ROSS COUNTY reached the final of the Active Nation Scottish Cup for the first time in their 81-year history after claiming a shock win over Celtic at Hampden Park following a performance that infuriated caretaker manager Neil Lennon.

The Bhoys were outfought and ultimately outclassed by their lower league opponents. Steven Craig put the Irn-Bru First Division side ahead in the 54th minute with a wonderful solo goal, bursting through the centre of the Celtic defence before driving past Lukasz Zaluska.

Celtic fought back but with only two minutes remaining self-confessed Hoops' fan Martin Scott grabbed a dramatic second to set up a final meeting against either Dundee United or Raith Rovers.

"People talk about Tony not instilling passion in the team. Those are things you can't give the players," fumed Lennon afterwards. "Bottle, desire and hunger, you have to have that from a kid growing up. You have to love the game and want to play the game and want to win. We don't have enough winners. Show some b******* for God's sake.

"I'm sick of seeing strikers not want to go in where it hurts and score a goal for the team. We've gone out of every competition with an absolute whimper."

For the first time in seven years Celtic will finish the season without a trophy and County's win must have surely ended the chances of Lennon getting the post on a permanent basis after he stepped in following Tony Mowbray's departure.

But the day belonged to the Highlanders. The town of Dingwall had emptied with more than its 5000-plus population inside Hampden to cheer on the minnows, who showed the kind of fight that Lennon felt his team have lacked all season.

A 4-2-4 formation didn't really work even though Marc-Antoine Fortune came close with two efforts in the first-half. Celtic's lethargy was clear to see and even a change of formation didn't help their cause as Robbie Keane was denied the kind of service that he thrives on in big games.

County were not content with just putting in a battling display and Craig should have done better with a volley from 16 yards. He made amends for that miss when he netted the opener after he sped through the middle of the Hoops' defence past and drove past Zaluska.

Celtic tried to drag themselves back into the game after that with Fortune forcing County keeper Michael McGovern into a fine save, while Keane somehow managed to miss Scott Brown's cross from only a few yards out. The Ireland captain also missed with a header late on.

But Scott sealed the win when he bundled the ball over from six yards to send County into the final.