Ange Postecoglou insists belief is soaring at Celtic as his side forced their way into the Premier Sports Cup Final.
The Parkhead boss called James Forrest off the bench with St Johnstone standing tall at Hampden - and the ever-reliable winger duly delivered with a Hampden winner.
Victory keeps the manager firmly on course to pick up his first silverware since joining the club in June and his team will now face either Hibs or Rangers on December 19.
Celtic have picked up momentum in recent weeks and Postecoglou can feel something special brewing.
He told Premier Sports: "It's great, super pleased for the players and staff, but especially for our supporters who came out here today and made it a fantastic atmosphere.
"Credit to everyone. It was a difficult, challenging game - which we expected - but I thought we deserved it.
"St Johnstone make it really hard for any opposition - they're so disciplined, they work hard.
"If you steer away from your own gameplan you fall into that trap of making it a contest which favours them.
"We had to be disciplined, we didn't get frustrated for the most part, we were patient. The players are starting to get some real belief in the football we want to play.
"With every victory we have, that accelerates a little bit."
Forrest has suffered an injury-hit year but Postecoglou never doubted the Scotland international would become an asset again the moment his fitness woes were banished.
He pounced first in the box to lash past Zander Clark just minutes after coming on as a substitute.
And his manager said: "Brilliant for him, he hasn't had the greatest start to the season and I've had no doubt once we got him fit and he felt good about his own body and was ready to go that he'd contribute to the way we want to play our football.
"He's an experienced player, a high quality player and he's on the spot to get that goal. Pleased for him.
"It also shows our progression in being able to through people like James on, which we couldn't do at the beginning of the season."
A first final of his reign may be beckoning but Postecoglou still only has eyes for the next game - a Europa League clash in Germany on Thursday night.
He added: "Yeah... Leverkusen first! The process now is recover and look at the next game.
"But it'll be great. Our supporters, this is the stage they want to be that, seeing the team compete for trophies every year and we get that opportunity now."
