Celtic

Image source, SNS

"Anybody in my position would be scared of that moment."

Kelechi Iheanacho's calm persona belied heart-thumping fear amid the most intense pressure of reviving Celtic's title hopes.

The striker coolly slotted home a contentious penalty deep into added time at Fir Park to secure a crucial 3-2 victory over Motherwell.

It ensured Martin O'Neill's will win the Premiership title on Saturday if they beat Hearts – rather than having to triumph by three goals.

"You don't want to know what my heart was saying at that moment," said 29-year-old Iheanacho.

"My heartbeat was high. It was really high. I don't know about the fans but my heartbeat was really high.

"It was a pressure moment and I just needed to keep calm and focus and just put it in the back of the net. It was big pressure and a big moment so I'm happy we got through that.

"I think my team-mates fancied me to do that. It's one of the biggest moments in my career.

"The keeper was teasing me a bit but I didn't change my mind. I just kept my cool and went there."

Celtic have not topped the table since September but have now won six successive league games to turn up the pressure on long-time leaders Hearts.

Iheanacho said: "It will be a massive moment for the club. Since this season, Hearts has been one of the strongest teams in the league. It's going to be a very, very difficult game.

"It's a title challenge game. They're going to come out with everything to win the title. We need to be ready to face that.

"It's going to take for us to have this fighting spirit of winning trophies, fighting together as a team, working together as a team to win.

"We've had that all season, so we just take that in on Saturday. It's like a cup final, so we'll give everything."

David Currie
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Image source, SNS

Former manager Wilfried Nancy has given his first interview since his 33-day Celtic tenure ended in January.

Here are the key points from his chat on the Training Ground Guru podcast:, external

• Despite losing six of eight games and being sacked a month into a two-and-a-half year deal, Nancy describes his time at Celtic as "a beautiful experience".

• "I do my job with passion and I look for players with passion and this club, the fans and the city, we feel it, it's been amazing for that," he said. "Obviously things could have been better, but life is about moments. On refection when I went there it was not a good moment."

• He has "no bad words about my time there", adding: "It's part of my journey. I am at peace with myself with what happened. That's why I can take it in a good way."

• The Frenchman says it is a "a no-brainer that I didn't have enough time" as he was brought in to change the culture. "We had a plan because I also did my due diligence," he said. "My idea was not to change everything but step by step to bring something new but after that the pressure, it's so huge, it happens the way it happens."

• Nancy had "huge" support from the club hierarchy but: "After that it's the results and in our job if you don't get the results it's difficult."

• He wanted to turn off Sky Sports News on club property: "I had discussions with people at the club about it. When you come into a facility the TV is on and you get unconsciously information and pressure and pressure. When results are bad and you come into a safe environment and you get news about the players were not good and the coaches were not good, 'I think you should be doing this', that's why this job is difficult, that's why the safe environment is important."

• Nancy says he was "destroyed" for using a tactics board during games but insists: "I will use it again because it's a tool. Because I am visual and sometimes when there is emotion and pressure it's easier to show we are going to attack like this and sometimes because there's a lack of translation because I'm French it is easier."

• On the Venn diagram from his X account - showing overlap on things that matter and things you can control - that went viral: "I didn't do it on purpose, my wife wasn't happy with me, she said I was trending on Twitter. I just put the image I had on the dressing room at Columbus Crew instead of an emoji on my WhatsApp."

• Ex-Rangers manager Russell Martin has reached out to him: "I respect him as a person but also as a coach. What he did at Southampton was amazing, especially when he was in the Premier league, because I remember games he played in a certain way. He has a way to see football that I like. It's a weird story and a funny story because we were together in Glasgow and didn't succeed over there. It doesn't mean we are good or bad, but that this is part of our journey."

Tino
Fan writer

We can breathe again. We're still in it.

After 96 minutes on at Fir Park on Wednesday night Celtic were all but out of the title reckoning, so it's a huge relief to be back in the mix.

My initial response to the late drama was Auston Trusty had gone down easily, and I was screaming at him to get back up so we could take another throw-in.

But the more the replays were shown, the commentary team were saying "Oh, hold on a minute I think there's a hand here," and so it proved.

The timing, intensity and occasion has magnified everything but it's a penalty and I think it's quite clear. The only guy in the world that really knows is Sam Nicholson.

Derek McInnes has fuelled the narrative that 'everyone's out to get' Hearts. Why would anyone at the SFA want Celtic or Rangers to win it more than Hearts?

Hearts have come so close and they've still got a big shot at it on Saturday, but there's no grand conspiracy here, it's just football playing out.

Hearts' record against Celtic this season is very impressive but that record isn't against Martin O'Neill's Celtic.

O'Neill's Celtic drew 2-2 at Tynecastle and they've now got the chance to get the job done in front of 59,000 Celtic fans, a handful of Hearts fans.

I have confidence in my team. I think Celtic will get the job done on Saturday.

It's been exciting, it's been up and down, it's been horrendous at times for Celtic, but we're somehow still in the mix.

I can't wait until Saturday and I hope the narrative moves on from the handball, it's been and gone. It's now a straight shootout for the title and that's as exciting as anyone could hope it to be.

Tino can be found at The Celtic Exchange, external

The fallout from Celtic's 99th-minute highly contentious penalty winner at Fir Park rumbles on.

With the score tied at 2-2, referee John Beaton, after being sent for an onfield review, judged Motherwell defender Sam Nicholson to have handled the ball inside the box and awarded a spot-kick.

Celtic striker Kelechi Iheanacho converted to keep Martin O'Neill's side one point behind leaders Hearts and take the title race to a final-day showdown between the two at Parkhead.

Former Hearts manager Robbie Neilson told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast: "I think it's the magnitude of the decision, the repercussions of it.

"I think in any other game of the season you probably can't say bad decision but because of the repercussions of it, and what was at stake at that point, at that minute in the game, not just for Hearts but also for Motherwell.

"It wasn't a clear and obvious error by a referee so why is VAR getting involved? That's the big question.

"It's a massive swing in the game and it's a hugely controversial decision. This is a decision that will get talked about for years to come."

Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton wrote on X, external: "Now the dust has settled. The reaction from many high profile people is way over the top.

"John Beaton was advised to go to the monitor and saw that the ball hit the arm in an unnatural position. Bottom line is people would hate to see Celtic win the title again and that is all."

Former Premiership referee Steve Conroy told BBC Radio Scotland: "It's a nonsense to think anybody could say that that was a deliberate attempt at a handball.

"This is an indication of a systemic failure from the SFA in how we deal with VAR. They have not got to grips with it. The same mistakes happen every week, the same officials are making these mistakes."

The Herald football writer Stephen McGowantold the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast: "I just think we've jumped through the looking glass with handball rule now.

"You take away the tribalism that surrounds this issue and nobody has a clue what the rule really is and when VAR should be getting involved.

"Can I say definitively that was a handball last night? No. Can I say definitively it was not a handball? No. Can anyone say that with absolute certainty? No. Least of all the officials.

"Therefore you get to the point where you say, should VAR really be getting involved in that? Now I've seen some more angles the ball has struck his hand, but as I say, it is not definitive in any shape or form."

Celtic fans, we asked for your views on Wednesday night's dramatic late win at Motherwell that set up a title decider at home to Hearts on Saturday.

Here's what some of you said:

Albert: What an end for the Scottish Premiership, the title race down to the wire in Glasgow on Saturday after Celtic's resilience v Motherwell. Celtic players must be congratulated for their never-say-die attitude to win the game in the final seconds.

John: My favourite saying this season has been "grinding out results" every week. Yet again this was heart-stopping stuff. But here we are, last game and in our own hands. Just one more grind required. I said previously this would be the best-ever league win if we can do it on Saturday. If they play like they did against Rangers I think we will win the league.

Joe: The ball can hit a head and a hand at the same time. Even if the ball only brushed a fingertip, it is still a handball. Rules are rules. Last I checked elbows to the head are also against the rules. Whether its a dead rubber or a title deciding game. The rules don't change.

Rupert: It feels destined. Every single VAR decision seems to be landing our way, and that's the kind of luck you need to win a title. It's our league now - we are inevitable.

Mike: Many Celtic players too often not good enough. Very frustrating. Motherwell by contrast, playing with intelligence and guile - with players that cost a fraction of ours. Thought Martin O'Neill's subs were poor. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain should have been deployed in a midfield that was crying out for quality.

Ian: I can't believe we've got the chance to win it all at Celtic Park. It's been the season from hell but it could end with Martin O'Neill's finest moment. If we can win on Saturday, it'll be a season like no other.

Bob: The chips are down for Celtic. It's winner takes all on Saturday. Daizen Maeda, Benjamin Nygren, Hyun-jun Yang and James Forrest must all start. Negative Brendan-ball tactics are a guaranteed loser. Whatever happens, it's the end of an era for this team. A complete rebuild is required and the new manager has his work cut out.

Image source, SNS

Celtic remain keen on Hibernian midfielder Miguel Chaiwa, but face competition from Genoa, Toulouse and Club Brugge for the 21-year-old's signature. (Rudy Galetti on X), external

Celtic-linked Scotland defender Scott McKenna shook off an injury scare to start Dinamo Zagreb's Croatian Cup final victory over Reijka on Wednesday. (The Herald), external

Read the rest of Thursday's Scottish gossip.

Watch all the highlights as Celtic were awarded a late penalty at Motherwell to seal a 3-2 win and take the title race to the final day. Available to UK users only.

Image source, SNS

Celtic captain Callum McGregor tells Sky Sports: "That's huge, a special character had to take the penalty in that pressure.

"The team were, again, working so hard, and you just think it's going to go away from you, and you just get your mind ready, don't lose the game and let's go have the shootout at the weekend and see what happens.

"But with this team, how many goals have we scored in the last minute?

"Sometimes you need things to drop for you if you're going to win titles, especially with how far we've come from since late December to still be in it, now with it all in your own hands.

"We deserve to take it to the last day."

Celtic match-winner Kelechi Iheanacho tells Sky Sports: "To be fair, I don't have words, I don't know how, but we've done it.

"As you can see, the fans are still shouting, and we're happy, and we have one more to go.

"We need to get back now and focus on that.

"I just kept cool, and it's scary, but thankfully we got the victory, so we're happy."

Celtic secured an incredible title lifeline as Kelechi Iheanacho's controversially awarded 99th-minute penalty earned a win at Motherwell that leaves them a point behind Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts before the sides meet in Glasgow on Saturday.

Read the match report here.

Have your say here.

Image source, SNS

Celtic manager Martin O'Neill tells BBC Scotland: "That's what we wanted to do at the beginning of the week to try and take it into the final game of the season, and the players have certainly done that. It was a magnificent effort today.

"We may not win it, but what we have done is that we have fought really impressively, I think, throughout these last number of weeks.

"When we lost at Tannadice, I keep going back to that, it was unimaginable for us to get back into the race in many aspects, thinking that you couldn't even drop a point, and for us to win the league, we couldn't drop a point from then on in.

"I think the players have shown enormous character, enormous character here to keep fighting right to the very, very end, and they've done that again, and we'll take hearts on Saturday.

"It could go either way, could go any way, but at least we've taken it to the final game.

"But listen, we're there, Hearts are a very, very good side and we have a fight on our hands, but we're going to try our utmost on Saturday. "

On the penalty incident, he adds: "Well, I have seen it back very, very briefly, it's a handball, it looks as if it's also an elbow to the side of the head as well.

"VAR have asked the referee to come over and have a look at it, and he's [had] no hesitation in giving the penalty."

Image source, SNS

Former Celtic captain Roy Aitken believes the club are peaking at the right time as they aim for their fifth Premiership title in a row.

Aitken captained the side in 1986 when the title race went down to the final day and Celtic were able to pip Hearts to glory on goal difference.

Now Celtic, currently a point behind before tonight's visit to Motherwell, are aiming to set up a final-day decider with the table-topping Tynecastle men, who host Falkirk.

Hearts had their first post-split slip-up at Motherwell last weekend, drawing 1-1, while Celtic's derby victory over Rangers extended their winning streak to six games.

"That year in 1986 we went eight games on the trot winning," Aitken told BBC Radio Scotland.

"It was only two points for a win as well. The fact Celtic have closed that gap on Hearts in the last few weeks, Celtic have momentum."

If Celtic get the title over the line it would be O'Neill's fourth as the club's manager and Aitken suggests the Northern Irishman would regard it as one of the sweetest.

"I think Martin would have it up there with his triumphs of the past," he added.

"Celtic have gone through a little bit of turmoil this season and had Martin stayed on during the period they had Wilfried Nancy, they might be in a totally different position.

"Celtic were given no chance during the course of this season, it's only now they're in the mix. It's been a fantastic achievement for him.

"He's a wily old fox, he's been there and done it before. He knows exactly what it's required. Celtic have momentum at the right time."