Celtic booked their place in the Scottish Cup final after a dramatic and chaotic 6–2 victory over St Mirren, but the result has been overshadowed by controversy after former Scotland international Craig McLeish publicly questioned the officiating and urged the Scottish Football Association to investigate what he described as a “strange and questionable” performance from the match referee.
The semi-final began in explosive fashion as Daizen Maeda fired Celtic F.C. ahead after just one minute, stunning St Mirren F.C. and setting the tone for a frantic encounter. Celtic maintained pressure throughout the first half and doubled their advantage in stoppage time when defender Anthony Ralston struck in the 45+4th minute to make it 2–0 at the break.
St Mirren attempted a comeback early in the second half when Mikael Mandron pulled one back in the 53rd minute, giving their supporters hope of turning the tie around. The match, however, spiraled into a dramatic extra-time battle after Mandron struck again deep into stoppage time at 90+1 to level the score and force the game beyond regulation.
Extra time produced a goal frenzy. Kelechi Iheanacho restored Celtic’s lead in the 96th minute before Luke McCowan added another two minutes later. Celtic’s dominance continued as Benjamin Nygren made it five in the 102nd minute, while Iheanacho grabbed his second of the night in the 100th minute during the chaotic extra-time spell to complete the 6–2 rout.
Despite the emphatic scoreline, much of the post-match conversation centered on officiating decisions that left St Mirren supporters furious. Fans repeatedly claimed the referee showed bias throughout the match, accusing him of influencing key moments that shifted momentum in Celtic’s favor. Social media quickly filled with allegations that the official was effectively acting as “Celtic’s personal referee.”
McLeish added fuel to the controversy shortly after the final whistle. Speaking during a post-match analysis, he openly questioned the referee’s neutrality and even suggested his conduct warranted investigation.
“He is a Celtic fan — check his shirt,” McLeish said sarcastically while criticizing several decisions during the game. “I’m not saying anything has been proven, but the Scottish Football Association needs to look into this properly. Matches of this magnitude cannot be surrounded by these kinds of doubts.”
His remarks quickly spread across Scottish football circles, with many St Mirren fans echoing the same claim that the referee’s decisions heavily favored Celtic throughout the contest.
For Celtic, however, the focus remains on reaching another Scottish Cup final after producing one of the tournament’s most chaotic semi-finals in recent memory. Yet with accusations of bias now circulating and calls for an official review growing louder, the aftermath of the match may prove almost as dramatic as the seven-goal spectacle on the pitch.