Celtic manager Martin O’Neill has lavished praise on Kelechi Iheanacho after the Nigerian striker produced yet another decisive moment as the Scottish Premiership title race enters its most dramatic phase. Speaking to BBC Scotland, O’Neill highlighted Iheanacho’s impact in the role he has been given, describing the forward as invaluable during a period when Celtic’s campaign has demanded sharp, timely interventions.
“Iheanacho has been terrific for us with the little cameo roles that he’s done,” O’Neill said. He added that while the season has been difficult for the player because of hamstring troubles, the forward has still stepped up when it matters most, particularly in recent weeks.
“He’s had a really frustrating time this season with hamstring problems, but he has come up big for us in these weeks, absolutely big, and he was the one taking the penalty. I was delighted that he was the one who was taking it,” O’Neill added.
Iheanacho’s biggest contribution came on Wednesday night at Fir Park, where Celtic edged past Motherwell 3-2 in a chaotic encounter that swung multiple times. The Super Eagles forward scored a controversial penalty in the 99th minute to secure the win and keep Celtic firmly in the hunt for the title.
Motherwell had started brightly, taking the lead in the 17th minute when Elliot Watt punished slack defending to put the home side ahead. Celtic appeared to struggle at several points after that, with the match threatening to drift away from them as the hosts looked increasingly comfortable.
However, the tide turned after the break. Daizen Maeda and Benjamin Nygren struck to reverse the momentum, putting Celtic in front and giving the visitors a 2-1 advantage. With the momentum seemingly swinging towards the away side, the contest looked set to follow a more straightforward path.
That changed again with just five minutes remaining. Liam Gordon levelled for Motherwell in the 85th minute, and at that stage it looked as though rivals Heart of Midlothian were on course to take control of the championship race. Celtic’s late hopes were hanging by a thread as the game entered stoppage time.
Deep into added time, referee John Beaton was sent to the VAR monitor following claims that Motherwell defender Sam Nicholson handled the ball inside the box. After reviewing the incident, the official pointed to the spot, a decision that sparked furious protests from the home side. Iheanacho then stepped up and converted the penalty, delivering the late strike that kept Celtic’s title charge alive.
