MARTIN O’NEILL celebrated his 228th victory in his 300th game for Celtic in the dramatic 3-2 stoppage-time victory over Kilmarnock at Rugby Park yesterday.
And the 73-year-old interim manager must wonder if the job should carry a Government Health Warning!
It was the third successive game that the Hoops were forced to rely on a crucial strike in added-on time.
The previous weekend, it was Junior Adamu who claimed the late, late leveller to push the Scottish Cup-tie against Dundee into an extra half-hour where Sebastian Tounekti settled the issue.
New Bhoy Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain stepped up to hit the winner against Livingston in the fading moments of the 2-1 Premiership victory at Parkhead in midweek.
WALLOP…Julian Araujo smashes in Celtic’s stoppage-time winner against Kilmarnock.
And it was the turn of Mexico international Julian Araujo to take centre stage against Killie when he thrashed in the points-clincher in the seventh minute of overtime.
Strikes from Tounekti and Benjamin Nygren set up the nail-biting climax after the champions had trailed 2-0 at the interval to goals from Tyreece John Jules and Joe Hughill.
O’Neill said: “It was unbelievable. I was just saying to the players at the end of the game that I managed a really top-quality side here 20 years ago and they showed great spirit, but I’m telling you now that this was characteristic of this group – they were just magnificent.
“In the first-half, I thought we were very poor. We created some chances, but we didn’t defend properly as a team. When we got the ball we gave it away and we had to improve.
“I thought the substitutions coming on at half-time made a massive difference to us.”
MAKING A POINT…Martin O’Neill and Neil McCann issue orders to their respective players.
The Irishman sent on Tounekti, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Tomas Cvancara for Yang Hyun-jun, Reo Hatate and Adamu after the turnaround and O’Neill, speaking to Celtic TV, continued: “Seb scored a great goal and put us back in the game.
“Alex is just a class player and big Tomas – what a turn for the final goal – so it was just magnificent to win.
“We’ve won, it’s great and this is the start of a massive couple of weeks for us now.”
Asked if all these tension-laden crescendos are taking their toll, O’Neill smiled: “Well, it’s not great for my health!
“Overall, if that’s the way you have to win the games, you have to win them like that, but I agree, you just can’t keep doing that.”
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