CELTIC 3

HIBERNIAN 0

Scorers: McNamara (39min). Larsson (48, 80pen).

NOT even the glorious sunshine that enveloped the stadium was able to bring some light into their whingeing souls. The moaners, the Hammers of Hampden, will never concede that the old/new lady is here to stay. They were at it again, before and after the big finale to the

season.

There is no atmosphere, the pitch is rotten, the stands are too far away from the park ... on and on they go.

Look at the San Siro, at the Nou Camp, at the Amsterdam Arena, they say.

I have, and all three are wonderful, but for years the San Siro has had problems with the playing surface, the Amsterdam park has to be relaid on a regular basis and anyone who has sat on the high tiers of the Nou Camp will tell you it is like watching from an aeroplane.

The financial mess that accompanied the make-over for the national stadium was rightly highlighted and berated, but the place is there now, and it is not a bad place to be on a sunny May afternoon when the cup final is being played.

In fact, the atmosphere created by the crowd, especially the Hibs fans, even as they saw defeat inevitably looming closer, and by the SFA stage management of the final, was superb.

Of course, any outdoor event blessed with such sunshine would have a hard job flopping but, inside that casserole of a

stadium, with the clear blue sky sitting like a dazzling lid above us, it was easy to feel a touch privileged.

The game was not great, not all that exciting, but neither was it all that bad. There were stars on the stage, of that there can be no doubt.

Abune them a' was a Scot ... and we have not been able to say that very often in recent times. Step forward Paul Lambert, whose performance was as flawless as it is possible in an inexact science. Defensively sensible, attackingly shrewd and always intelligent, Lambert would be hailed as something of a football genius anywhere else.

When he gives the ball away it is only to a colleague to take a throw-in.

His display made such a nonsense of the theory expounded earlier in the season that he could not play in the same team as Neil Lennon. The real question, which has been well answered, was whether Lennon could play in the same team as Lambert.

They gel easily but that is hardly a surprise when two players of their talents are involved. Lambert never ceases to credit Otmar Hitzfeld for the improvement in his game after he went to Borussia Dortmund and that must be so, but he has not gone back the way since he returned to Scotland and Celtic.

In fact, he seems to me to be almost the perfect all-round player nowadays. The one missing ingredient is a goal or two. He is well capable of that, too, but maybe opts out of shooting at times when he ought to have a go.

It was Lambert who won the midfield contest for his club and that was no easy task because Hibs, in the first half, made a real impact in that zone.

He was ably assisted by a player who has had an in-and-out time this season, mostly through injury, Jackie McNamara. Irony being an ever-present interloper in football dressing rooms, it was predictable that the loss of their favourite playmaker, Lubo Moravcik, would result in Celtic replacing him with a player who would prove to be the key to their success.

McNamara scored one goal, laid on another and had perhaps his finest game for the club this season.

There is no fairness about the business, though. Alex McLeish must have imagined that Lubo's departure would have raised the ante in his side's favour, but then saw the substitute top anything he had anticipated would come from the Slovak.

If that left the manager shaking his head, how must he have felt watching Didier Agathe, the man Celtic kidnapped from Easter Road for a paltry #50,000, lay on the opening goal for McNamara?

It is enough to make a manager slope off to West Ham.

One more Celtic name has to be mentioned. You got it in one. He did virtually nowt for a while, made a hash of a very good chance and then finished off the game with two goals in the

second half.

Henrik Larsson thus won the man-of-the-match award which will join the others in the underground car park he has converted for the purpose.

His first goal was a typical Henrik pre-emptive strike when the ball hits the net before anyone realises he has pounced.

The second was another well placed penalty after Gary Smith held Larsson's shirt and also tripped him.

Hibs had a good first half and, had they managed to score the first goal, there could have been a real contest, but it was not to be. They were well served by the skillful, tricky Marc Libbra who, if Hibs can afford him, will be a real asset next season and Ulrik Laursen, but especially by their captain, Franck Sauzee.

The personable Frenchman did his utmost to inspire his team-mates and for spells they responded. He said all the right things afterwards, too, in

excellent English.

Naturally, he dismissed

suggestions that, if McLeish is head hunted and taken off by West Ham, he would be a likely successor.

Even as he spoke, however, he sounded more and more like a man with the savvy and maturity to go straight into the manager's office.

However, the Hibees who gave their side such wonderful backing on Saturday don't want to see McLeish leave. The side has made tremendous progress under Alex and there could be more to come yet.

Sauzee said he and his mates would be back at Hampden next season ... ''and we will win.''

For the sake of those sup-porters, I hope he is right.

final ratings

ROBERT DOUGLAS Dealt competently with crosses and corners, areas the former Dundee goalkeeper requires to work on in the summer ..................6

JOHAN MJALLBY Engaged in a clash of the titans with Mixu Paatelainen but the Finn rarely got the better of one of Celtic's most reliable performers this season... 7

JOOS VALGAEREN Guided his side through a turbulent start but soon exerted his authority on proceedings .................................... 7

RAMON VEGA A joy to watch and judging by the ubiquitous pearly smile, the Swiss thoroughly enjoyed his return to Hampden. No trace of inhibition, which on occasion manifests itself as

over-confidence ............................. 7

DIDIER AGATHE Ploughed on despite enduring a barrage of abuse from his one-time fans from Easter Road but he and direct opponent Ulrik Laursen cancelled each other out .................................6

ALAN THOMPSON Classy display, demonstrating his full repertoire of passes, and worked tirelessly .... ..7

PAUL LAMBERT A typically flawless, effortless showing ..........9

NEIL LENNON At his tenacious best and on this form Celtic's answer to Roy Keane. Gave Hibs' midfield little room to manouevre and always one step ahead ........... 8

LUBO MORAVCIK The veteran playmaker had barely got up to speed when the stitches burst in his gashed leg ................................. 4

CHRIS SUTTON First game back after injury but proved a constant menace to Gary Smith ....................7

HENRIK LARSSON Totally hopeless. No control. No vision. Selfish in possession and an

all-round liability. Aye, right .......... 9

TOM BOYD Replaced injured Lambert and rarely broke sweat in unfamiliar role on left side of midfield.......................................... 3

JACKIE McNAMARA Larsson may have been the sponsors' man of the match but Jackie junior ran him pretty damn close. Replaced Moravcik and looked comfortable in his role as playmaker .................9

TOMMY JOHNSON Given a

three- minute run out in what is likely to be last match for the club .. 3

Celtic

Nick colgan Called into action early to tip over a shot from Chris Sutton. Blameless for the three Celtic goals and distribution from pass-backs good............... 6

Paul Fenwick Slipped at the crucial moment to allow Larsson to score second goal. An unhappy afternoon .................... 5

Franck Sauzee Not his usual inspirational self. Did what he had to do but will be unhappy at the way that he was left exposed for the opening goal .................. 6

Gary Smith Some of his passes went astray but overall fairly steady at the back ............ 6

Ulrik Laursen Started well against Agathe considering he had missed much of the final stages of the season with a broken toe. Signficantly didn't make the byeline once when he went forward ............................. 6

John O'Neil Hibs most consistent performer. Covered acres of ground in the middle of the park and did his best to create opportunities for the front men ............................................ 8

Mathias Jack Another real trier who never looked like he would throw in the towel. Tackled hard all day but his frustration started to show after he was booked for a foul on Neil Lennon in 57 minutes ............................. 8

Grant Brebner You had to feel sorry for the life-long Hibs supporter. Looked a bit lost and was outplayed by McNamara came on to replace Moravcik. Replaced on the hour mark by Arpinon ...................................... 5

Ian Murray Did well down the right and managed to put up a good show against Thompson. Kept going to the end but like the rest of the Hibs midfield was in danger of being over-run.......... 6

Mixu Paatelainen Could have been the Finnish striker's last game for the Easter Road side as he is now out of contract. Put himself about as per usual but got little change out of the Celtic defence .......................................6

Mark Libbra Made a blistering start and had the potential to be the match-winner for Hibs. His flicks and linking play with Paatelainen helped drag Hibs back into the game but faded alarmingly in the second half ....5

Stuart Lovell Came on for substitute Arpinon with 10 minutes left. Not enough time to make an impression...................5

David Zitelli Replaced Paatelainen but didn't show much flair in his short time on the park .......................................6

Freddie Arpinon Came on for Brebner but came off again injured after only 20 minutes ....4

Hibernian