riley, Paulo Bernardo, Alistair Johnston and Tomoki Iwata all slotted home in style; however, Hart was given the chance to send Celtic through to the final of the comPetition with the fifth spot-kick, though he saw his effort rebound off the post.

Nevertheless, the former England international wasn’t to be denied a fairytale ending, as he saved from Killian Phillips to ensure his side emerged victorious, sparking jubilation among a large Hoops support who got their money’s worth, it is fair to say.

Truthfully, it doesn’t matter how you progress in Scottish Cup football, and Celtic fans will ride the crest of positivity for a few days yet before dissecting some of the defensive frailties shown throughout proceedings.

We now know that Hart’s final match in professional Football will be against one of Heart of Midlothian or Rangers on May 25th, with the clash kicking off at 3 pm today in the other semi-final.

Joe Hart on what Celtic are keen to rectify this season

Earlier on in the campaign, Celtic were knocked out in the Scottish League Cup away to Kilmarnock at Rugby Park; meanwhile, Brendan Rodgers’ men finished bottom of their Champions League group with four points from six games against Feyenoord, Atletico Madrid and Lazio.

Speaking after yesterday’s events, Hart has indicated his side are keen to atone for being knocked out of both cup competitions by doing everything they can to complete a domestic double in the Scottish Premiership and Scottish Cup.

He stated [Daily Record]: “No doubt it’s on course for an exciting finale, but there’s nothing done yet. They’re exciting times ahead. All season, I’ve just wanted to be a part of everything and put myself forward.

“It was disappointing that we went out early in the League Cup, but other than that, we’ve stayed in there in the other comPetitions, barring the Champions League. We’re going to go right to the wire in the league and then we have a date at the end of the season in the final.

“We’re in a good spot, we have a strong squad and we just need to keep our focus. We have a good training week coming up, and we just need to look forward to Dundee.”

Six matches stand between Celtic and domestic double glory

Five post-split fixtures complement the Scottish Cup final on May 25th in a crucial period for Celtic, who know they can lift two pieces of silverware to end a rollercoaster campaign under Rodgers.

Granted, there will be one or two worries about the nature of goals we conceded to Aberdeen yesterday, though we now have a full week of training ahead to weed out underlying issues ahead of the trip to Dundee one week today.

Celtic will take further momentum from yesterday’s eventual outcome, which has given the reigning Scottish Premiership champions a fighting chance of securing two trophies this term.

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