Sean then saved his best for the last, with the winning goal in the Scottish Cup Final against Aberdeen the following Saturday, to seal Celtic’s first double since the time of Maley, in 1914. The reward for the team included a trip for the players to the World Cup Finals in Switzerland that summer, Scotland’s first appearance at that level, where three of their colleagues were talking part, Bobby Evans, Neil Mochan and Willie Fernie.
There would be Scottish Cup final heartbreak for Sean and Celtic in each of the following two seasons, as first Clyde then Hearts took the honours at Hampden. On Tuesday, 7 September 1954, Sean scored the last of his 14 goals for Celtic at the venue where he had opened his account three years earlier, Firhill, a first equaliser in a Glasgow Cup semi-final against Partick Thistle which ended 2-2.
He would then complete his set of domestic honours against the same team at the national stadium on the afternoon of Wednesday, 31 October 1956, as Celts won their first League Cup thanks to three goals in 12 second-half minutes from Billy McPhail (2) and Bobby Collins, in front of just 31,000 spectators. McPhail, younger brother of former captain John, had been signed from Clyde just five months earlier.
Jock Stein had retired due to injury by the time the following season’s League Cup final came around, having played his last match for the club on St Patrick’s Day 1956 against Dundee at Celtic Park, the sad announcement being made the following January. Stein would be appointed reserve team coach in the close-season, as Bertie Peacock replaced Bobby Evans as Celtic captain and a future skipper, Billy McNeill, signed up at Parkhead.
Season 1957/58 would prove to be Sean’s last as a player at Celtic, the undoubted highlight being Hampden in the Sun, the 7-1 League Cup final victory over Rangers on Saturday, 19 October 1957. Having scored twice in the final 12 months earlier, Billy McPhail decided to go one better with a hat-trick, whilst Neil Mochan scored twice with Sammy Wilson and a Willie Fernie penalty making it a magnificent seven, to this day the biggest winning margin in a major UK cup final.
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