CELTIC...3 DUNFERMLINE...1: The spotlight was only just dimming on Henrik Larsson and the remarkable contribution he made in his finale for Celtic when their manager Martin O'Neill switched the focus to trying to find a successor to the Swede.
"There is another Henrik out there, although I may have to go intergalactic to find him," declared the Derryman with a wry smile. "It will be difficult and could take us days, weeks or even months, but we have to find a new hero.
"And apart from Henrik we are losing Liam Miller to Manchester United and have John Kennedy and Shaun Maloney out for a long time, so that's us four players down even now.
"Unlike in the past, I would like to move sooner rather than later on new faces. I don't want to find myself being asked on our pre-season tour of America about players coming in. I hope they're in place by then."
In place maybe, but Larsson appears virtually irreplaceable. Just when you thought there was nothing left for him to achieve with the Parkhead club, he turned up with two goals that transformed the Scottish Cup final.
"He's a magician," added O'Neill. "I have played with a lot of great players including George Best when he was in the twilight of his career and Henrik is right up there."
His brace, plus a late third from Stilian Petrov, allowed Celtic to complete the league and cup double as they bounced back from Andrius Skerla's first-half opening goal for Dunfermline.
Fans are in tears at the prospect of Larsson's departure after his Farewell Fiesta against Seville tomorrow night, and O'Neill was even asked if Celtic would be retiring the number seven jersey.
That, it seems, was a bridge too far and the manager declared with a grin: "They never did that at Nottingham Forest when I left. There are players who would love to wear that number for this football club. It's still there, too, for the younger players here."
It is finding the right man to fill Larsson's boots which may prove a problem, but O'Neill has set his sights high and Rivaldo, for one, might be a useful replacement.
In the midst of Larsson's farewell tour, though, there is another matter concerning Celtic fans: the manager's own future.
As ever, it is impossible to second-guess O'Neill, who is making all the appropriate noises about planning for next season. Yet he lapses into reminiscing about his four years in Glasgow as if there's not about to be a fifth.
"It's well-nigh impossible to turn down jobs you've not been offered," he declared. "All the speculation is news to me.
"I have enjoyed my four years at this club. It's been memorable and mostly enjoyable and very intense. I don't think you really know about the intensity until you work here."
Not that the incessant speculation appeared to be getting to him on Saturday. "We deserved to win although I admit to being a bit concerned at half-time when we were a goal down," he said.
At that point Dunfermline had frustrated the favourites and even had the temerity to take the lead through Skerla's looping header which, as his team-mate Derek Young and the goalkeeper David Marshall challenged unsuccessfully for the ball, dropped behind both of them into the goal.
Then the game's defining moment went Celtic's way when Bobo Balde handled in the area during a Dunfermline attack only for play to be waved on. Chris Sutton sent Larsson on his way, albeit courtesy of a mistake by young Aaron Labonte, and it was 1-1 instead of 2-0. Larsson, with another classic strike, and Petrov completed the business.
DUNFERMLINE: Stillie; Darren Young, Skerla, Byrne (Tod 88), Mason (Grondin 82), Nicholson, Dempsey (Bullen 60), Derek Young, Labonte, Brewster, Crawford. Subs not used: Scott Y Thomson, Mehmet. Booked: Brewster, Darren Young. Goals: Skerla 40.
Celtic: Marshall, Varga, Balde, McNamara, Agathe, Lennon, Petrov, Pearson (Wallace 58), Thompson, Larsson, Sutton. Subs not used: McGovern, Lambert, Mjallby, Beattie. Booked: Lennon. Goals: Larsson 58, 71, Petrov 84.
Referee: S Dougal (Scotland).
