Celtic duo help South Korea into Asian Cup semi-finals as Hibs and Hearts stars set for early return

SPFL players feature on both sides as Australia suffer quarter-final exit in Qatar

Australia defender Lewis Miller brings down South Korea's Son Heung-min to concede a 96th minute penalty. (Photo by HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via Getty Images)

Celtic duo Hyeon-gyu Oh and Hyun-jun Yang helped South Korea into the semi-finals of the Asian Cup with a 2-1 extra-time win over Australia but there was heartbreak for Hearts, Hibs and St Mirren players who saw victory snatched from their grasp.

The Socceroos, with seven SPFL players past and present in their starting line-up, were just seconds away from reaching the last four thanks to Craig Goodwin’s first-half opener when Hibs full-back Lewis Miller conceded a 96th minute penalty with a foul on Tottenham forward Song Heung-min.

Wolves frontman Hwang Hee-chan scored from the spot with Son putting Korea ahead with a sublime free-kick in the 104th minute before Australia were reduced to 10 men with a red card for Aiden O’Neill as they crashed out of the competition.

The defeat means Hibs duo Miller and Martin Boyle, Hearts pair Kye Rowles and Nathanial Atkinson, and St Mirren’s Keanu Baccus, who all started the quarter-final tie, will all return to their clubs within the next week.

Ex-Dundee United defenders Aziz Behich and Harry Souttar, and former Hibs midfielder Jackson Irvine also started while Celtic winger Marco Tilio, who has returned to Melbourne City on loan, was an unused substitute.

Parkhead pair Oh and Yang were both listed among the Korea substitutes with Yang introduced in the 85th minute while Oh came on for the second half of the extra-time period to help their country over the line.

Korea’s progression will delay the return of the Celtic players with Jurgen Klinsmann’s side now facing a semi-final against Jordan on Tuesday.