MARTIN O’NEILL admitted he knew he was onto a winner as soon as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain struck with a special delivery in Celtic’s 2-1 stoppage-time triumph over Livingston at Parkhead last night.
The Hoops boss sent on the new Bhoy in the 79th minute with the encounter tied at 1-1 and the clock ticking down at a furious rate.
A penalty-kick from Robbie Muirhead had cancelled out Marcelo Saracchi’s first-half opener and it looked as though the champions were about to carelessly drop two precious points against their rock-bottom West Lothian opponents.
STOPPAGE-TIME SUPERSTAR…Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain strikes the winner against Livingston on his Celtic debut.
A minute into stoppage-time, Oxlade-Chamberlain, playing in his first competitive game since turning out for Besiktas in May last year, accepted a pass from Sebastian Tounekti, took a touch and then caressed a curling 18-yard effort beyond the fingers of the stretching Jerome Prior for a goal that could be so valuable at the conclusion of a turbulent campaign.
O’Neill, who threw a career a lifeline to the experienced former Arsenal, Liverpoo and England international midfielder, beamed moments after the shrill of the final whistle and said: “It was a great strike and I was right behind it when I saw it.
“The minute it left his foot, I thought: ‘This is in’.
“Alex’s been a class player, there’s no question about it. He’s played for big teams and performed brilliantly. So, I’m just really delighted to have him and getting him onto the field, too. He turns the game for us which is brilliant.
“I didn’t think he was going to be as dramatic as that in scoring the goal! But I think that he can give us something. He’s a really decent player and he gets up to speed with things. I couldn’t be more pleased with him.
“He’s made a big impact, believe it or not, even in the training sessions with the rest of the players, which is always a good sign.
“I’m just delighted he’s in and I think that when he’s properly fit, he’ll be great for us.”
SHAKE ON IT, PAL…Benjamin Nygren congratulates matchwinner Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
O’Neill, speaking to Celtic TV, continued: “He’s incredibly modest about his achievements in the game and he wants to do well.
“He’s 32 years of age and should be at the peak of his career. He’s gone off to Turkey for a couple of years, perhaps no-one wanted to take him.
“I don’t know that particular scene, but he’s had a few managers out there and so he’s come back. He’s come up here and he wants to have a go, which is great.”
The Hoops gaffer, who saw another recent signing, Junior Adamu, scored an equaliser in the Scottish Cup-tie against Dundee with three seconds to go on Saturday, added: “It was late again for us.
“In all honesty, though, we should have been three or four up in the first 15 minutes.
“We got one, but it’s never enough and we allowed them back into the game with a penalty-kick.
“Then we’re driving and driving and driving, and it looked as if it might not happen, but then Alex comes up with a wonder goal – a wonder goal from a special player.
“It was a class goal from a player who’s been class throughout his career.”
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