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Celtic, Aberdeen, and Hibernian Advance in Scottish Cup

Celtic kicked off their Scottish Gas Scottish Cup title defense with a hard-fought 2-1 victory against Kilmarnock at Parkhead. The match began with a setback for Kilmarnock as goalkeeper Robby McCrorie suffered an injury just moments into the game, necessitating his substitution by Kieran O’Hara. Celtic took advantage of the situation, with skipper Callum McGregor launching a powerful strike from outside the box in the 12th minute to give his team the lead.

Despite several opportunities to extend their advantage, Celtic found themselves on the back foot when Kilmarnock struck back in stoppage time of the first half. Teenage forward Bobby Wales leveled the score with a close-range finish, surprising the Celtic defense. The second half saw Celtic intensifying their efforts, culminating in a goal from Daizen Maeda in the 70th minute. In a tense conclusion, Kilmarnock kept pressing, ensuring the match remained competitive until the final whistle.

Aberdeen marked a turning point in their season by putting an end to a lengthy winless streak, progressing to the fifth round with a decisive victory over League Two team Elgin, who were reduced to ten players after Lyall Booth’s red card in the 75th minute. After a shaky start, Aberdeen’s Shayden Morris scored the opening goal with a low shot, followed by two second-half goals from Duk, securing a comfortable win.

Hibernian also advanced to the next round, securing a 3-0 win against Clydebank. Australian international Martin Boyle, who has been in stellar form with double goals in three consecutive matches, opened the scoring in just two minutes. Hibernian faced a determined Clydebank defense, having to wait until the start of the second half to increase their lead with a goal from Rudi Molotnikov, followed by Boyle’s second goal. The match was particularly uplifting for fans as Kieron Bowie returned from injury, making his first appearance since September.

In a surprising turn of events, Andrew Shinnie netted a late goal for Livingston, knocking out Ross County in the 119th minute—an outcome that marked a significant upset and continued County’s disappointing streak in the tournament, having not won since 2019.

Toyosi Olusanya’s early brace propelled St Mirren to a 3-1 victory at Queen of the South. After taking a commanding lead with goals in the 10th and 21st minutes, St Mirren faced some pressure when Brennan Dickenson scored for the hosts in the 75th minute. However, they ultimately sealed their place in the last 16 with a stoppage-time goal from Caolan Boyd-Munce.

St Johnstone delivered a much-needed victory by defeating Motherwell 1-0, thanks to an early strike from Makenzie Kirk. This goal, which came just nine minutes into the match, marked a long-awaited success for St Johnstone in the Scottish Cup, as they had faced several disappointing exits in recent years. The win not only advances them to the fifth round but also alleviates some pressure in the league, giving the team renewed hope as they confront Motherwell again next week.

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