CELTIC fans spilled out from the stands and onto the pitch after watching their team secure three points against Motherwell in the most dramatic of fashions.
Matt O’Riley, just a few hours after sealing a new contract at the club, popped up at the back post with a crucial late winner at Fir Park.
The Hoops thought they had won the game through Luis Palma just a few minutes prior, only for Blair Spittal to equalise for Motherwell.
Some home fans ran onto the pitch after that goal but were quickly ushered back to their seats.
Up stepped O’Riley as he ghosted in unmarked to volley home from Greg Taylor’s cross.
Cue scenes of utter ecstasy in the stands – which ended up spilling onto the pitch.
Several Hoops supporters jumped the barriers in the away end to celebrate, with stewards rushing to keep them from entering the field of play.
The same sort of thing threatened to happen after the full-time whistle was blown just a few seconds later.
Brendan Rodgers raced on to the pitch with his arms aloft but concurrently there was a surge of away fans who’d made their way back on to the trackside – and started taunting the home support, with missiles thrown.
Pictures and eye witness accounts show missiles from the Well fans were also thrown back at the visiting supporters.
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In terms of the football, the Hoops toiled for much of the match, enjoying more possession than the home side but struggling to break them down.
On the flip side, Stuart Kettlewell’s side looked composed when in possession themselves and would’ve felt hard done by when Palma’s cross-come-shot evaded the touches of everyone in the box to nestle in the far corner.
That was in the 87th minute and as the game moved into stoppage time, the hosts pressed for an equaliser.
Blair Spittal provided that in the 95th minute and the home supporters were elated as they had thought they’d grabbed a point.
The Hoops had other ideas though and as the Well switched off at the back, O’Riley was there in the 97th minute to pounce and he ran towards to travelling support and slid on his knees.
This morning after his contract extension was announced, O’Riley said: “It’s probably hard to put it into a short sentence but I think everybody knows how much I enjoy playing here, especially at Celtic Park because I don’t think you get that anywhere else.
“I think it’s important going into training every day really enjoying the company of your team-mates, being able to have a laugh and being able to push each other as well.
“If you’ve got a good relationship off the pitch, it naturally makes it easier to demand high standards from each other, and right now I think we’ve got a real good balance of youth and experience.
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“I’m still pretty young but I’m probably in the middle of that because we’ve got a young team, but that dynamic and balance is really helpful.”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
