CELTIC 1 ST MIRREN 1
THE James Forrest fairytale lives on.
The evergreen Celtic winger fired in the stoppage-time equaliser against stubborn St Mirren to trigger a title party in Paradise.
It looked as though the champions were about to be bored into submission by the Paisley outfit who silenced Parkhead six minutes after the interval by opening the scoring with virtually their first attack.
Liam Scales headed out a left-wing free-kick from Declan John and the ball fell at the feet of Jonah Ayunga who swiftly rattled a low 12-yard drive past Kasper Schmeichel to his left.
It stung a strangely-lethargic Hoops team into action, but it looked as though the Saints spoilsports were going to inflict a rare home loss on Brendan Rodgers’ men.
Enter James Forrest, a 55th-minute substitute for the off-form Nicolas Kuhn.
THE EQUALISER…James Forrest wallops in the goal that kept his amazing 16-year record intact.
The most-decorated player in Celtic’s history with 26 honours came on with the opportunity of scoring his first goal of the season to maintain an astonishing 16-year record.
And it was Forrest who stepped up to the plate when his team needed him most in the fourth minute of stoppage-time with the hosts swarming forward in an effort to salvage something from a fairly unimaginative display.
The home side pushed forward in the fading moments when Luke McCowan passed to Alistair Johnston who knocked it in front of Forrest.
The fans held their breath as the veteran wide Bhoy raced onto the ball to whip a low first-time right-foot drive past Zach Hemming at his near post for the leveller.
As the ball hit the rigging, another chapter was written in Forrest’s personal history at Celtic.
There was a massive sigh of relief from the sell-out crowd as the ball eluded the Saints No.1, but if the team needed a reminder that football can be an unpredictable game ahead of the Scottish Cup Final against Aberdeen this was the perfect example.
HISTORY BHOY…James Forrest is acclaimed by the Celtic fans after his late leveller.
Rival keeper Hemming was coming close to a world record for time-wasting in a first-half that failed to catch fire.
Referee David Dickinson warned the Paisley side’s No.1 early in the first-half, but it didn’t appear to register as he continued to provoke the ire of the Hoops fans, spending something in the region of 25 seconds to take a goal-kick.
The Hoops probed throughout the opening 45 minutes without seriously threatening the irritating custodian.
Arne Engels fired in a sequence of six left-wing corner-kicks before the interval, but there were no takers on each occasion.
Adam Idah was largely anonymous and the Republic of Ireland international striker had a mere four touches in the opening 35 minutes of the encounter.
The hosts couldn’t be faulted in their efforts to break through the visitors’ disciplined barrier. There was a lot of endeavour, but, alas, little ingenuity in the final killer pass.
The frustration of the champions was highlighted midway through the first-half when skipper Callum McGregor sent a long-range drive waywardly into the crowd.
The Saints stunned the audience with the opener six minutes after the interval and four minutes later Rodgers made a triple substitution in an attempt to inject some urgency into his team with Forrest, Yang Hyun-jun and Luke McCowan replacing Kuhn, Idah and Paulo Bernardo.
It was shaping up to be a game to forget for Rodgers’ men which was typified by a shocking miss from Maeda in the 64th minute.
Forrest sprinted away from two defenders on the right before hurtling over an inviting cross from the right.
Maeda was completely unmarked three yards out, but, unbelievably, sent a header soaring over the crossbar.
In the 72nd minute, Johnny Kenny came on for the out-of-sorts Japanese ace and eight minutes later Jeffrey Schlupp replaced Engels with Greg Taylor moving into midfield.
The young Irishman was denied twice in quickfire moments by Hemming in the 86th minute and then the Saints netminder pushed away an acrobatic effort from Yang as the hosts piled forward looking for the crucial leveller.
The stage was clear for Forrest to step into the spotlight.
Once again, the club legend delivered the goods.
TEAM: Schmeichel: Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Taylor: Engels (sub: Schlupp 80), McGregor, Bernardo (sub: McCowan 55): Kuhn (sub: Forrest 55), Idah (sub: Yang 55), Maeda (sub: Kenny 72).
