Celtic boss Martin O’Neill has reacted as his team beat Livingston in the Scottish Premiership thanks to a late Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain winner.
The Bhoys close the gap to Hearts to six points and after Celtic’s late win against Livingston drew cheers of celebratory relief from the Parkhead stands
Reacting to the win, O’Neill was delighted as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain saves Celtic’s title defence as the Hoops boss told Celtic TV, “Well, it was a late again for us, but in all honesty, we should have been three up, four up in the first 15 minutes of the game.
“We get one, and it’s never enough. It’s never enough. And we allow them back into the game with a penalty kick.
“And then, you know, we’re driving and driving and driving looks as if you know might not happen, then Alex comes up with a wonder goal.
“Wonder goal from someone who has been a very special player. You’re right to say that after 15 minutes, it was perhaps hard to believe that the game could get to the stage.
“It was at 1-1. It could have been out of sight. Slightly frustrated that we didn’t push on after the opener. Well, it’s not so much we didn’t. I do think they pushed on. I think that we had opportunities.
“I think there was two where we broke once, and Maeda has played it right across the penalty box, and it’s like a tap in for someone.
“So we go to them, and we might be fine, but it is, you know, it’s all tense, and it’s, it’s all of those particular things. And I’d never felt that Livingston were ever out of it, never out of the game in that sense.
“And they played to their strengths, which is absolutely fine, and we have to deal with that as well, too. And they get the penalty kick and and then, you know, we’re trying to crowd them.
“Sometimes we, you know, we go three or four more passes trying to take players on in the edge of the penalty area, all those particular things to try and break down what essentially was like a 10 man defence. That’s fine. There’s nothing wrong with it.
“But it was just a wonder goal, as I say, from a special player.”
Results across Scotland keep Celtic’s title defence on track
Celtic needed to win to keep the pressure on Hearts and Rangers at the top of the Scottish Premiership this week.
Who is your Celtic man of the match after the win against Livingston?
Photo by WM Sport Media/Getty Images
With Hearts beating Hibs 24 hours earlier, the Tynecastle club laid down a marker to Celtic as Derek McInnes continues his relentless pursuit of the title.
Rangers drew with Motherwell at Fir Park to go just one point clear of Celtic as the Bhoys reduce the gap to their Glasgow rivals.
With games running out, Celtic fans will be nervously looking at their next run of fixtures to see where the gap to Rangers and Hearts can be closed further.
Celtic’s next three Scottish Premiership fixtures
Celtic face a real battle to successfully defend their title with a six-point gap to close at the top of the Scottish Premiership table.
However, O’Neill can close that gap if Celtic win their next three fixtures in the coming weeks, including a huge game against Rangers at Ibrox.
Sunday 15th February: Kilmarnock vs CelticSunday 22nd February: Celtic vs HibernianSunday 1st March: Rangers vs Celtic
O’Neill knows that Celtic must take maximum points from these next three games if Celtic are to have any hope of retaining the title at the end of the season.
After this result, Celtic fans will be more confident that O’Neill can work his magic to salvage this season as the Bhoys’ bizarre season continues to create headlines.
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