Double joy for Celtic

Scottish Cup final/Dunfermline 0 Celtic 1:Celtic may have done the double for the 14th time, but that cannot disguise the slump in form that was evident again on Saturday when they struggled to beat the relegated Dunfermline to add the Scottish Cup to the Premierleague title they secured weeks ago.

This performance will give their manager, Gordon Strachan, plenty to ponder during the summer.

For although he could claim that his two most creative players, Shunsuke Nakamura and Aiden McGeady, endured a rare bad day, others such as Paul Hartley, Steven Pressley and Kenny Miller have toiled for longer than Strachan is entitled to expect.

Miller, who has had a miserable season, limped off with a hamstring injury and is now almost certain to miss Scotland's games against Austria and the Faroe Islands. The striker's demeanour suggested he will be glad of the break.

And then there is Thomas Gravesen. Reportedly the highest paid player in Scottish football, the midfielder's most significant role here was posing for photographs with children before kick-off. Gravesen's place among the substitutes had been taken by the 20-year-old Icelander Teddy Bjarnason, and surely now Celtic will attempt to dispense with him.

In the event a substitution that drew howls of derision from the Celtic fans played a pivotal role in turning matters in the champions' favour. Neil Lennon, playing his last match after six and a half years in Glasgow's East End, was replaced by Gary Caldwell, a central defender who may yet step permanently into Lennon's midfield role. Strachan was vindicated as his team displayed a good deal more zip in the closing 25 minutes. Lennon returned from the dressingroom to warmly embrace his fellow red-head at full-time.

An untidy final was fittingly won by a scrappy goal five minutes from time. Jean-Joel Perrier-Doumbe, the defender on loan from Rennes, prodded in from close range after being played in by Craig Beattie.

It would be churlish, though, not to recognise Dunfermline's sterling efforts. Stephen Kenny's side, marshalled superbly from defence by Souleymane Bamba, were belligerent but in truth seldom offered a serious threat after Mark Burchill wasted a glorious chance inside four minutes.

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. Booked: McGeady, Perrier Doumbe, Pressley. Goals: Perrier Doumbe 85.

DUNFERMLINE: De Vries, Shields, Wilson, Bamba, Muirhead, Scott Morrison (Crawford 72), Young, McCunnie, Hammill, Burchill (Williamson 89), McIntyre (Hamilton 80). Subs Not Used: McKenzie, McGuire. Booked: Burchill.

Referee: K Clarke (Scotland).