Martin O’Neill hailed Celtic’s spirit after watching them rating a late winner for the third time in as many video games — however admitted this previous week within the dugout has left him drained.
First-half objectives from Kilmarnock’s Tyreece John-Jules and Joe Hugill had the guests on the ropes, earlier than Sebastian Tounekti and Benjamin Nygren netted within the second interval. Julian Araujo blasted house the winner within the 97th minute to make sure the champions stored their title hopes alive with a 3-2 win.
Following dramatic late victories over Dundee within the Scottish Cup and Livingston within the Premiership, O’Neill was delighted together with his staff’s resilience however admitted they will’t maintain doing issues the exhausting means.
The 73-year-old mentioned: ‘Twenty-odd years in the past, I managed a very positive staff, bought a great deal of spirit, a great deal of willpower, at all times noticed it to the top.
‘There have been many (of the identical) traits right here about this aspect. They’ve proven implausible character.
‘It’s each worrying me and, effectively, it’s not nice for my well being, however, general, if that’s the way in which you need to win the video games, you need to win them like that. However you simply can’t maintain doing that. I should be ecstatic, but in addition drained, actually draining.’
Martin O’Neill goes by the complete gamut of feelings in Celtic’s 3-2 victory over Kilmarnock
Julian Araujo celebrates his winner within the seventh minute of stoppage time at Rugby Park
Whereas Araujo was the hero, O’Neill admitted the on-loan Bournemouth man was considered one of many who did not impress within the first half.
He made three modifications on the interval to spark a turnaround, however insisted he might have hooked lots extra.
‘Actually poor first half, from our viewpoint,’ he mentioned. ‘May we now have made seven modifications on the time?
‘Seb (Tounekti) comes on, scores an excellent aim, offers us slightly little bit of width, he’s going to take folks on.
‘I had considered perhaps beginning Alex (Oxlade-Chamberlain), undecided by way of health and issues. He’s come on, he’s simply a completely class participant.
‘And large Tomas Cvancara comes on, what a flip for the ultimate aim. So it was nice to see them making large impacts second half.’
Requested about Araujo, he added: ‘He did nice to reach there within the field at the moment. I haven’t seen it again the primary time, however a number of the lads have been telling me he nonetheless needed to put it into the web. So effectively completed to him. He made up for a few of his first-half recklessness.’
Killie boss Neil McCann was livid with the way of the objectives conceded.
Kilmarnock boss Neil McCann was offended on the means his staff let a two-goal lead slip away
‘I’m offended as a result of I really imagine we deserved one thing from the sport,’ he mentioned. ‘Clearly Celtic are going to return at us within the second half.
‘That they had a lot of substitutions to place us below a little bit of strain however I nonetheless felt we have been proper within the sport.
‘It’s taken a little bit of brilliance from Tounekti to get them again into the sport. The second aim, it’s so disappointing.
‘We misplaced three objectives in opposition to St Mirren the place it was simply second balls bouncing within the field and we didn’t cope with it.
‘The final one’s the sorest, clearly as a result of it’s proper on the finish of the sport and there’s a minute left.’
On the officers including seven minutes stoppage-time, McCann mentioned: ‘I’m not fairly positive the place they get seven minutes from. They appear to only make that up lately.’
