Celtic home in on local cup too

Scottish Cup/ Celtic 3; Livingstone 1: The Scottish Cup may be third in Celtic's list of priorities but their appetite for success in the tournament, as well as the UEFA Cup and the Premier League, remains undiminished.

With a European return against Villarreal on Wednesday and only three days after the first-leg draw, Livingston arrived hoping to catch the Parkhead team off guard.

It was no more than wishful thinking, however, for Martin O'Neill's team displayed their usual hunger, desire and commitment and simply strolled into a final meeting with either Inverness Caley or Dunfermline, who drew 1-1 on Saturday and replay at Pittodrie a week tomorrow.

Goals from Chris Sutton after 36 and 64 minutes, both set up by the combination of Stilian Petrov and Henrik Larsson, came either side of a goal from the Swede himself, when he took full advantage of a desperate mix-up between Emmanuel Dorado and Oscar Rubio to get the crucial second.

That effectively ended the affair, although McMenamin's header from a cross by Jon Paul McGovern, and a battling last 12 minutes, gave Livingston their credibility back.

The League Cup winners gave their all but as bigger names have found this season, that is not always enough against a Celtic team who, having secured a return to Hampden on May 22nd, can now turn their attentions to more pressing matters.

Celtic's only worry on the day was Sutton's premature departure from the pitch with a sore groin ahead of the trip to Spain.

Guardian service

LIVINGSTON: McKenzie; McNamee, Rubio (Brittain 58), Andrews, Dorado, O'Brien, Makel, Lovell (McGovern 77), McLaughlin, Pasquinelli (McMenamin 67), Lilley. Subs not used: Main, Snowdon. Booked: Dorado. Goal: McMenamin 79.

CELTIC: Marshall; Varga, Balde, Valgaeren, Agathe, Lennon, Petrov, Pearson, Thompson (Miller 39), Larsson (Mjallby 70), Sutton (Beattie 70). Subs not used: Douglas, Lambert. Goals: Sutton 37, Larsson 50, Sutton 65.

Referee: K Clark (Scotland).