Dunfermline Athletic face Celtic in the Scottish Cup final with a mindset shaped by being written off. Neil Lennon warns that underdogs can “bite” and says comments about Martin O’Neill lifting the trophy with Callum McGregor ignore Dunfermline’s chances. Dunfermline reached the final by beating Hibernian, Aberdeen, and Falkirk, which Lennon credits for building inner belief. He says the team is not brimming with confidence but understands the difficulty ahead. Lennon also notes Zak Rudden is expected to return after more than three months injured, and Aston Oxborough will return on loan from Motherwell. He calls it disrespectful to label him as O’Neill’s apprentice and expects a surreal experience facing his former manager.
"“It's not a day out for us,” the 54-year-old says. “I've seen a lot of comments this week about Martin [O'Neill] picking up the trophy with Callum McGregor and if he'd have been here earlier in the season, he would have been winning a treble. “I wouldn't dismiss us. We're the underdogs, but underdogs bite.”"
"“Yes. It just adds fuel for me, so it's great. It's disrespectful, which again, I don't mind. “We will come - I wouldn't say brimming full of confidence - but with an inner belief that we can achieve something here. We're under no illusions as to how difficult that's going to be.”"
"The Championship side have beaten top-flight Hibernian, Aberdeen and Falkirk on their way to the final, which Lennon believes has fuelled an “inner belief”. “It's not a day out for us,” the 54-year-old says. “I've seen a lot of comments this week about Martin [O'Neill] picking up the trophy with Callum McGregor…”"
"Lennon revealed striker Zak Rudden is set to be available after more than three months out injured and goalkeeper Aston Oxborough will return on loan from Motherwell after being temporarily recalled by his parent club. The Dunfermline boss also said he finds it “disrespectful” to be described as O'Neill's apprentice but feels it will be a “surreal” experience to come up against his former manager at Celtic in a game of such magnitude."
Read at www.bbc.com
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