Kelechi Iheanacho held his nerve when it mattered most as Celtic secured a dramatic 3-2 win over Motherwell with a stoppage-time penalty on Wednesday night…
With tensions rising inside Fir Park and Hoops supporters anxiously watching from behind the goal, the Celtic forward calmly converted from the spot in the closing moments to keep the Hoops’ title hopes alive.
The decisive penalty was awarded after Sam Nicholson was ruled to have handled the ball in the area, and Iheanacho admitted afterwards that the moment ranked among the most significant of his career.
Victory sends the Premiership title race to a final-day showdown against Hearts at Celtic Park, with Celtic knowing a win will seal the title.
Reflecting on the pressure of the moment, Iheanacho said via TCW: “You don’t want to know what my heart was saying at that moment. My heartbeat was high. It was really high. I don’t know about the fans, but my heartbeat was really high.
“It was a pressure moment and I just needed to keep calm and focus and just put it in the back of the net. It was big pressure and a big moment so I’m happy we got through that. That game is up there. It’s one of the biggest moments in my career.”
There was uncertainty over who would take the crucial kick, with both Arne Engels and Iheanacho in contention before the Nigerian stepped forward. Martin O’Neill later revealed he always backed the striker to score, and Iheanacho said his teammates shared the same confidence. “I think my teammates too fancied me,” the 29-year-old said. “But to be fair, anybody in my position would be scared of that moment. It’s now gone, and we need to just focus on the next one.”
Iheanacho also revealed he had already decided where he would place the penalty before beginning his run-up. “Yes, I had a thing before I came up,” he explained. “I just said I’m going to go there. I didn’t change my mind. The keeper was teasing me a bit, but I didn’t change my mind. I just kept my cool and went there.”
Conor Spence
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