Scott Brown hails 'professional' display as Celtic reach Scottish Cup final
Scott Brown applauded a "professional performance" as Celtic set up a William Hill Scottish Cup final clash with Aberdeen following a 2-0 semi-final victory over Rangers at Hampden Park.
Last updated 23rd Apr 2017
Celtic took the lead after 11 minutes when Moussa Dembele picked up a long ball forward just inside the 18-yard box and cut it back for Callum McGregor, who fired past a wrong-footed Wes Foderingham from the edge of the area.
James Tavernier conceded a penalty for bringing Leigh Griffiths down in the box and Scott Sinclair stepped up to successfully convert a powerful spot-kick past the diving goalkeeper, who got a touch on it but could not keep the ball out.
Celtic captain Brown told Sky Sports 2: "It was a very professional performance. We knew if we turned up then we would win the game and we've done that on the day.
"I think in the first half we kept the ball and gave them no chances. We could have scored two or three but, I've got to be honest, the fans and the players gave everything today and we deserve to be in the final.
"We know when we turn up that our game is unbelievable. The gaffer's (Brendan Rodgers) taken us to another level and the lads have all responded really well to that."
Celtic are still on target to win the treble for the first time since 2001 and Brown admitted every game now is going to be difficult.
He said: "We need to turn up every game. Our fans expect us to put on a show for them and we've done that again today.
"We've got six games left now and we need to make sure we turn up for every single one of them."
Aberdeen defeated Hibernian 3-2 to reach the final on Saturday and Brown knows it will be a tough tie on May 27.
He added: "Aberdeen are a great team and showed how well they can play yesterday, but we're a great team as well and there's a long way to go to the final.
"We play five games before that, but we'll take every game as it comes."
"I thought our football idea was very, very good. To come into a pressure game, Celtic (versus) Rangers is always a huge-pressure game but that level of composure and calmness was very, very good so I was very pleased."
Dembele went off injured to be replaced by Griffiths 10 minutes before the break and Rodgers confirmed the club would await the results from a scan to discover the extent of the problem.
He said: "That is a disappointment. We'll assess that once he's had his scan but it looks like he's done his hamstring."
On his side's treble hopes, Rodgers added: "There's an expectancy every time you play for Celtic. Not just in a cup final or here today.
"Thankfully these players have really, really stood up to that and showed great mentality and also great footballing qualities.
"So I'm pleased with how we're developing and we want to finish this season as strongly as we can."
Kenny Miller forced Craig Gordon into a full-stretch save to keep out his header just after the hour mark and fired onto the roof of the net midway through the second half and straight at the foot of the Hoops stopper after 79 minutes as Rangers tried to claw their way back into the tie, to no avail.
Gers boss Pedro Caixinha was disappointed his side were knocked out of the competition at the last-four stage but believes their opponents deserved to go through.
He said: "I think it was a flat performance for us in the second half - especially in the first half, we could not stop Celtic.
"Not that they arrived down there (at our goal) with too many clear chances but especially because they control and manage all the game in the way they want it.
"In the second half, the key (point) from the game is that we conceded so early. Unfortunately the penalty changed everything.
"We kept trying to look for it (a goal) because at 2-0 the result, if you score you can get a gain on the game (but) we could not and I think they deserved to win."