BHOYS LAND A TIMELY BLOW
Last-minute hero Abada gives Celtic a shot at going top after derby
LIEL ABADA will score better goals in his career but he might never score one that assaults the senses with greater force.
For sure Abada’s ears will surely never again absorb the kind of noise that greeted the last-minute winner that took Celtic to within two points of the Premiership summit.
Seconds of the 90 minutes remained as the little Israeli lashed the ball beyond Dundee United’s Benjamin Siegrist and the resultant roar reached a crescendo fuelled by elation and relief.
Abada was booked for ripping his shirt off as he ran off to celebrate but team-mates Jota and Josip Juranovic escaped censure, probably because referee Euan Anderson just wouldn’t have seen them as they leapt deep into the crowd near the opposite corner.
Nowhere near their punchy best and reduced to ten men following Nir Bitton’s cheap red card, Ange Postecoglou’s men looked to have been thwarted by a combination of poor finishing and fine goalkeeping from Siegrist.
But thanks to Abada’s composure the gap to league leaders Rangers is now only two points and sets up a tantalising opportunity to go top for the first time since August if they can maximise home advantage and win this Wednesday’s Old Firm clash.
Celtic have developed a reputation for blowing themselves out early in games so the ability to succeed was a victory for stamina and persistence.
It’s not unusual to see Postecoglou’s Celtic start a game at electrifying pace but pre-match there was a palpable charge around the stadium as the support sensed an opportunity to get touch tight to Rangers.
Ross County’s late equaliser in the lunchtime kick-off in Dingwall was celebrated loudly by the supporters already inside the ground around 35 minutes before the match began and the buzz grew as kick-off approached.
Even the solemn moment that saw Postecoglou and club captain Callum McGregor lay a wreath in memory of Wim Jansen morphed into a celebration through a minute’s applause for the club’s former manager.
Joining the applause was another of the club’s former managers, Brendan Rodgers making a low-key return to the ground for the first time since his sudden flit to Leicester City three years ago.
After a draining night at Tynecastle, Postecoglou opted to swap out full-backs Juranovic and Liam Scales, with winger Jota also rested as he continues his recovery from injury.
United boss Tam Courts has not had his troubles to seek lately. Already shorn of first-choice defenders Ryan Edwards and Charlie Mulgrew, he lost midfield lynchpin Jeando Fuchs in a transfer to Peterborough on the eve of this match.
Yet his side showed plenty of early intent on the counter. Carl Starfelt had to keep a close eye on Nicky Clark as he challenged for a near-post header and then Ian Harkes indicated a swift attack that ended in Adrian Sporle lashing a shot narrowly wide of Joe Hart’s goal.
While United were at it, Celtic looked a little flat. Maybe it was no coincidence that the fresh legs of Tony Ralston and Abada combined to carve out the first real chance, the latter jinking his way into an angled shooting position which required Siegrist to improvise the save.
A lovely piece of invention from Matt O’Riley saw the midfielder spring Abada on another right-wing raid and the little Israeli picked out Giorgos Giakoumakis at the near post.
Siegrist again did well to save but took a sore one from the big striker in the act of preventing the goal. The Swiss recovered and was soon repelling a long-range drive from O’Riley, who then really ought to have scored when James Forrest laid on the best chance of the half. The ex-MK Dons man had time to size up the shot but skewed his shot wide.
Clearly unhappy with the tempo, Postecoglou switched it up at half-time. Off came Scales and Forrest to be replaced by Juranovic and Jota.
Jota provided an opportunity for O’Riley to head goalward but Siegrist continued his one-man resistance to claw the ball away. Even better was the point-blank stop that kept out Giakoumakis. Juranovic used the wind to hold up a high pass into the run of Jota down the left and the Portuguese slid a lovely cut-back that begged the Greek striker to grab the moment.
The finish was firm but, diving the wrong way, Siegrist managed to stick out a leg and divert it over.
Postecoglou turned to 16-year-old Ben Doak for his next change, also introducing Greg Taylor as Reo Hatate and Ralston were sacrificed.
An act of stupidity from Bitton (left) threatened to cut Celtic’s goal search dead. Handed the responsibility of captaining the side, the 30-year-old lost his composure to pick up a stupid red card, and not for the first time in his Celtic career.
Already on a booking after a cynical foul on Tony Watt, Bitton desperately hauled Declan Glass to the ground as United broke.
The situation arose after Taylor was caught on the ball amid a swarm of three United players and Bitton’s protestation to the referee seemed to revolve around the allegation that his team-mate was fouled first.
In truth, referee Anderson was left with little option but to produce a second yellow card.
And yet Celtic would not be denied. There were not quite 90 minutes on the clock when Jota hit the byline for one last time and stood up a cross that begged to be attacked.
Taken off in the wake of Bitton’s red card, Giakoumakis was not there to attack the ball. Yet neither was there a United defender.
Instead, the ball dropped to the shortest man on the pitch. Abada took a touch to set himself for a rising finish that just about blew the roof off the stadium.