Celtic beat Motherwell 3-2 with an injury-time penalty and set up a title decider against Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts, who beat Falkirk 3-0 on Saturday.
Celtic win at Motherwell (Image: Zak Mauger/Getty Images)
Kelechi Iheanacho scored a dramatic winner from the penalty spot in stoppage time against Motherwell to keep Celtic in contention for the Scottish Premiership title. Celtic were awarded a spot-kick by VAR for handball, but Iheanacho scored with the final kick of the game in the 99th minute, sending the jubilant away fans onto the pitch.
This means the Scottish Premiership title will be decided on the final day of the season. The teams are separated by one point before Saturday’s meeting at Celtic Park.
Hearts have been top of the table since September, aiming for their first title in 66 years and the first by a team other than Celtic or Rangers in 41 years. Derek McInnes’ side are aiming to become the first team outside Glasgow to cross the line and lift the trophy since Sir Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen in 1985.
After Martin O’Neill’s side defeated Motherwell on Wednesday night, they face Celtic in a 12.30pm kick-off on Saturday, needing a draw or a win.
Had Celtic lost and Hearts won, the penultimate game would have decided the winner. But Celtic’s late win means they must beat their title rivals on Saturday to clinch victory on the final day.
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Hearts took control with goals from Frankie Kent and Cammy Devlin, leading 2-0 by half-time against Falkirk. Elliott Watt’s goal gave Motherwell a 1-0 win over Celtic and they looked set to take the title, but Daenen Maeda’s equalizer brought the celebrations to a halt.
Maeda made it 1-1 with a precise finish into the bottom corner before Benjamin Nygren fired into the roof of the net from 20 yards to put the visitors ahead at Fir Park. Liam Gordon gave Hearts a huge boost with an equalizer in the 85th minute after Watt hit the bar for Motherwell.
Blair Spital added Hearts’ third goal to seal the result, and as Celtic had scored more goals than Hearts on Saturday, it meant they needed to win by three goals on Saturday. But then Ihencho’s penalty changed everything.
Given the turmoil this season has been, it’s remarkable that Celtic are in the title race. O’Neill replaced Brendan Rodgers in October following the Northern Irishman’s bitter departure, and returns to the role after replacing Wilfried Nancy, who had a disastrous run of eight games.
Hearts are just one game away from their first title in 66 years (Image: WM Sport Media/Getty Images)
Mr O’Neill was re-appointed in January after the wheels fell off under Mr Nancy and has led Celtic’s bid for Hearts. They go into the final game of the season knowing they need a win to claim their 56th title.
This is a scenario that Manager McInnes and his players have been preparing for. “I just thought Celtic were going to win the game,” Hearts said on Tuesday. “I had it in my head going to the last game.
“All that talk… I understand. It’s nice to hear ‘Hearts could win the league at Tynecastle’ because I don’t know how many people can say that in their lifetime.
“But we probably need to win two games or make sure we get four points in the next two games to win the league.”
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