Celtic's Dramatic Late Winner Secures Vital Victory Over Kilmarnock
Martin O'Neill hailed Celtic's indomitable spirit after witnessing his team score a late winner for the third consecutive match, securing a thrilling 3-2 comeback victory against Kilmarnock. However, the veteran manager confessed that the emotional rollercoaster of the past week has left him feeling utterly drained.
A Rollercoaster Match at Rugby Park
The champions found themselves in a precarious position after first-half goals from Kilmarnock's Tyreece John-Jules and Joe Hugill put the visitors on the ropes. Celtic's resilience shone through in the second period, with Sebastian Tounekti and Benjamin Nygren netting crucial goals to level the score. The drama peaked in the 97th minute when Julian Araujo blasted home the decisive winner, ensuring Celtic kept their Premiership title aspirations firmly alive.
This victory follows similarly dramatic late triumphs over Dundee in the Scottish Cup and Livingston in the league. O'Neill expressed immense pride in his team's never-say-die attitude but issued a stark warning that they cannot continually rely on such heart-stopping finishes.
O'Neill's Emotional Admission
The 73-year-old manager drew parallels with his past successes, stating: 'Twenty-odd years ago, I managed a really fine team, got loads of spirit, loads of determination, always saw it to the end. There were many of the same traits here about this side. They've shown fantastic character.'
He added with candour: 'It's both worrying me and, well, it's not great for my health, but, overall, if that's the way you have to win the games, you have to win them like that. But you just can't keep doing that. I must be ecstatic, but also drained, really draining.'
Half-Time Changes Spark Turnaround
While Araujo emerged as the match-winner, O'Neill revealed the on-loan Bournemouth player was among several who underperformed in a dismal first half. The manager made three strategic substitutions at the interval to ignite the comeback, admitting he could have justifiably changed even more players.
'Really poor first half, from our viewpoint,' O'Neill analysed. 'Could we have made seven changes at the time? Seb Tounekti comes on, scores a great goal, gives us a little bit of width, he's going to take people on. I had thought about maybe starting Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, not sure in terms of fitness and things. He's come on, he's just an absolutely class player. And big Tomas Cvancara comes on, what a turn for the final goal. So it was great to see them making big impacts second half.'
Regarding Araujo's contribution, O'Neill noted: 'He did great to arrive there in the box at that time. I haven't seen it back the first time, but some of the lads were telling me he still had to put it into the net. So well done to him. He made up for some of his first-half recklessness.'
Kilmarnock Boss Furious with Collapse
Kilmarnock manager Neil McCann was visibly angry with his team's inability to hold onto a two-goal lead, marking another painful late defeat. 'I'm angry because I truly believe we deserved something from the game,' McCann fumed. 'Clearly Celtic are going to come at us in the second half. They had lots of substitutions to put us under a bit of pressure but I still felt we were right in the game.'
He criticised the defensive lapses: 'It's taken a bit of brilliance from Tounekti to get them back into the game. The second goal, it's so disappointing. We lost three goals against St Mirren where it was just second balls bouncing in the box and we didn't deal with it. The last one's the sorest, clearly because it's right at the end of the game and there's a minute left.'
McCann also questioned the officials' decision to add seven minutes of stoppage-time, remarking: 'I'm not quite sure where they get seven minutes from. They seem to just make that up these days.'
This victory propels Celtic forward in their title chase, but O'Neill's health concerns highlight the intense pressure of managing at the highest level. The team's remarkable spirit continues to deliver results, yet the manager's admission serves as a poignant reminder of the personal toll exacted by such relentless drama.
