Celtic made sure next month's CIS Insurance Cup final will be an all Old Firm affair thanks to two second-half goals from Bobo Balde and a Henrik Larsson strike, which deflated 10-man Dundee United at Hampden Park.

United had battled throughout but in the end found the gulf in class too much to bridge, especially when Jim Lauchlan was sent off with more than half-an-hour remaining.

Ian McCall's first game as United boss had provided the club's first home win in months, adding to his reputation as a miracle worker having noticeably transformed the fortunes of Airdrie and Falkirk, on the pitch at least.

Falkirk had famously thrashed Hearts 4-0 in the Scottish Cup in his last game there but McCall has already discovered that fairy tales at the expense of the Old Firm are few and far between these days.

Two days earlier, Hearts had suffered badly from stage fright against Rangers in the other semi and McCall had clearly given orders for challenges to go in from the off, although Jim McIntyre overdid it after just five minutes and was booked for felling Lambert.

But the chances were not long in arriving for Celtic and Alan Combe was required to make a good stop when Larsson was put in on goal with defenders trailing.

Larsson almost turned provider when Balde got on the end of his free kick into the box but with Derek Lilley making a challenge, the ball came off the defender and bounced just wide.

On Tuesday night, Hearts had managed to keep a clean sheet until just before the half hour mark and it was at this point that United almost took the lead themselves.

Stuart Duff's cross from the right was meant for Lilley at the near post and it needed Joos Valgaren's challenge to stop him connecting properly. The ball carried on to where McIntyre was arriving and Balde only just got there first to clear.

Larsson nodded just wide at the other end and then headed a Ulrik Laursen free-kick straight at Combe as Celtic ended the half tamely and lamely.

Lambert was booked six minutes before the break, for a late tackle on McIntyre and Charlie Miller fired just over in stoppage-time.

It had been a good first half from United but it was not long before they imploded.

Celtic upped the tempo from the off and when Lambert and Didier Agathe combined down the right, the resulting corner saw Hartson flick a shot off a post with the outside of his right boot.

A breakthrough was coming and Balde turned out to be the unlikely provider, although he had twice before gone on charges upfield.

His 52nd-minute strike came after Hartson had put Larsson through and, after the Swede had taken the ball round Combe, the giant defender came galloping up to find the empty net first.

United lost their discipline immediately and, after Miller had been booked for felling Laursen, Chris Sutton forced Combe into another good save.

Larsson then missed an open goal after Combe could only punch the ball to him in the box under pressure from Balde, although the Swede was virtually on the deck at the time.

In the 55th minute Lauchlan was shown a straight red card for a late challenge on Larsson and from that moment on a well-balanced game had been tipped irretrievably in Celtic's favour.

Jamie Smith, who had been handed his first call up to the senior Scotland squad earlier in the week, deserved to have doubled the scoreline when he cut inside David McCracken and curled a shot across Combe but it ended up bouncing back off the far post.

Two Celtic bookings quickly followed - Hartson for twice taking a free-kick too quickly and Smith for fouling recently-arrived substitute Jim Hamilton.

Larsson fired the ball into the net in the 66th minute after a Sutton header had rebounded off the crossbar but as the Englishman was on the goalline and right in front of Combe the flag went straight up for offside.

United were still attempting to attack when they could and when Craig Easton laid the ball back for Miller his effort ended up creeping just wide of Magnus Hedman's left-hand post, with Stuart Duff perhaps getting a touch as it came through.

Referee Stuart Dougal ignored two penalty appeals within the space of a few seconds - first a suspicion that the ball had bounced off Lambert's arm and then a push by McIntyre on Hartson at the other end.

Lambert put Larsson through again but the Swede was too clever in trying to use the sole of his boot to take the ball past Combe and he ended up leaving it for the goalkeeper to fall upon.

But Larsson was not to be denied in the 80th minute when he fired home on the turn through McCracken's legs after a great swivel and pass from Sutton on the edge of the box.

In stoppage time Balde headed the third from a cross from the right from substitute Alan Thompson.

Teams

Celtic: Hedman, Valgaeren, Balde, Laursen, Agathe (Sylla 82), Lambert, Lennon, Sutton, Smith (Thompson 73), Larsson, Hartson (Fernandez 73).

Subs Not Used: Crainey, Marshall.

Booked: Lambert, Smith.

Goals: Balde 52, Larsson 80, Balde 90.

Dundee Utd: Combe, Wilson, Lauchlan, McCraken, Duff, Easton, Miller (O'Donnell 74), McIntyre, Paterson (McCunnie 70), Lilley, Dodds (Hamilton 63).

Subs Not Used: Smart, Gallacher.

Sent Off: Lauchlan (55).

Booked: McIntyre, Miller.

Att: 18,856

Ref: Stuart Dougal (Scotland).