Aberdeen may be Celtic punchbags but Parkhead star wary they'll be no pushovers at Hampden
The Hoops midfielder is not going to get complacent against the Reds even if they have been put to the sword this season
Luke McCowan insists Celtic are not banking on a Hampden stroll in the sun against Aberdeen.
The Hoops have smashed an incredible 19 goals past the Pittodrie men in five games this season including Wednesday's 5-1 Granite City gubbing.
Brendan Rodgers' side – who are sweating on the fitness of Reo Hatate for the showpiece – are massive favourites to inflict more punishment and complete the Treble.
But McCowan insisted NO ONE in the Parkhead dressing room will be expecting a Scottish Cup Final walkover.
He said: 'No, it never will be. As you've probably saw at the end there, there's probably a wee bit of bite in the game right at the 90th minute because they know the Cup Final's coming as well.
"So, listen, it's a Cup Final. It's anybody's game. You just need to show up and I'm sure we'll have that performance ready and we need to push each other until then to make sure that our mentality is right going into it.
'It wasn't easy, I would say. You still have to fight and you still have to battle away. I think at times we were probably just ruthless in our play.
'I thought our play was magnificent at times. They went man-for-man press. We were able to go from one side and switch to the other and dominate by doing that.
'As I said, the goals come, the more open the game becomes and it all worked out.'
Celtic have scorched over the finishing line in the Premiership and are heading to Hampden at full throttle.
McCowan wants another big statement performance on Trophy Day against St Mirren this weekend to take into the Final.
He said: 'That's the plan. Even after you win the league, it's about maintaining the focus and keeping the mentality.
'If that mentality slips, it's so hard to get it back. It's so hard to find that bite in games when you don't create it with your mentality.
'So, no, we just need to keep that again come Saturday, push again and have a good day on Saturday and then be in the best place come the Cup Final.'
McCowan was a star turn at Pittodrie with a goal and two assists in the five goal rout to fire himself into the frame for the Final.
Midfielder Hatate is being assessed by club docs after he limped off late in the Pittodrie clash following a heavy collision with Dons forward Papa Gueye.
McCowan took a hefty knock as well but he insisted he's ready if called upon for the end-of-season showpiece.
The former Dundee man – who has notched seven goals this term for Celts – said: 'I took a few sore ones, but it's the joys of playing I guess. I've not felt that for a wee while now, so it feels good to get the knocks back.
'I don't know. You can't really think about it. As I said, the boys that have been starting have been doing absolutely incredible.
'It's up to boys that aren't starting to push them in training to try and get in that spot, but also to fight for your way to becoming on within the game and impacting it then.
'If you just keep doing that and keeping your attitude right, then you're always in with a chance.
'I've just got to keep myself composed. If I'm not playing, as I said, I've got to be charging to get on and making impacts.'
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