MOTHERWELL 2 CELTIC 3
KELECHI IHEANACHO stroked in a stoppage-time penalty-kick to set up Celtic for a title showdown crescendo at Parkhead on Saturday.
With this evening’s game against a spirited Motherwell side tied at 2-2 at Fir Park and Hearts easing to a 3-0 win over Falkirk at Tynecastle, the champions were awarded a spot-kick after Sam Nicholson handled a high ball as he challenged Auston Trusty.
Andrew Dallas, on VAR, instructed referee John Beaton to have a review of the incident on his touchline monitor.
The match official returned to the pitch to point to the spot as the visiting support, excellent throughout, held their breath.
CROWNING GLORY…Kelechi Iheanacho sweeps in the winner against Motherwell with a nonchalant stoppage-time penalty-kick.
Iheanacho was the epitome of cool as he placed the ball on the spot, took a short run-up and stalled briefly before whipping a low drive into the keeper’s bottom right-hand corner of the net as Calum Ward took off to the left.
Fir Park erupted in joyous bedlam in the knowledge Celtic are just one win away from a fifth successive title.
Derek McInnes’ side are one point ahead as they prepare for Saturday’s last-day visit to the east end of Glasgow where it will be a case of winner takes all.
Daizen Maeda and Benjamin Nygren had scored the goals that made it all-square before the incredible climax in North Lanarkshire on an evening laced with tension and emotion.
It took the Hoops until the 41st minute to get a shot on target and, amazingly, it brought them the equalising goal after falling behind in the 17th minute to an Elliott Watt long-range drive.
The visitors were finding great difficulty in getting into their stride as their opponents snapped into challenges all over the pitch and made intelligent use of the ball.
Passes were going astray at a disturbing rate with the midfield trio of Callum McGregor, Nygren and Arne Engels toiling to bring any cohesion to the game.
WE’RE BEHIND YOU…the Celtic fans deliver their message at Fir Park.
However, the Hoops conjured up a leveller out of nothing four minutes from the break much to the relief of everyone of a Celtic persuasion.
Kieran Tierney passed swiftly inside to Sebastian Tounekti who was crash-tackled by Calum Slattery,
The ball broke in the direction of Meada who took it first-time to lash an angled drive wide of the helpless Ward on its way into the net via the inside of the left-hand post.
The Parkhead men could even have gone in with an interval lead after McGregor lobbed a high ball into the area and Ward cleaned out Maeda as he came to punch clear.
The collision sent both players spinning, but referee Beaton waved play on and the ball dropped to Engels with the goal gaping.
Remarkably, the Belgian hit a shot onto the face of the crossbar.
Bizarrely, Beaton then restarted the game with a drop ball in favour of Well as Martin O’Neill displayed his frustration on the touchline.
NUMBER ONE…Daizen Maeda fires an angled drive past Calum Ward.
And the interim manager wouldn’t have been overly-pleased with his team’s defending as they presented the hosts with the opener.
Tierney was posted missing on the left as Tom Sparrow was given time and space to fire over a dangerous cross. Trusty got his head to the ball, but the clearance lacked accuracy and distance.
It fell to Watt who walloped in a 25-yard drive that took a nick off the American international on its way past Viljami Sinisalo low down to his right.
Scotland’s title kings started the second-half at a high tempo, but Well were dangerous on the break as the drama continued at a ferocious pace.
In the 58th minute, a revitalised Celtic took the lead after yet another eye-catching strike from Nygren.
Yang Hyun-jun set up the Swedish international with a touch into his tracks and he launched a spectacular left-foot drive high past Ward at his left-hand side.
NUMBER TWO…Benjamin Nygren lashes in an unstoppable left-foot drive.
Fir Park exploded into raw emotion as the celebrating Hoops fans saw the opportunity of the club’s record 56th crown come into focus.
In the 70th minute, O’Neill made a triple substitution with Anthony Ralston, Reo Hatate and Iheanacho replacing Johnston, Nygren and Tounekti.
Eight minutes later, Marcelo Saracchi and James Forrest were introduced for Tierney and Yang.
Well continued to hit on the break, though, and the mood of the visiting support was deflated when the hosts snatched a leveller in the 85th minute.
Sinisalo had just produced a superb diving save to his right only moments earlier, but he was helpless after the ball had ricocheted around the penalty area and Tawanda Maswanhise had a shot blocked before the keeper scrambled the rebound away.
Unfortunately, it fell straight to the lurking Liam Gordon who thundered the ball home from close range.
GOOD LUCK KISS…Kelechi Iheanacho goes through an usual routine before stroking in Celtic’s third and winning goal from the penalty spot at Fir Park.
The Hoops had been warned shortly beforehand after an Elijah Just shot had been deflected onto the crossbar and Maswanhise thought he had scored as he headed towards an open goal.
However, Sinisalo recovered to make a superb save.
That set up the tense encounter for an enthralling climax and Iheanacho held his nerve to propel the champions to within 90 minutes of a fifth successive crown.
Go for it, Celtic!
TEAM: Sinisalo; Johnston (sub: Ralston 79), Trusty, Scales, Tierney (sub: Saracchi 78); Nygren (sub: Hatate 70), McGregor, Engels; Yang (sub: Forrest 78), Maeda, Tounekti (sub: Iheanacho 70).
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