BRENDAN RODGERS admitted it was great to get back to business on the football pitch as Celtic relied on a Kelechi Iheanacho stoppage-time penalty-kick to overcome stubborn Kilmarnock 2-1 at Rugby Park this afternoon.
The encounter looked destined for a 1-1 stalemate as the clock ticked down after a Daizen Maeda opener had been nullified by a David Watson equaliser in the 83rd minute.
The champions, though, would not be denied and were awarded a last-gasp spot-kick after referee John Beaton had adjudged defender Lewis Mayo had handled a James Forrest shot.
Iheanacho, who joined the Hoops on UEFA deadline day after being handed a free by Sevilla, volunteered to take the kick.
UP, UP AND AWAY…matchwinner Kelechi Iheanacho takes to the air as he celebrates his penalty-kick success at Kilmarnock with Colby Donovan and Benjamin Nygren joining in.
Skipper Callum McGregor threw the ball to the former £20million Leicester City frontman and the Nigerian international, playing in his first competitive game since May, confidently thrashed his effort high past keeper Max Stryjek for the points clincher.
The hitman’s strike put the Parkhead side back in pole position in the Premiership on goal difference from Hearts who won 2-0 at Ibrox yesterday to leave under-pressure Russell Martin’s side NINE points adrift and tenth in the table.
Rodgers said: “It’s a great feeling. It’s been a long two weeks, so to get back out on to the football field – and this is always a tough game here – I’m so pleased for the players.
“We weren’t quite in the right fluidity in the first-half. We got into some good areas, but we weren’t feeding the wide guys well enough. But I thought in the second-half we were much better.
“We started the half really well, got in front and we had control of the game and had other good chances. They made some really good blocks.
THAT’S MY BHOY…Brendan Rodgers congratulates matchwinning debutant Kelechi Iheanacho.
“At 1-0, it can always be in the balance, no matter how much dominance you have and we got punished from a corner and then they had a wee bit of momentum then with not so long to go.”
Rodgers, speaking to Celtic TV, continued: “But we stuck at it. We defended the box when he had to, we were really strong and had that Celtic spirit, which was to keep going right to the very end, and that gives us the little bit of chaos which creates the penalty.
“And I’m delighted for Kelechi Iheanacho because he’s a player who really feeds off confidence and love of coaches and supporters. That goal will be very important for him.
“The last penalty I remember him scoring for me was at Wembley when Leicester City beat Manchester City in the Community Shield Final. He showed great composure to score that day – and he scored again today, so I’m really pleased for him.
“Like I said, he’ll thrive off the support here and the love that they’ll show him when he performs and it’s nice for his confidence.”
There was also another impressive debut from Sebastian Tounekti and the £5.2million Tunisian winger turned in a Man of the Match performance on the left wing until he was replaced in the 88th minute by Yang Hyun-jun.
THANK HEAVENS…Kelechi Iheanacho celebrates the points-clinching striker.
Rodgers added: “He’s good in the one-v-one, he wants to take people on, he’s aggressive, he works hard and he was unbelievable.
“And that was a little bit of what I said at half-time. We had to feed him more because you could see early on that he’s going to be the matchwinner. He’s got speed and he can run in behind. I was so pleased for him.
“It’s worth mentioning Colby Donovan, as well, a young player who has come through the system at Celtic and to make his first start – that’s never easy playing with that pressure, but he coped really well.
“I’m really pleased for him because it’s a big thing for a young kid. I thought he did really well, especially in the second half when he settled in to the game.”
IHEANACHO STARS IN LATE, LATE SHOW
