Neil Lennon has reacted after leading Dunfermline to the Scottish Cup final.
After an attritional goalless draw in which they had most of the opportunities, the Pars won a dramatic shootout to their first Scottish Cup final since 2007.
They have played three Hampden finals in the 21st century, losing all of them to Celtic. Will the trend continue in May?
Lennon has reacted to reaching the final hurdle in what is now a historic run.
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Celtic legend Neil Lennon says he thought of his father after Dunfermline win
Lennon said on to Steven Thomson on BBC Scotland: “Thanks very much, Steven. You know, it’s up there with any [of my achievements]. It’s amazing.
“I thought the game was attritional. There was a lot of nerves out there, but we had the better chances, and Cal [Morrison] had a great chance early on…”
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Asked about his emotions when the winning penalty was taken, he said: “You have no idea what I was going through. I was thinking of my father.
“You know I’ve lost him, so… just thinking of him. So it was magic.”
“I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself, because the one thing about this lot is that they can fall off a cliff very quickly, because they’re young and inconsistent.
“But they’re talented, and when they put it together, they’re a match for anybody.
“We’ll look forward to the semi-final tomorrow, see what that brings. It’s so exciting. And you’re all involved with big clubs, and you know that at this stage of the season, every game’s a huge game.
“You don’t have to do much with them now, Steven. Just rest, recover and play. But what this will do for them, and what it will do for the city…
“Right now, I’m lost for words, mate.”
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It’s Lennon’s eighth Scottish Cup final across his career as both a player and a manager – he has won all of his previous seven.
Should the Hoops secure victory in their own semi-final against St Mirren tomorrow, he will face Martin O’Neill, the man with whom he had such a special connection as a player.
He has often cited O’Neill as his biggest influence as a manager.
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