Celtic Edge Through In Scottish Cup As O'Neill Reflects On Performance Against Auchinleck Talbot

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Celtic moved into the Scottish Cup last 16 with a 2-0 win over sixth-tier Auchinleck Talbot at Rugby Park, but Martin O'Neill admitted the display lacked control, as the rotated side needed late assurance despite dominating the ball for long spells against disciplined part-time opponents.

Interim boss O'Neill was frank about the performance after the full-time whistle, stressing that the result mattered most but also underlining that he expected more from a squad showing 10 changes from the midweek victory at Falkirk, with Celtic struggling to turn possession into clear chances.

"It was unconvincing in the sense that, while the most important thing was winning, it took a long time for us to put the game to bed, interim boss O'Neill told Premier Sports. We had loads of possession, but we were unable to break them down. Tonight, it would have been nice to put on a great performance. I was very concerned about the gamebut that's how I've spent the last 30 years. We should have played much better. I'm not so sure that I learned much more than I knew before. Winning builds momentum more than anything else. Tonight, I wasn't wildly surprised about the way the game went. After half an hour, we're thinking we have to break this team down. We're starting to think about plan B. We didn't play with phenomenal panache, but we won the game, and we'll move on."

Celtic finally moved ahead on 34 minutes, when Johnny Kenny struck the opener after pressure on the Talbot defence. Kenny later thought a second goal would follow, only for an offside flag to cut short the celebrations and keep Auchinleck Talbot in the contest heading into the closing stages.

Sebastian Tounekti then removed any late anxiety three minutes from the end, cutting inside before sending a precise curling shot beyond the Auchinleck Talbot goalkeeper. That strike confirmed Celtic's progress, ensuring the Scottish Cup holders avoided an upset against opponents from the West of Scotland League Premier Division.

O'Neill and Celtic had started the evening with a much-changed line-up, which handed opportunities to several squad players, yet the lack of fluency against organised lower-league opposition will give coaching staff talking points before the next Scottish Cup test, even as this result preserves momentum in domestic knockout competition.

The Scottish Cup tie ends with Celtic safely through and Auchinleck Talbot beaten but respected for defensive effort, while O'Neill leaves Rugby Park satisfied with the outcome yet clear that performance levels must rise, especially once stronger opposition arrives in later rounds and league fixtures.