Adam Idah scores two goals in two minutes as Celtic progress...

The Premier Sports Cup quarterfinal saw Celtic upset Falkirk 5-2, with Adam Idah and Nicolas Kuhn, who came off the bench, leading

a stirring comeback.

With two goals from Finn Yeats and Ross MacIver, the Scottish Championship leaders led deservedly at the break against a

significantly altered Celtic team under Paulo Bernardo’s coaching.

As one of four replacements to join the game at the hour mark, Kuhn twice set up Idah for a rapid double that completely changed the

course of play before the German winger scored twice himself.

The result was harsh on a Falkirk team who, up until the last 20 minutes of play, may have presented Celtic with their hardest test of

the year.

In the match, Brendan Rodgers faced John McGlynn, a former member of his backup staff from his previous stint at Celtic Park.

With five victories out of five this season, the former Hearts manager has guided Falkirk to a 43-game league unbeaten streak that has

propelled them from League One to the top of the Championship. Hearts had been eliminated by the Barrens in the previous round.

After Wednesday’s 5-1 Champions League victory against Slovan Bratislava, Rodgers made eight changes, starting former Sheffield

United centre-back Auston Trusty in his maiden start and introducing Alex Valle for the first time.

Bernardo was full of energy in the opening stages and he set up James Forrest for an early curling effort that drew a fingertip save

from Nicky Hogarth.

The visitors were not overawed though and were playing the ball around with confidence from the back.

They took the leadet in the 11th minute. Valle could only head Dylan Tait’s diagonal ball to the feof MacIver before being knocked off

Celtic levelled 10 minutes later when Valle headed Hatate’s lofted pass back to Bernardo, who powered a first-time volley into the roof

of the net.

However, the hosts were unable to further their objective. After Calvin Miller, a former Celtic midfielder, forced a save with a Yeats

shot that went wide, the Bairns stunned Celtic Park once more in stoppage time.

When Valle attempted to guide Agyeman, the wide player crossed for Yeats to provide a perfectly timed finish, Valle collapsed in a

heap. The goal remained despite a protracted VAR check for offside.

Although there was little indication that Celtic could overcome a well-organised Falkirk team, Rodgers stuck with his starting lineup.

The Celtic manager added Kuhn, Arne Engels, Greg Taylor, and Yang Hyun-jun to the lineup, while the Bairns lost both of their goal

scorers to injury.

Yang forced a save and the equaliser came in the 70th minute. Anthony Ralston played Kuhn into the left channel following a short

corner and the winger drove the ball across the six-yard line for Idah to tap home.

Kuhn won the ball back within four seconds of the restart before setting up Idah, who burst between two challenges and slotted home.

Kuhn then produced a delightful finish following an Engels through ball in the 81st minute before drilling home a first-time strike

from 22 yards three minutes later.

There was a further blow for Falkirk in the last minute when substitute Michael McKenna was shown a straight red card for a high

challenge on Ralston.

Adam Idah scores two goals in two minutes as Celtic progress to cup semi-finals