CELTIC will face St Johnstone in the Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden next month.
A wonder 73rd-minute 30-yard strike from former Hoops prospect Graham Carey gave the Perth outfit a 1-0 win at Livingston earlier in the evening.
Brendan Rodgers’ men are due to meet the Perth club in the Premiership at McDiarmid Park on Sunday April 6. They have played the Premiership strugglers twice this term, winning 6-0 away in September and 4-0 at Parkhead in December.
Hearts play Aberdeen in the other last-four tie following tonight’s ballot.
The holders are bidding for a hat-trick of successes after back-to-back victories over Inverness Caley Thistle (3-1) and Rangers (1-0).
The Hoops have scored nine goals and conceded one on their journey to the meeting with the Perth Saints.
Rodgers’ men kicked off with a 2-1 victory over Kilmarnock at Parkhead in January when skipper Callum McGregor rifled in the opener and Daizen Maeda claimed the winner.
BALL BHOY…Daizen Maeda with his souvenir after firing in a hat-trick against Raith Rovers in Celtic’s 5-0 win in the Fifth Round.
And the Japanese raider was in fine shooting form the following month at the same venue when he hammered in a hat-trick against Championship outfit Raith Rovers. Luke McCowan and Yang Hyun-jun were the other marksmen.
The relentless Maeda rattled in the barrier-breaking strike against Hibs yesterday to get the ball rolling in the quest to return to the national stadium next month.
Adam Idah whipped in No.2 in stoppage-time to seal a well-merited triumph over the Edinburgh team who had gone into the encounter on the back of a 15-game unbeaten run.
The semi-finals are due for the weekend of April 19/20.
