Martin O’Neill’s Celtic scored four goals in extra time to overcome St Mirren 6-2 at Hampden and reach the Scottish Cup final against Dunfermline

St Mirren were forced to put their faith in a teenage goalkeeper who had only just got his driving licence.

However, it was Celtic who successfully manoeuvred their way back to Hampden.

Martin O’Neill is set for a Scottish Cup Final clash – facing his old protégé Neil Lennon’s Dunfermline.

The final 6-2 scoreline shouldn’t deceive you – this match was far from simple.

The comprehensive victory felt unjust on the brave Buddies, who battled back from being two goals behind to push the game into extra time before ultimately being defeated, the Daily Record reports, reports the Irish Mirror.

Celtic appeared exhausted at that stage but surged forward with an extraordinary spell at the start of extra time that decided the outcome.

Craig McLeish’s team suffered major setbacks. Stand-in goalkeeper Ryan Mullen gifted Celtic an early advantage within 55 seconds before limping off with an injury, bringing on 17-year-old Grant Tamosevicius – who had only recently acquired his driving licence.

The youngster performed admirably under immense pressure but his side agonisingly fell apart after staging a valiant fightback at the National Stadium.

Celtic looked comfortable when Tony Ralston struck a powerful second goal, but Mikel Mandron pulled one back before levelling matters in stoppage time.

Saints had momentum while the Bhoys were faltering. Nevertheless, the Hoops found another gear with replacement Kelechi Iheanacho scoring a brace, while Luke McCowan and Benjamin Nygren also found the net in a superb extra time display to keep O’Neill’s quest for more trophies alive.

It was devastating for a Saints side whose game plan fell apart in just 60 seconds after Mullen’s disastrous mistake.

The substitute keeper should have been aware of Maeda’s positioning and dealt with the ball more assertively.

Yet the Japanese forward’s tireless harrying exposed him, with Mullen left fishing the ball out of his own goal.

Celtic endured some nervy passages of play – but Ralston connected with Yang’s clever back heel and crashed a stunning strike in off the woodwork with the last kick of the first half.

Saints were hurt but returned with fresh determination after the break to deservedly reduce the deficit on 53 minutes when Mandron muscled past Kieran Tierney to thump his header into the bottom corner.

The Paisley side kept up their pressure and eventually drew level as the clock hit 90 minutes, with Mandron latching onto Jake Young’s touch to blast past Sinisalo.

Celtic were becoming rattled – but the tie took yet another remarkable turn in extra time with a succession of goals.

Iheanacho put them back in front when he expertly steered home James Forrest’s cracking cross, and moments later McCowan remained calm to tuck away the fourth.

The Nigerian striker superbly dispatched the fifth with his left boot at the near post before Nygren coolly slotted a sixth to finally enable Celtic to cruise through to victory.

Here are five talking points from a Hampden thriller:

FAIRYTALE FINAL

Things haven’t quite gone to plan for O’Neill during his remarkable return this season, but a Hampden final in May seems a fitting way to sign off.

The Northern Irishman is still in the hunt for the league title, although the Scottish Cup looks like the best chance of lifting silverware this term.

The added intrigue of taking on his former protégé Neil Lennon’s Dunfermline outfit only adds to the theatre of what has already been an astonishingly unpredictable season.

TOMBOLA TRUMPS

O’Neill will have plenty of time to ponder his Final starting eleven – although anticipating it remains nearly impossible.

Record Sport’s Chris Sutton called it the tombola, and yet again the Hoops’ boss’s team selection was filled with surprising picks.

Tomas Cvancara was left out completely, Sebastian Tounetki made an unexpected comeback while Arne Engels was brought back into the first team.

The strategy worked in spells – although ultimately not enough.

Celtic looked exposed, sloppy in possession and lacking real cohesion or control.

Iheanacho’s arrival changed the game, but with the forward unable to last 90 minutes, the tombola will keep on turning.

HAPPY DAIZ

Celtic’s opening goal was perhaps the most characteristic Daizen Maeda strike you could imagine. The early effort brought an end to a barren run of 17 games without scoring, and while Maeda was prolific last season, his form in front of goal has been poor this time around and he continued to struggle.

Iheanacho showed the difference a composed finisher makes, and O’Neill will be hoping Maeda’s goal can kickstart his goalscoring form.

KID’S A KEEPER

The loss of Shamal George in goal was already a blow – but it turned out to be just the start of Saints’ goalkeeping nightmare.

Replacement Ryan Mullen suffered a torrid 14-minute period, shipping a goal to Celtic inside 60 seconds before picking up a thigh injury moments later.

The ex-Hoops academy player tried to carry on but was eventually forced off, meaning teenage goalkeeper Grant Tamosevicius was thrust into action.

The youngster responded superbly with a number of fine saves and looked far more comfortable with the ball at his feet than either of the other two keepers on show.

The Buddies didn’t allow the goalkeeping mayhem to knock them off course and Tamosevicius acquitted himself well and didn’t deserve to ship six goals.

SAINTS IN A SCRAP

The dream cup double might be beyond Saints but there’s still much to fight for this season.

Lifting the League Cup back in December will live long in the memory, but the Buddies are intent on ensuring the campaign’s successes aren’t undermined by becoming caught up in a fight against the drop.

Judging by their latest displays, there should be little cause for concern. Form has genuinely picked up in recent weeks, and while the back-to-back defeat to Celtic was harsh, particularly given the severity of this scoreline, it ought to reinforce rather than shake the side’s determination.

Maintain this level of performance and Saints should have enough about them to avoid any play-off worries.

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Sale: Roebuck; O’Flaherty, R. Du Preez, Ma’asi-White, Wills; Ford, Warr; Opoku-Fordjour, Caine, Harper; Van Rhyn (c), Bamber, Vermeulen, Gilmore, Dugdale.

Replacements: Longstaff, McEachran, Raymont, Hodkinson, Logan, Hanson, Louw, Woodman.

Saracens: Malins; Caluori, Tompkins, Hartley, Segun; Burke, Bracken; Carre, George, Street; Itoje (c), Tizard, McFarland, Earl, Willis.

Replacements: Dan, Mawi, Riccioni, Wilson, Michelow, Van Zyl, Farrell, Hall.

Trump has once again threatened to blow up power plants in Iran

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Donald Trump posted ‘no more Mr nice guy’ as he threatens to ‘blow up Iran’ if a peace deal is not agreed. The United States President also pulled Vice President JD Vance away from peace deal negotiations with the Middle East nation.

Trump told The Weekend that Vance will not be attending the negotiations in Islamabad for “security reasons”. The delegation will instead be led by Steve Whitkoff and Jared Kushner, The Mirror reports.

The president told Fox News the delegation will be heading to Islamabad for meetings on Tuesday, which could stretch into Wednesday. Trump also told the news channel that next week’s negotiations will be the “last chance” for Iran.

He said: “If Iran does not sign this deal, the whole country is getting blown up.”

It follows Trump threatening to destroy every power plant and bridge in Iran in his latest Truth Social post. Trump accused Iran of violating the ceasefire agreement after Iranian gun boats reportedly opened fire on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz yesterday.

It came after Iran announced it was closing the critical waterway while the US continues to blockade Iranian ports. In his latest post, Trump urged the Iranians to agree to a deal when peace talks resume in Islamabad.

If they don’t, the president says the US will destroy “every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran”.

“NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!,” he declared in capitals, “They’ll come down fast, they’ll come down easy and, if they don’t take the DEAL.”

This is not the first time Trump has threatened to blow up power plants in Iran. He did so in his infamously foul-mouthed Truth Social post on April 5, prior to the ceasefire agreement, when he declared: “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran.”

He went on: “There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F**kin’ Strait, you crazy b*stards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH!”

That post came two days before another in which Trump said “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again” prior to the ceasefire.

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The officer was dealing with a broken-down vehicle when another car hit his vehicle, which then struck him.

A police officer has been rushed to hospital after being hit by his own car on the M8

The cop was dealing with a broken-down vehicle on the slip road at junction 27, near Renfrew, around 7.40pm on Saturday.

A Ford Kuga hit the police car, which then hit the officer. The officer and the driver of the Ford have been rushed to hospital.

Their conditions have not yet been confirmed.

According to Traffic Scotland, the slip road was closed until 9.45pm following the incident.

A Police spokesperson said: “Around 7.40pm on Saturday, 18 April, 2026, a Ford Kuga collided with a stationary police vehicle on the slip road of J.27 of the M8 westbound.

“The police car struck a male officer who was dealing with a broken-down vehicle at the time.

“The officer and the male driver of the Ford Kuga, who also sustained injuries in the crash, were taken to hospital.

“Enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances.”

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Mr Berwin told The Standard: “If next week’s planned strikes go ahead, Londoners should know there are other ways to get around, and that Forest will be ready to help them with their journeys. During last year’s strikes, we saw demand during peak times more than double, and we expect to see a similar trend next week.

The market brings together makers, bakers, and creatives of all stripes from across the UK to share their quirky, impressive, and often delicious wares.

The first Makers Market took place in October last year and has seen several events since, including one in March, and a particularly rainy affair in December.

But there wasn’t a drop of rain in sight this Sunday (April 19) as a busy Bolton public came out to explore all the sounds and smells the market had to offer.

One fine-looking cake stand caught my eye, piled high with burnt Basque cheesecakes, cookies, and brownies.

Persian cake and burnt Basque cheesecake (Image: Dan Dougherty)

“We are Nooshé,” said co-owner Ehson Sadeghian, “we do cakes and pastries but all with Persian twists.

“So things like saffron, pistachio, rosewater.”

The cakes looked luxurious, all crumbled with green pistachio dust and flower petals.

Ehson showed me something.

“This is the oldest type of cookie in the world – we’ve called it the ‘Persian Jewell’, but the real name is the Koloocheh Fooman.”

The cookie features a unique spiral pattern, with walnuts, cinnamon and, of course, saffron.

Persian jewel cookie, reputedly the oldest type of cookie in the world (Image: Dan Dougherty)

Over on the more savoury end of the food market we had Mr Murray’s Scotch Eggs.

Operated by Kerry Green, the stall sells scotch eggs of all different varieties, including standard pork eggs, fiery chilli cheese, chorizo, hickory smoked bbq, and even a black pudding egg.

“The black pudding egg is the most popular egg with men, I’d say,” said Kerry.

“My favourite is the Jamaican jerk scotch egg, but unfortunately we don’t have any of those today.”

Mr Murray’s Scotch Eggs with Kerry Green (Image: Dan Dougherty)

“It’s quite a unique product we offer – I don’t know anyone else who does so many varieties of scotch eggs.”

Another unique food stall was gourmet grilled cheese spot Absolute Meltdown, operated by Michelle Johnson and Kathy Buckley for about two and a half years.

Each sandwich consists of three varieties of cheese – cheddar, mozzarella, and red Leicester – on toasted sourdough, combined with a host of interesting toppings.

“Bacon is probably the most popular,” said Michelle, “but my favourite is tuna.”

Absolute Meltdown with Michelle Johnson and Kathy Buckley (Image: Dan Dougherty)

As with Murray’s scotch eggs, it’s quite a unique idea – to elevate something traditionally seen as a throwaway snack into a serious meal. I asked Michelle where she got the idea from.

“I just love food really!” she said.

Which is as noble a sentiment as any.

But food and drink is not all the market has to offer. As I browsed the stalls, something else caught my eye – a miniature dalek, trapped inside a small glass.

Little Glass Planet Terrariums and Kim Winter (Image: Dan Dougherty)

This was the work of Kim Winter, owner of Little Glass Planet terrariums.

A terrarium is a glass container containing plant life – mosses, flowers- which, when watered correctly, forms its own self-sustaining ecosystem.

“I did a masters degree in conservation biology,” said Kim, “so I’ve always been into plants.

“They’re all over the home, hanging from the ceiling, in the corners – the cats can’t even get on the windowsills!”

Purple passion flower with a small figurine decorating the inside of the terrarium (Image: Dan Dougherty)

Kim started making the terrariums as a hobby, but this quickly progressed, so now she sells them at various markets around the North West.

“At first, we say watch out for when the moss starts to dry out, then give it a water.

“But after that, they sustain themselves.”

Some of the colours are striking – especially the purple passion plant, with its deep colours and soft, velvety leaves, and the ‘fittonia’, also known as the ‘nerve plant’, which has multicoloured veins running through the outer leaf.

Fittonia or ‘nerve plant’ (Image: Dan Dougherty)

Each terrarium also contains a small figurine – a dalek, a Pokémon, two people embracing – which adds an extra dimension to the colourful flowers.

I headed back over to Nooshé for a slice of Basque cheesecake – every bit as delicious and tangy as it looked – and took my leave.

The next Bolton Makers Market will take place on May 10 at Newport Street in Bolton town centre.

ALL around the world, International Day for Monuments and Sites is observed today.

The aim is to ‘raise awareness of cultural heritage diversity, the vulnerability of sites and monuments, and the measures needed to maintain and conserve them’.

READ MORE: Alfie Joey on the disappearance of jobs for youngsters

So let’s join in and pay tribute to our own monumental landmarks.

However, when you make a list for our region, you soon find the North East is lavishly littered with follies, forts, towers and columns. I’ve limited myself to compiling my top ten list to mark today.

If I’ve left one of yours out, please feel free to send me a strongly worded email…’’Oy..where’s Ludworth Tower!!!’’ Or …’Ey marra, why no Apollo Pavillion in Peterlee??’’

We’ll start up north and work our way down.

Bamburgh Castle, brooding magnificently over the North Sea, looking out for its siblings Lindisfarne and Dunstanburgh Castle, up and down the coast. No surprise at all it is a much sought after movie location – Transformers and recent Indiana Jones adventures have used this as their back drop.

We move a little further south to Alnwick Castle, another movie star of a monument (used in some series about a boy wizard apparently??) with spectacular grounds but make sure you don’t try eating a plant in the Poison Garden!

The Column of British Liberty towers over the tallest treetops in the National Trust grounds of Gibside. Like many a folly, when you stumble on it, you wonder, who on earth plonked this here?

If you’re a Toon fan, the city of Newcastle revolves around St. James’ Park. However, if you are meeting someone, there is only ONE place to convene and that is Grey’s Monument. It stands tall and striking, like a huge pin in a map, it is the city’s unofficial meeting point or place of protest.

Let’s move across to South Tyneside and enjoy the sight to behold that is the Herd Groyne, a Victorian lighthouse built on sturdy legs/stilts in 1882 and still used for navigational purposes today. Worth the trip to South Shields alone.

Down the coast to the dramatic Northern Spire Bridge over the River Wear in Sunderland. The crossing opened to pedestrians (I was one of them) on August 28, 2018, before opening to traffic the next day.

As tall as this bridge is, another monument looks down on it is the North East’s own Parthenon, Penshaw monument. When my two were toddlers I used to love taking them up here for a mighty hike and hot chocolate out of the flask as a reward when you got to the top. The views are cracking on a clear day!

Down the A19 to Teesside for our 8th Whey Aye Wonder as we enjoy the stunning grounds of Wynyard Hall. I was staying there for work recently (I’ve had worse gigs!) and went for a run.

As well as spotting plenty of deer and rabbits bouncing around the fields I was amazed to find the Wellington obelisk pop up from nowhere. Some 40 metres high, it proudly commemorates the visit of the Duke of Wellington to the estate in 1827.

And of course, NO list of North East monuments is complete without Durham Cathedral. It is not just a monument, but a masterpiece.

I remember my first trip to the top with my Uncle John who pointed down to the grounds of Durham prison where you could see the inmates like ants in the exercise yard.

Finally, back up the A1 for our last stop as we give a great big high five to the Angel of the North, which welcomes all visitors to the heart of our great land with open arms.

Ten monuments. Ten towering inanimate objects that bring history, heritage and memories to life.

Go on then…which ones did I leave out?

Facts and Footnotes:

• The Herd Groyne Lighthouse has an operational fog bell.
• The central tower of Durham Cathedral was built in two stages in the fifteenth century.
• The Angel of the North stands at an impressive 20 meters (66 feet) tall and has a wingspan of 54 meters (177 feet).

You can email Alfie via www.AlfieJoey.com and subscribe to his free newsletter there.

The Aurora Borealis is truly a sight to behold if you are lucky enough to catch it on a clear night.

According to reports from the Met Office, Scots may be lucky enough to see the Northern Lights sweep through the skies tonight (April 19). A dream event for stargazers, the space event will paint the sky in a variety of beautiful colours that you won’t want to miss.

Out of those living in the UK, Scots are generally the most likely to see the Aurora Borealis, which dazzles onlookers with bright greens, pinks, blue and violets. While the intensity of the solar event can vary, the brighter, more widespread displays occur during strong geomagnetic events.

The best time to usually see the Northern Lights in the UK is during the Equinox and Solstice, which fall in March/April and September/October. This means the likelihood of seeing an aurora in the coming weeks is higher than usual.

In order for the phenomenon to occur, solar activity needs to take place. The sun emits charged particles known as solar winds, which can interact with particles in the Earth’s magnetic field. If the solar wind’s polarity is opposite to Earth’s, the mixed particles are funneled towards magnetic poles.

As these energetic particles collide with gases in the upper atmosphere, they release energy to form light, which are the colours we are able to see in the sky. Oxygen is said to produce green auroras, and sometimes rare red at higher altitudes. Meanwhile, nitrogen creates blue and purple hues.

For those who are avid watchers of the Northern Lights or you haven’t had the chance to gaze upon the phenomenon yourself, tonight may be your lucky night.

The Met Office has released its aurora forecasts for today (April 19), which states that Scots may be able to see spells of aurora visibility this evening.

The national forecaster’s Northern Hemisphere forecast reads: “Ongoing fast solar winds are likely to bring spells of aurora visibility across northern parts of the UK overnight Sunday into Monday (UTC), and similar geomagnetic latitudes.

“This activity will ease through Monday and into Tuesday, with any viewing becoming more restricted to highest latitudes, and fading to background by Wednesday.”

It should be noted that while Saturday night (April 18) was the prime time to see the lights in action, there is still a chance Scots could see them tonight under the right circumstances.

Yesterday’s aurora forecast read: “The auroral oval is expected to remain at or near background levels until a fast wind arrives early 18 April UTC. This brings an increased chance of enhanced auroral activity Saturday night and to a lesser extent Sunday night.

“Aurora will be potentially visible across Scotland, perhaps northern England, and similar magnetic latitudes where skies are clear.”

How to view the Northern Lights

In the UK, the Northern Lights are the most visible in Scotland, northern England, north Wales, and Northern Ireland. However, during intense solar storms the lights can also be seen much further south.

The best chances of seeing the aurora are when there are dark, clear skies. Light pollution and cloud cover can obscure the view, so it is recommended that you find a remote area such as north-facing coasts or a rural spot that offers a good vantage point.

While the lights are most active around the Equinoxes, strong solar activity can occur throughout the year, bringing stargazers plenty of beautiful surprises.

Irita Marriott Auctioneers and Valuers will return  to The Barlow on Sunday, April 19, offering expert advice and free auction estimates.

Running from 11am to 4pm, the event invites visitors to bring along their treasured items to discover their potential value.

Specialists will be on hand throughout the day to provide insight into the auction process and guidance on selling.

Irita Marriott Auctioneers and Valuers will return to offer auction estimates.

A spokesperson said: “This is a great opportunity to uncover the value of your items and learn more about the auction process.

“Whether you’re a first-time attendee or a long time enthusiast in Bolton.”

Organisers say it is designed to be both informative and accessible, whether you are attending for the first time or have a long-standing interest in antiques.