Scottish Youth Cup
Wednesday, April 3, 2023
Hampden Park

CELTIC... 6
(Frame 25, Thomson 27, Kelly 35, Grant own goal 60, Cummings 96, Dobbie 112)

RANGERS... 5
(Roberts 19 & 33, Stevens 44, Curtis 52pen, Pasnik 120+1)

After extra-time

Celtic Under-18s lifted the Scottish Youth Cup for the first time since 2017, defeating Glasgow rivals Rangers 6-5 after extra-time in an incredible 11-goal thriller at Hampden.

As is the case with any derby match-up, the match got off to a frantic start, with both sides looking to impose themselves on the game, and that would set the tone for the whole of this wonderful Scottish Youth Cup final.

Unfortunately for the Hoops, it didn’t get off to the ideal start, with Rangers taking the lead just short of the 20-minute mark.

However, the Bhoys responded in fantastic fashion, turning the scoreline on its head within the next 10 minutes.

Mitchel Frame was on hand to level the game up, producing a great finish after an excellent through ball from Daniel Cummings set up the wide player.

Just two minutes later, Celtic took the lead as Corey Thomson made his impact on the match felt. Picking up the ball inside the area, the midfielder chopped inside his marker with a wonderful piece of school, before smashing the ball into the bottom corner.

The thrilling action continued as Rangers pulled another goal back to make the score 2-2, but the Celts once again responded by taking the lead as Daniel Kelly was quickest to react to the ball after the Rangers goalkeeper could only palm it into a dangerous area.

With the half-time whistle approaching, the action appeared to have calmed down after a busy opening 45 minutes of the match.

However, just one minute before the break, the Ibrox side equalised again, making the scoreline 3-3 at half time.

And while the second-half wouldn’t have as many goals as the first, there was still plenty of action in both sides’ penalty areas.

Just as they had done in the first half, Rangers struck first, taking the lead for a second time as Findlay Curtis scored from the penalty spot.

The Celts went straight on the front foot as they aimed to grab another equaliser. It looked mostly likely to come via Frame, who had been causing the Rangers defence all sorts of trouble in wide areas.

And that exact route was Celtic’s way back into the game, as the winger played a dangerous low ball into the box, which was turned home by an opposition defender.

Both teams continued to play at a frantic pace for the rest of the game, but there was to be no further scoring in the half, although just before the full-time whistle at the end of the 90 minutes, Rangers were reduced to 10 men after Zac Lovelace received a second yellow card for simulation.

The Youth Cup final headed into extra-time with the Scottish Youth Cup up for grabs, and it was Celtic who took the lead, scoring early through Daniel Cummings. A wonderful delivery into the box saw the striker expertly dispatched the ball into the back of the net.

Heading into the second half of extra-time, the Celts looked to have wrapped up their victory scoring a sixth goal through substitute Lewis Dobbie, who produced a sublime back-heel finish past Jacob Pazikas in the Rangers goal.

However, there would be time for one more Rangers goal as Tyler Pasnik scored in added time at the end of extra-time, but it wasn’t enough and Celtic would held on to win 6-5 and secure their 16th Scottish Youth Cup trophy with one of the most memorable finals in the competition's history.

CELTIC: Meikle (Gill 46), Dede (Luyeye 78, Mackenzie, Agbaire, Robertson, Ure, Hatton (Dobbie 70), Kelly, Cummings (Turley 108), Thomson (Haddow 86), Frame (Bonnar 86).
Subs: Davidson

Celtic triumph in 11-goal thriller at Hampden to lift Scottish Youth Cup