O'Neill lauds Celtic's 'raucous' Old Firm victory
Martin O'Neill revelled in Celtic's comeback victory over arch-rival Rangers in what was his final time overseeing an Old Firm derby.
O'Neill watched his team emerge 3-1 victor at Celtic Park, despite falling behind in the ninth minute when Mikey Moore finished past Viljami Sinisalo from close range.
Yang Hyun-Jun restored parity soon after and spurred on by the support of the home fans, Daizen Maeda's quick-fire brace, which included a stunning overhead kick, completed the comeback within 12 minutes of the restart.
The result proved crucial in the context of the Scottish Premiership title run-in, with Celtic moving to within one point of league leader Hearts with two games of the season left.
Hearts could still clinch the title on Thursday if they defeat Falkirk and Celtic falters away to Motherwell, but any other outcome would see the title race come down to a final-day showdown between the two title challengers next weekend.
"It was a big win for us and I thought we were terrific in the second half, coming from behind against big rivals," O'Neill said.
"I couldn't be more delighted. Certain individuals were magnificent. The captain [Callum McGregor] was magnificent and Daizen has pulled it through again.
"The midweek game is going to be extremely difficult – Motherwell are a fine team. We might fall short at the end of it all. Who knows?
"But it's been a fabulous effort and we are roared on here by a raucous crowd who I believe have carried us through a few times."
Celtic extended its winning run in the top flight to five matches, while it also picked up its first league win over Rangers since September 2024, ending a streak of six games without a win.
The Bhoys have also recovered 16 points from losing positions this season, with only Hearts having earned more.
Rangers, meanwhile, have now lost three consecutive league matches for the first time in more than 10 years.
"It is a very disappointing result," Rangers manager Danny Rohl said, "We started well, but then it's football and to take something everything has to be perfect and in some moments we made some wrong decisions.
"We have to learn in these key moments to be clinical and play without mistakes. We will learn from this.
"I will take a lot from the last three games to be prepared in the best way possible. I will lead this group, and I am clear about what we have to improve."
