Celtic booked their place in the Scottish Cup final with a 6–2 victory over St Mirren, sparked by a late surge powered by super-sub Kelechi Iheanacho. The Nigeria international, making his first Scottish Cup appearance, came off the bench in the 83rd minute with Celtic leading by just one goal. St Mirren had fought back from 2–0 down at halftime, thanks to a brace from Mikael Mandron, forcing the tie into extra time. Celtic exploded in the opening minutes of extra time, scoring four goals in six minutes. Iheanacho opened the scoring in extra time in the 96th minute, rising to head home a James Forrest delivery. Luke McCowan made it 4–2 before Iheanacho struck again in the 101st minute, slotting home a composed finish. Benjamin Nygren added the sixth with a tap-in to complete the rout. The brace takes Iheanacho's goal tally to six in 18 appearances since joining from Sevilla in September. Daizen Maeda and Anthony Ralston had given Celtic a two-goal cushion before halftime.
Iheanacho's two goals in six minutes off the bench masked Celtic's earlier defensive fragility that allowed St Mirren to erase a two-goal deficit. The win exposes how narrow leads are still vulnerable under pressure, even against lower-table opposition. Iheanacho's impact offers hope for a deeper contribution in the final, having scored six goals in 18 appearances since his arrival. His performance stands as the only bright spot in a match that revealed more flaws than dominance.
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