Unlike the preceeding matches in the Athletic's glorious cup run, the final itself turned out to be a bit of a damp squib, with neither team able to produce a thrilling spectacle like there was in the 2004 final. Certainly, the Pars gave as good as they got and definitely deserved extra time on the balance of play but in typical fashion the champions, despite being nowhere near their best, conjured up a scrappy goal to win the game.
There was a great sense of occasion around the National Stadium as 15,500 Pars fans took their seats in the capacity crowd, and the excitement and tension was incredible. The Fifers had beaten both Edinburgh clubs, Rangers and Partick Thistle en route to Hampden and were full of belief that this would be their year. And the noise escalated into a crescendo as Stephen Kenny and Gordon Strachan led out the teams.
Stephen's line-up was hampered by a number of enforced changes. With Tam McManus, Stephen Glass and Jim O'Brien not allowed to feature and Gary Mason suspended, the gaffer surprisingly chose Mark Burchill to partner Jim McIntyre instead of playing Jimmy Mac on his own up front, while there were also starting places for Darren Young and Scott Morrison. Phil McGuire was surprisingly left on the bench as Kenny kept faith with the Scott Wilson Sol Bamba centre back partnership.
As the game kicked off, it was clear to see that Kenny's men were intent on winning the game and started brightly, creating the first real chance after only three minutes. Good play saw the two front men link up, with McIntyre releasing Burchill on the left hand side of the Hoops box, but his shot skewed well wide of Artur Boruc's goal, who was to have a quiet afternoon despite the Pars' endevour.
The former Celtic man went over in the box minutes later and the fans howled for a penalty, but referee Kenny Clark rightly waved away the appeals after the innocuos challenge by Paul Hartley.
Gordon Strachan's team hadn't got into their stride and although Shunsuke Nakamura had the ball in the net, the goal was disallowed for a foul on Dorus De Vries. But Pars escaped on the half hour mark.
Great play from Scotland star Kenny Miller saw him wriggle away from both Scott Muirhead and Morrison before flighting a ball into the box which was met by Jan Venegoor of Hesselink, which the Dutchman sent inches past the post.
But that was the closest Celtic came in the first half as a well drilled Dunfermline side, led brilliantly by Young and McCunnie in midfield, hunted down their opponents and refused to let them have any time and space on the ball.
Not that they didn't go forward. With Adam Hammill operating on the right and Muirhead on the left, the Pars had potent options on the flanks and Muirhead and Morrison combined with seven minutes until the break, but Morrison's long range effort went harmlessly wide of the post.
A scoreless half time was just about right and the optimism of the large Fife contingent grew. The long it remained goalless, the more chance we'd have as Celtic would become frustrated.
However, Celtic, no doubt after a half time tongue lashing, came out for the second half in menacing mood and created another golden chance six minutes into the half.
The quiet Aiden McGeady, who had been policed magnificently by Greg Shields, finally found some space and delivered a cross straight onto the head of Miller, who's header was straight at De Vries.
Just on the hour mark, De Vries was called into action once more, holding a comfortable Lee Naylor drive from range before Hammill provided an outragous piece of skill to leave the Athletic fans drooling.
On the halfway line, he controlled a ball from high in the air and as Neil Lennon came towards him to tackle, the 19 year old simply lifted the ball over his head and ran forward, leaving the Celtic man desperately trying to turn as quickly as the Ark Royal.
That was to be Lennon's last moment as a Celtic player as Strachan replaced him with Caldwell. He, nor the Celtic fans, liked the decision as evidenced by booing and Lennon marching straight up the tunnel, but the truth was that he was being run ragged by Young and McCunnie in midfield and, in my mind, the switch turned the match in Celtic's favour.
The animated Stephen Kenny, never one content to sit back and wait for something to happen, replaced Morrison with Stevie Crawford, switching Hammill to the left and Muirhead to left back in the hope a new attacking threat would develop.
With eleven minutes remaining, Dunfermline breathed a huge sigh of relief as the game's best chance was spurned by the Glasgow side once more. Nakamura found substitute Craig Beattie, whose driving run took him into the box and from an angle, hit a shot which went inches wide of the post. You began to think this could well be Dunfermline's day.
McIntyre was replaced by Jim Hamilton as the Pars team began to tire after putting in so much effort and with just six minutes to go, they cracked after a really scrappy goal. Beattie played the ball in from the right and a deflection off Scott Wilson saw the ball break to Jean-Joel Perrier Doumbe to stab the ball right into the corner for his first Celtic goal in his first Scottish Cup tie.
It was a cruel goal to lose as it looked like the Pars had done enough to hold on for extra time and despite trying in vain to mount last gasp attacks, they failed to carve out an opening and it was left to Celtic to claim their 34th Scottish Cup.
A disappointing result but what an effort from the Pars players. They gave their all and despite not creating too many openings, certainly deserved extra time. It was a sad end to a sad season where its a case of "if only". If only Stephen Kenny had arrived earlier, if only Tam McManus, Stephen Glass, Jim O'Brien and Gary Mason had been available for the final.
But, with European football returning to East End Park and hopefully the majority of the squad will want to hang around and help us bounce back up. It will be an interesting summer at EEP but we look to the future. Onwards and upwards, the Pars will be back.
Match Stats
Dunfermline Athletic: De Vries; Shields, Wilson, Bamba, S.Morrison (Crawford 72); Muirhead, Young, McCunnie, Hammill; Burchill (Williamson 89), McIntyre (Hamilton 80).
Subs not used: McKenzie, McGuire.
Celtic: Boruc, Perrier Doumbe, McManus, Pressley, Naylor, Nakamura, Lennon (Caldwell 66), Hartley, McGeady, Miller (Beattie 56), Vennegoor of Hesselink.
Subs Not Used: McGovern, Riordan, Bjarnason.
Goal: Perrier Doumbe 85.
Official Tennent's Lager MoM: Darren Young (Dunfermline)
Walking Down the Halbeath Road MoM: Soleymane Bamba
Attendance: 49,600
Referee: Kenny Clark
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