MOTHERWELL 1 CELTIC 3
EVEN Hollywood scriptwriters would have thought it just a tad too preposterous.
Filipe Jota came on in the 65th minute for his second Celtic comeback and stepped into the spotlight by scoring the clinching goal in the fourth minute of stoppage time to ensure the champions remain 10 points ahead at the Premiership pinnacle.
This is stuff of fairytales and, of course, these dreams can sometimes come true.
The Hoops were walking the dangerous tightrope of 2-1 lead courtesy of first-half goal from Daizen Maeda and Adam Idah, but had yet to kill off the contest.
HAPPY DAZE…Filipe Jota races away in delight after scoring the third and clinching goal against Motherwell.
And then, deep in added-on time, Arne Engels lobbed a ball downfield, Maeda latched onto it immediately, looked up and swept a low ball into the box.
Jota was running freely as he whipped a lightning strike past the started Ellery Balcombe – and suddenly we were all whisked into the recent past when the fans’ favourite was strutting his stuff first time-around.
The winger raised his arm, accepted the rapturous acknowledgement from the club’s followers and was in joyous tears as he awaited the final whistle.
Welcome back, Jota!
DIDN’T I DO WELL…Daizen Maeda celebrates after opening the scoring at Fir Park.
Celtic got off to a whirlwind start with a goal in FIFTY SECONDS, had around 80 per cent of possession, but the game was still in the balance late on with the Hoops leading 2-1, a scoreline that hardly reflected the flow of play.
Maeda made up for missing the loss against Aston Villa because of suspension when he headed the champions into the lead inside a minute.
Only one home player got a touch of the after the Hoops’ kick-off that saw the ball switched around at a bewildering pace before Anthony Ralston fired over a diagonal cross from the right.
Maeda’s timing was absolute perfection as he raced into the box to leap high and make a thudding connection.
The ball flew from the Japanese attacker’s brow with ferocious pace and embedded itself in Ellery Balcombe’s net high to his left.
HEAD BHOY…Daizen Maeda leaves Motherwell keeper Ellery Balcombe helpless with a scorching effort inside inside a minute at Fir Park.
The visiting fans sat back and anticipated a goal avalanche, but the team dropped the pace in the following 10 minutes or so and invited Well back into proceedings.
And they gratefully accepted the space they were gifted in the 23rd minute after Callum McGregor, of all people on his 500th appearance, was punished for a slack crossfield pass.
It was intercepted and worked out to Dom Thompson on the left wing and he slung an inviting cross into the box.
It was missed by Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty, displaying an alarming lack of concentration, allowed the ball to bounce off his shins straight to Luke Armstrong who thrashed an unstoppable first-time drive beyond the static Kasper Schmeichel.
There was a swift VAR check for a possible push in the back of Carter-Vickers by the goalscorer as the cross came in, but technical assistant John Beaton ruled the goal was good and it stood. Surprise! Surprise!
On the half-hour mark, though, the champions were back in front with a superbly crafted and well-taken goal.
Reo Hatate and Luke McCowan combined to free Maeda in the box and the winger wasted no time in firing the ball into the danger zone.
Idah powered in front of the Well defence to divert a four-yard drive at the near post past the stranded Balcombe.
WHISPER IT, YOU’VE JUST SCORED…Anthony Ralston and Adam Idah indulge in some low-key celebrations after the striker’s goal to give the Hoops a 2-1 half-time advantage.
The Republic of Ireland international had a major say in what looked like the third goal in the 50th minute, but it was puzzlingly ruled out after an intervention from VAR.
Hatate opened up the Well rearguard with a pitched long ball forward that was missed by Shane Blaney. Idah took control as he headed for the right touchline while shrugging off a challenge from Liam Gordon.
He hammered in the cross with Maeda waiting at the far post, but home defender Tom Sparrow slid in to deflect the cross into his own net before it could reach the lurking touchline ace.
The cheers were silenced when Beaton flagged up an offside against Idah as Hatate’s pass dropped at his feet. The VAR lines could have been drawn by a drunken sailor.
NO GOAL…Nicolas Kuhn sends an overhead-kick sailing into the Well net, but the winger is ruled offside.
Ten minutes later, Kuhn directed an acrobatic effort into the net after Balcombe had blocked his first shot. That was disallowed and, on this occasion, there was no argument. The German had strayed a yard or so offside.
There was no need for Beaton and Co to get the crayons out to present their artistic impression this time.
Moments later, a roar went up from the Celtic fans as comeback Bhoy Jota was introduced for his second homecoming as a substitute for Kuhn while Arne Engels replaced the limping McCowan at the same time.
Eleven minutes from time, Brendan Rodgers surprisingly removed Idah and put on Yang Hyun-jun with the South Korean playing wide right, Maeda through the middle and Jota on the left.
In the 83rd minute, Paulo Bernardo and Liam Scales came on for Hatate and Taylor.
THREE CHEERS…Filipe Jota makes certain with the third goal to seal a dream comeback.
And then, as the clock ticked down, Jota took centre stage to whip in No.3 to trigger wild celebrations in the stand.
If the little Portuguese crowdpleaser was emotional after that moment, just wait until he plays against Dundee in Paradise on Wednesday!
TEAM: Schmeichel; Ralston, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Taylor (sub: Scales 83); McCowan (sub: Engels 65), McGregor, Hatate (sub: 83); Kuhn (sub: Jota 65), Idah (sub: Yang 79), Maeda.
