Celtic are through to the Scottish Cup semi-finals after holding their nerve at Ibrox, and Auston Trusty’s reaction after the final whistle summed up the mood perfectly.
This was not a derby win built on control or slick football. It was built on grit, discipline and composure when it mattered most. After 120 goalless minutes in Govan, Celtic came through the penalty shootout 4-2 to knock Rangers out and keep their cup hopes alive.
Martin O’Neill’s side spent long spells of the afternoon under pressure. Rangers created the better chances and forced Celtic to defend deep, but the visitors stood firm. Viljami Sinisalo made key interventions, the back line put bodies on the line, and Celtic stayed in the tie long enough to take it to penalties.
From there, Celtic were flawless.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain stepped up and scored. So did Trusty. Reo Hatate followed, before Tomas Cvancara converted the winning kick to spark scenes of celebration in the Celtic end. Rangers, by contrast, faltered, with James Tavernier hitting the bar and Djeidi Gassama also missing.
Celtic were nowhere near their best on the ball, but they showed another side to themselves. They dug in, rode their luck at times, and then showed real conviction from the spot.
Trusty played his part in all of it.
The American defender was central to Celtic’s defensive effort across the 120 minutes, helping his side withstand relentless pressure in a hostile environment.
Then came his own big moment in the shootout, when he stepped forward and buried his penalty with a calmness that looked anything but improvised.
That made his post-match message even better.
Taking to Instagram after the game, Trusty wrote: “What an effort from the bhoys!! We keep moving forward🍀
“I bet you didn’t expect me to take a pen🤣 Vamosss!!!”
As games go, Auston will remember this one for some time. He played his part in what can’t be called a vintage Celtic performance, but it’s the result that matters.
