Celtic midfielder James Forrest scored an absolute cracker in the Hoops 2-0 win over Hibernian on Saturday.
Goals from Forrest and Scott Brown put the Hoops into the semi-finals as they remain on course to compete for a historic triple treble.
James Forrest 🍀
That is magic! 😍
WOW#ScottishCup pic.twitter.com/PZMdP0AyWz
— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) March 2, 2019
The win marked Neil Lennon’s second win in charge since his return and the former Celtic midfielder insisted that the club is in a solid place in the wake of Brendan Rodgers’ departure to Leicester City earlier this week.
“I’ve come in where the team’s been going well, so it’s different circumstances,” Lennon told the club’s website, “and you don’t want to disrupt that so, as much as possible, it’s to keep the flow and the atmosphere the same.
“It’s been emotional for the players, really emotional. It’s been difficult for them. Brendan’s here one day and then he’s gone the next, and it’s a huge void because he’s a mentor to them, he’s a voice for them and for some of the younger ones, almost a father-figure, and when you lose that, there is a loss – there’s no question about that. So it’s my job to try and fill it the best I can and keep them going.
“There are no grey areas – we got off to a great start. We got the high and there’s nothing like it. I forgot how good that felt, but you just have to keep it on an even keel because it can all turn around very quickly.
“I’m well aware of that, so I enjoyed Wednesday. I was back in on Thursday ready to go again, and it’s a fantastic opportunity for me personally. You don’t have time to think about it, so you react instinctively and spontaneously. Sometimes I work better that way anyway.
“The manner of the win over Hearts was fantastic because they kept going and it was a massive win against a really tough opponent away from home.
“It’s one of the toughest grounds in Scotland to go and get a result so, psychologically, it’s brilliant but these guys create a lot of good moments throughout seasons and have done over the past few years. It’s not easy winning games, so we’ve ticked that one off and they’re ready to go again.
“The organisation here has just evolved so well over the past four-and-a-half years since I’ve been away, so there are some great tools for me to use that I didn’t have before, and the support staff are excellent, first-class. That’s the foundation Brendan’s built here, and it’s a learning curve for me in that aspect too.
“The technology for analysis, the redevelopment of the training ground and the pitches. It’s all gone forward and it’s an excellent facility.
“From our point of view, we’ve only got a debt of gratitude for what Brendan’s achieved here. He’s left an unbelievable legacy, and he’s one of the greatest managers the club has ever had, but we move on now. I understand the frustrations and things can be said in the heat of the moment, but in time I think they’ll look back on Brendan’s period as remarkable really.”
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