MARTIN O’NEILL hailed his Celtic battlers after the champions’ resolute 2-1 victory over Dundee at Dens Park yesterday.
The Hoops had to scrap all the way for the triumph that leaves them three points behind leaders Hearts, who drew 2-2 at Livingston earlier in the day, with six games to go.
After witnessing a worrying succession of missed chances in the opening period, O’Neill warned his players that Steven Pressley’s side would have a right go in the second-half.
At that stage, the only difference between the teams was Yang Hyun-jun’s strike in the eighth minute.
CHEERS…Martin O’Neill acknowledges the Celtic fans at Dens Park.
Tomas Cvancara struck the woodwork just after the half-hour mark when the on-loan Borussia Monchengladbach forward really should have capitalised in a one-v-0ne situation with keeper Jon McCracken.
The towering frontman passed up another excellent opportunity just two minutes after the turnaround when, once again, he should have scored and eased the tension on his team-mates.
A handball from Colby Donovan invited the hosts back into the contest in the 58th minute with Simon Murray accepting the penalty-kick award to stroke the ball low into Viljami Sinisalo’s left-hand corner of the net.
Thankfully, Kelechi Iheanacho had more success in front of goal than the man he replaced, the misfiring Cvancara, and walloped in the winner in the 82nd minute.
A relieved O’Neill said: “I thought we should have been out of sight by half-time, but we weren’t.
“We missed some glorious chances – really clear-cut chances – to go and get a second goal, but it didn’t happen and you always fear the worst.
MAN OF THE MOMENT…Kelechi Iheanacho accepts the applause after his matchwinner.
“At half-time, I said to the team that this was far from over. Dundee would come into the game and were playing with the wind in the second-half.
“They got the penalty and that obviously gave them great confidence to continue on, but we kept battling.”
The interim manager, speaking to Celtic TV, continued: “Kelechi Iheanacho came on and scored the goal which wins the game for us.
“Naturally, we’re delighted and we’re still in the picture.
“I know he’s had a frustrating time, but he’s been a really fine player in his career and he can find the net.”
O’Neill added: “We played last and that is difficult. You’re trying not to think about what has happened either the previous day or a few hours earlier, but for us on this occasion we just had to win.
“There’s no room for error at all and if we had dropped points that would have been very difficult to fight back.”
Now all eyes are on Parkhead on Saturday when Premier Sports League Cup conquerors St Mirren are the visitors.
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