Celtic seal ‘quadruple treble’ with Scottish Cup final victory

Celtic have won the Scottish Cup and completed a fourth consecutive domestic treble after beating Hearts on penalties at Hampden.

After being level at 2-2 after 90 minutes, and 3-3 after extra-time, the holders came out on top after the penalty shootout with Kristoffer Ajer hitting the decisive spot kick.

Celtic had taken an early 2-0 lead with goals from Ryan Christie and Odsonne Edouard but Liam Boyce and Stephen Kingsley brought Hearts back into contention.

Leigh Griffiths scored in extra time but Hearts substitute Josh Ginnelly brought his side level again to face penalties. But Celtic goalkeeper Conor Hazard saved two spot kicks to help his side win the shootout 4-3 and win the trophy.

Both sides had early opportunities to open the scoring but it was the holders who struck first with a 19^th minute goal worthy of the occasion.

Christie seized a loose ball, teed it up on the edge of the area and curled a precision strike into the far top corner past Craig Gordon.

Ten minutes later, Celtic doubled their lead, this time from the spot. A cross into the box hit Christophe Berra’s outstretched arm as he jumped for a header and referee John Beaton awarded the penalty.

Edouard coolly dinked the spot kick down the middle with Gordon diving to his right. The Hearts keeper showed his anger at the Frenchman’s decision to try the Panenka by throwing the ball at his opponent and picked up a booking.

Celtic continued to enjoy the majority of the play as Hearts were penned back for the remainder of the half but almost immediately after the restart they had a lifeline.

Andy Halliday crossed from the left and Boyce found space between Celtic’s Shane Duffy and Christopher Jullien to head down into the corner of the net.

The Edinburgh side looked energised by the goal and their resurgence brought an equaliser after 66 minutes. Substitute Josh Ginnelly’s corner wasn’t dealt with and when it bounced up beyond the back post Stephen Kingsley headed it in.

Christie blocked with his hand but goal-line technology showed that the ball had crossed the line and the goal was awarded.

Edouard and Ginnelly both had chances as the sides pushed for a winner but neither could conjure up a decisive goal before Beaton signalled the end of 90 minutes.

Griffiths came off the bench during the first period of extra time and as it drew to a close he struck.

Scott Brown bulleted in a header from a corner and Gordon saved but Griffiths pounced on the loose ball and rifled his shot high into the net.

Hearts still had answers. Having missed with two good opportunities, Ginnelly made no mistake with his third.

A free kick from the left to the back post was nodded back across and the attacker was on hand to knock it over the line.

Penalties were needed to separate the sides and decide the destination of the trophy.

Steven Naismith nailed the first for Hearts and Leigh Griffiths followed suit for Celtic. Michael Smith and Callum McGregor both scored. Olly Lee put Hearts ahead.

Christie hit a powerful penalty to Gordon’s right but the former Celtic goalkeeper dived to save.

Kingsley stepped up to press home the advantage and hit his penalty to the same side, only for Conor hazard to guess correctly and pull off a terrific save. Michael Johnston scored Celtic’s fourth.

Craig Wighton stepped up for hearts’ fifth and picked out the bottom corner but Hazard went the right way again and saved.

It all came down to Ajer and the Norwegian thumped in his penalty to extend Celtic’s record-breaking run.