Celtic’s Late-Late Show keeps title hopes alive

Araujo’s stoppage-time strike seals third consecutive comeback victory for the Hoops. Driving pundits and rivals to despair as Celtic are back in the fight.

Sunday was one of the most dramatic matchdays in Scottish football in recent memory. With Kilmarnock hosting Celtic and the top two, Hearts and Rangers, going head-to-head, it was a day destined to shake up the title race.

And it certainly delivered. Celtic once again left it late for the third game in a row to snatch a 3–2 victory at Rugby Park, thanks to a stunning 96th-minute winner from on-loan Bournemouth right-back Julian Araujo.

In what was Martin O’Neill’s 300th match as Celtic manager, it was not one for the faint of heart. The Northern Irishman’s ticker must have been working overtime as Kilmarnock led 2–0 at half-time through Tyreece John-Jules and Joe Hugill. It was a dominant 45 minutes from Killie, as Celtic struggled not only with the horrific playing surface but also with their own inability to play football altogether.

O’Neill made three changes at the break, and Celtic’s fortunes quickly turned. Sebastian Tounekti pulled one back with a stunning curling strike from 25 yards, before Benjamin Nygren capitalised on a loose ball in the box to level the scores. Kilmarnock nearly regained the lead, but John-Jules rattled the crossbar with a thunderous effort.

As injury time loomed, a tired Kilmarnock side began to drop deeper. In the 96th minute, a deflected pass from Tomas Cvancara fell perfectly for Araujo, who hammered home from ten yards to seal Celtic’s third consecutive last-gasp victory and break the home side’s hearts.

The win extended Celtic’s unbeaten run to ten games and briefly lifted them above Rangers into second, ahead of the late kickoff at Ibrox. There, Rangers overcame Hearts 4–2, courtesy of a Youssef Chermiti hat-trick, reclaiming second spot just one point ahead of Celtic - who have a game in hand - and two behind league leaders Hearts.

Even after the chaos of the Wilfried Nancy tenure, this Celtic team, for all its faults, is still in the hunt. The upcoming fixtures against Hibernian and Rangers will be crucial, O’Neill’s side must take at least four points from those two games to stay in contention. Win the game in hand against Aberdeen, and the pressure swings right back onto Hearts and Rangers.

O’Neill’s impact has been transformative. His current win ratio stands at an incredible 83.3% - 15 wins, 2 draws, and just 1 defeat from 18 matches across all competitions. He’s restored belief and hunger that were sorely missing under both Brendan Rodgers and Nancy during the first half of the season.

That brief and ill-fated Nancy appointment remains a sore point among Celtic fans and with good reason. The decision to hand the reins to a “nobody” for that disastrous 28-day stretch might yet prove costly to Celtic come May. There’s little doubt: had O’Neill stayed in charge, Celtic would be sitting at the top, not chasing from third.

Still, this Celtic team has rediscovered that priceless winning mentality. Eight victories have come via late goals this season - three in the past week alone - and it’s driving rival fans and pundits up the wall. From Neil McCann and Kris Boyd to Ewen Cameron and beyond, the sight of Celtic fans celebrating another stoppage-time winner is clearly eating them alive. And for the Celtic faithful, it’s glorious to witness.

Despite all the hype surrounding Rangers boss Danny Röhl and Hearts’ Derek McInnes - much of it peddled by the bitter Scottish mainstream media - Celtic look every bit capable of going the distance. And if this team does lift the title, the ensuing meltdown among the brethren of hunnery will be something to behold.

For Hearts, memories of 1986 and the ghost of Albert Kidd will be creeping back into consciousness as their lead evaporates. As for Rangers, their ongoing inability to truly dethrone Celtic since being promoted to the Premiership hangs over them like a noose. The pressure is mounting - and we’ll soon see who the real champions are, and who are merely pretenders to the throne.