Motherwell were robbed of a point against Celtic on Saturday afternoon, with the visitors scoring a minute after Blair Spittal’s leveller in the dying minutes of the game.
It might have been an early kick-off but it was the late show as all three goals came in the last 12 minutes of the game, as for the third time ‘Well were left out of luck and pointless despite another stirring performance.
With four minutes of regulation time remaining Celtic opened the scoring when an inswinging cross from Luis Palma bounced past Kelly to give Celtic a lead and potential winner they scarcely deserved.
Motherwell’s never-say-die attitude was rewarded four minutes into added on time when Blair Spittal squeezed the ball past Scott Bain for the equaliser.
A deserved point seemed certain, but the Steelmen were stunned once agin in the 97th minute when Matt O’Riley fired the ball high into the corner of the goal for a winner that had looked most unlikely until the closing stages.
Until then Motherwell had more than matched the Parkhead men and had the better of the chances with Bain making a couple of last gasp saves and deny the Fir Park men a lead their play probably deserved.
Stuart Kettlewell stood by the starting eleven which was unfortunate not to take a deserved point from Ibrox last week as his side faced the other half of the Old Firm. That allowed Theo Bair to retain the sole striker’s role, with Connor Wilkinson and Oli Shaw having to settle for a place on the bench.
In his previous term as Celtic manager, Brendan Rodgers found Fir Park a difficult venue, claiming only one win in four visits. And this encounter proved no different for the returning Parkhead boss.
‘Well kicked off this midday fixture to a deafening backdrop as both sets of fans anticipated a closely contested match on a perfect pitch for football.
With Celtic setup to use the full width of the pitch, Kettelwell’s men aimed to keep things tight with five across the back when visitors pressed forward.
And so it proved in the opening spell.
In the 15th minute a lengthy delay followed as Reo Hatate received treatment after Callum Slattery’s high boot caught him in the face. The ‘Well midfield man was shown a yellow card by Willie Collum but only after the referee had checked the extent of the injury.
Minutes after the restart the home side produced the first effort on either goal when in packed box from Stephen O’Donnel’s long throw, Spittal’s overhead kick sailed over Scott Bain’s crossbar.
Matt O’Riley felt it was time that Celtic should open their account but his ambitious effort from 35 yards was high and wide of Liam Kelly’s goal.
By the half hour mark the busiest person on the pitch was the referee, who had both sets of players and fans urging some response as a series of petty fouls went unpunished.
With 33 minutes played Kyogo Furuhashi got his first glimpse of goal but from the edge of the box Kelly remained untroubled as the shot curled wide of the post.
Three minutes later the Fir Park side came close to breaking the stalemate.
A quick free kick wide on the right sent Harry Paton racing into the Celtic box. From a tight angle he aimed the ball low past the advancing Bain only to watch the ‘keeper’s outstretched foot prevent the opening goal.
Six minutes from half-time the Parkhead men had their best chance to test Kelly with a free kick 22 yards from goal. But the exchange between Kyogo and O’Riley came to nothing as the latter sent a weak shot into the ‘Well defensive wall.
Just before the four minutes of added time O’Riley finally forced a save from Kelly from but his tame trundling shot was easily smothered by the ‘Well ‘keeper.
Motherwell ended a very even first half with another goal threat. Spittal’s cute backhealer at the corner of the box allowed Brodie Spencer to dart towards the byeline before whipping the ball across the face of the Celtic goal with nobody in claret and amber to knock it into the net.
Rodgers, clearly frustrated with Celtic’s first half performance, brought on James Forrest for the start of the second half.
A floating header from Gustaf Lagerbielke gave Kelly an easy save before Bain was put under pressure at the other end.
A slick 1-2 with Bair at edge of the box allowed Spittal to break into the box but before he could shoot the ball was nicked off his toes for a corner. From the rehearsed corner kick Slattery floated the ball out to Spittal who quickly directed it back into a packed box.
Bair’s nod sent the ball high towards goal and as Bain leapt to claim it under his cross bar, Bevis Mugabi’s presence unsettled the Celtic ‘keeper. As the ball dropped onto the line Mugabi and Bair combined to force the ball into the net only for the referee to award a free kick to the visitor’s. To the annoyance of ‘Well fans, the mandatory VAR check backed up the ref’s decision.
On the hour mark Bain was tested again, firmly holding Bair’s volley after great build up play from the home side.
Play was still flowing from end to end and Kelly was at full stretch to clutch and hold Daizen Maeda’s powerful angled drive.
Twenty minutes from time Kettlewell made a double substitution, with the fans appreciating the efforts of Bair and O’Donnell as they swapped places with Oli Shaw and Pape Souare.
And almost immediately Bain denied Well again, this time his outstretched boot deflecting Spittal’s low shot after a clever ball from Slattery had split open the ‘keeper’s defence.
With the game entering its final 10 minutes and a tired looking Steelmen pinned into their own half Celtic found a couple of openings.
Firstly, Palma curled in a cross which found Forrest unmarked and his powerful header from 10 yards forced Kelly into a fine flying save.
Then with four minutes remaining, Palma curled another ball into a packed box and although there were claims for a touch, the ball bounced past Kelly and into the corner of his net for a real sickener.
To their credit the ‘Well players picked themselves up and after forcing a corner, Spittal found space in the box to direct a low shot across Bain and into the far corner for what seemed a deserved share of the points.
But in a pulsating end to the game Celtic found the net again. Greg Taylor’s deep cross looked to beyond everyone but O’Riley lurking beyond the far post steered the ball high past Kelly for the winner and leave Kettlewell’s men empty handed for a third successive game.
