By Daily Review Online
Kelechi Iheanacho emerged the hero for Celtic F.C. after converting a dramatic stoppage-time penalty to seal a 3-2 victory over Motherwell F.C. in a tense Scottish Premiership clash that has set up a thrilling final-day title showdown.
The Nigerian forward’s late strike sparked wild celebrations among Celtic supporters, with fans storming the pitch at full-time after the champions kept their title hopes alive. The victory means Celtic must now defeat league leaders Heart of Midlothian F.C. on the final day of the season to retain the Scottish Premiership crown.
The decisive penalty, awarded after a VAR review for handball against former Hearts midfielder Sam Nicholson, has triggered fierce criticism from Hearts manager Derek McInnes.
McInnes described the decision as “disgusting” and accused officials of favouring Celtic, insisting his side had earlier been denied similar calls in previous matches.
Hearts had appeared on course to move three points clear at the top after cruising to a 3-0 victory over Falkirk through goals from Frankie Kent, Cammy Devlin and Blair Spittal. However, Iheanacho’s late intervention dramatically altered the title equation.
The Hearts boss said his players were prepared for the pressure of a title decider at Celtic Park, adding that his team would not shy away from the challenge despite the intimidating atmosphere expected from more than 60,000 home fans.
The final-day encounter between Hearts and Celtic is now expected to determine the destination of the Scottish Premiership title in one of the league’s most dramatic finishes in recent years.