Celtic manager Tony Mowbray hopes Robbie Keane’s home debut against Hearts on Wednesday night will inspire the Hoops in their title chase of SPL leaders Rangers.
Keane, on loan from Spurs until the end of the season, came off the bench at the interval to score his first Celtic goal, from the spot, as the Hoops sent Dunfermline out of the cup at East End Park.
Diomansy Kamara opened the scoring for the SPL side but David Graham’s strike and an Andy Kirk penalty put the Pars ahead before Morten Rasmussen levelled two minutes before the interval.
The Fifers’ resistance crumbled in the second half after defender Callum Woods scored an own goal before Keane, on for Marc Crosas, scored from the spot after he had been felled by Pars skipper Austin McCann.
Celtic now turn their attention back to the league, where they have plenty of work to do.
The Hoops remain 10 points behind their Old Firm rivals and Parkhead manager Mowbray is hoping for a big crowd on Wednesday night to see Keane.
He said: “I hope Robbie is fired up for Wednesday. That’s why he only played 45 minutes today. He was always going to be playing 90 minutes on Wednesday, or at least starting the game.
“I spoke to Robbie during the week after the Kilmarnock game.
“Three 90 minutes in seven days for him is probably asking for trouble injury-wise, and I think he agreed.
“But I am delighted Robbie is here because he adds a finesse in the final third which sometimes makes a difference in games.”
Rasmussen cheekily tried to claim Woods’s own goal to give himself a brace.
He said: “I was going after the ball and I think I got a little touch as did the defender, so I will take the goal and that makes it two.
“But it was important that we won and got through to the next round.”
Pars manager Jim McIntyre will look again at the second-half penalty Celtic were awarded.
Referee Charlie Richmond pointed to the spot, allowing the Irishman to score his first Celtic goal.
McIntyre said: “I said to the players before the game they would need to believe we could get a result and if they didn’t then they could end up on the end of a hiding.
“I was very pleased by the way we approached this game.
“I was really pleased by the way we came back after losing the goal.”