Celtic had further cause for celebration when the Parkhead youth side beat Dunfermline 3-1 to triumph in the Youth Cup final.

The young Hoops have dominated this competition since its inception – last night's win was their fourth success in a row – and the victory will satisfy head of youth Chris McCart that the club are headed in the right direction where the production of talented kids is concerned.

The challenge for Celtic coaches John Kennedy and Stevie Frail, though, lies in preparing players who are capable not only of going on to make a name for themselves in the first team, but who can make a difference at the very top level of the game.

Celtic harbour ambitions to be regulars in the Champions League, and as such the challenge for the current crop of youth players is to reach a level where they can hack it there – as the likes of Aiden McGeady and James Forrest have shown can be done.

Part of being able to cope at that standard is being able to cope with the mental side of the game, with the pressure, with the expectation and with the demands that go hand-in-hand with every game for a club the size of Celtic.

They were expected to coast their way to a win, but there was a degree of pressure on the young side.

Eight of the Dunfermline players have been thrust into the Pars' first-team squad given the financial difficulties experienced by the Fife side, which could perhaps have given them an edge.

A smattering of the Hoops players would have been known to the small but vocal section of the Parkhead support who turned out at Hampden – Aussie midfielder Jackson Irvine, who has featured for Neil Lennon's side, and striker Bahrudin Atajic, who was on the bench on Sunday at Fir Park – both started.

That the players lived up to the occasion will have been satisfying for the watching hierarchy of Parkhead club officials, including chief executive Peter Lawwell, coach Danny McGrain and first-team coach Garry Parker.

In truth, though, it was a slow start from them, with Dunfermline enjoying the best of the early exchanges. Celtic slowly felt their way into the encounter and it was Irvine who had the best chance of the game when his header was tipped over the bar by Ryan Goodfellow midway through the opening half.

But within eight minutes of the restart Celtic got the breakthrough.

Midfielder John Herron's header rebounded off the post before Jamie Lindsay slotted home.

Atajic put Celtic two up with just more than 10 minutes remaining, although within seconds Allan Smith had pulled one back for Dunfermline.

Celtic, though, came back again to establish their two-goal advantage, with substitute Denny Johnstone barely on the park when he had Pars keeper Goodfellow picking the ball out of the net.

The Parkhead side will be back at Hampden later this month when Lennon turns up looking for a William Hill Scottish Cup to add to this season's SPL title.

And he will be looking to follow the example set by the club's youngsters last night.