Callum McGregor called Kelechi Iheanacho’s controversial 99th-minute penalty at Fir Park the biggest moment he has ever witnessed in a Celtic shirt after the striker’s late winner beat Motherwell and put the champions on the brink of five-in-a-row.
The midfielder said he was shellshocked after the match as Celtic made it six league wins in a row and moved to within one victory of sealing the title against Hearts at Parkhead on Saturday. The result means Celtic’s fate is back in their own hands, with McGregor saying the club can now take the race to the last day if needed.
Celtic’s late surge has been one of the defining features of the season. They have already taken 19 points from goals scored after the 80th minute, a figure that underlines how often they have found a way through when time was running out. McGregor said that quality has been central to the team’s response during a stretch in which every game carried the weight of a must-win.
“I thought it was a good game. Motherwell started well and then I thought we got control when we scored, but it was a game which ebbed and flowed,” McGregor said. He added that the players had been pushed physically and emotionally and were still recovering from the weekend before being asked to reach the same level again on Wednesday night.
Motherwell were left furious by the contentious VAR decision that led to the penalty, but Celtic’s captain said the visitors had earned the win over the balance of the match. He said there was a spell before the second goal when the side looked “a wee bit leggy,” and credited the fans for driving the team on once they equalised.
“The fans drove us on. Once we equalised, we then go on the ascendency again and it's a hallmark of this team where they just never know when they're beat,” he said.
The significance of the victory goes beyond one night at Fir Park. McGregor has now lifted 24 major honours in green and white, and he said the current group had been under pressure for two or three months because they had to win every game to keep the title charge alive. He traced the comeback to late December, when Celtic were back involved in the race, and said the squad had responded to that demand with the chance now to finish the job at home.
“I can't wait. We obviously knew it was going to be tight. Our aim was to take it to the last day. It’s in our hands and that’s all we can ask for,” McGregor said. If Celtic beat Hearts on Saturday, they will clinch five-in-a-row and turn a season shaped by late goals and sustained pressure into another title celebration.
