Scottish Cup: Celtic 3-0 Greenock Morton

Celtic swept into the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup with a composed first-half demolition of Greenock Morton.

A missed header from Thomas O'Ware allowed Leigh Griffiths to open with his 34th goal of the season.

Gary Mackay-Steven stroked home from Kieran Tierney's cross soon after.

And Callum McGregor curled in a sumptuous third with Celtic dominant, and noticeably sharper and slicker than their opposition.

Morton boss Jim Duffy changed the normal shape of his Championship team by fielding a back three instead of four and leaving out in-form winger Bobby Barr. His gamble failed.

However, he was not helped by schoolboy defending by O'Ware for the loss of the decisive first goal.

Ronnie Deila made sweeping changes for the Premiership leaders, one of them enforced by an injury to Dedryck Boyata, but the rest all in midfield with Tom Rogic, Stuart Armstrong and Patrick Roberts making way for Kris Commons, Mackay Steven and McGregor.

It was a surreal atmosphere in the ground, the game kicking off in the Glasgow east end midday sunshine and Celtic Park not even half-full.

Celtic lost Stefan Johansen to injury in the first half

And the manager of Celtic knew that defeat would surely bring his own high noon, following patchy recent form. But it took just 14 minutes for his worries to ease.

O'Ware totally misjudged his header on the end of a cross from the right and it fell to, of all people, Griffiths four yards out and unmarked.

Celtic were on their way.

Their second came 11 minutes later and again Mackay-Steven's finish could be filed as straightforward.

Their third, 10 minutes after that, was far more inventive. McGregor was really clever with a bending finish from the edge of the box and Celtic were now entitled to dream about what Sunday afternoon's draw might bring.

No further goals came, nor indeed were required, but there was the one black spot - an injury to Stefan Johansen on the stroke of half-time courtesy of a clumsy challenge by Mike Miller that went curiously unpunished.

And that, really, was that. Celtic through and nerves soothed for Deila, with substitute Patrick Roberts and Mackay-Steven firing against the post and bar, respectively, in the second period.