Kilmarnock captain Brad Lyons has taken some of the heat out of the stoppage-time debate after Celtic’s late win at Rugby Park, and it is something Hoops supporters will respect.
Neil McCann had questioned the amount of added time after Julian Araujo scored in the 90+7th minute. Seven minutes were shown on the board. The goal came with a few seconds still left.
The chat has rolled on all week. Celtic’s late goals have become an easy angle for some. Lyons did not go down that road when he spoke.
Instead of pointing at referee Duncan Nicolson, he admitted the game was decided by what happened on the pitch.
He said: (Kilmarnock FC), “Look, it’s clutching at straws really.
“I think I went down with a head injury. Dom (Thompson) went down with a head injury.
“There were a few subs and stuff, so we aren’t blaming anyone.
“We are blaming ourselves for conceding those two late goals.”
It is a fair take on how the game played out. There were delays. Two separate head injuries stopped play for a spell. Substitutions followed, along with the usual time taken over restarts. When you add it up, seven minutes does not look strange at all.
Celtic were 2-0 down and staring at a damaging defeat. Kilmarnock had control at that point. What changed was not the clock, it was the pressure. Once Celtic pulled one back, the tempo lifted.
Full-backs stepped higher, crosses started to arrive earlier, and the ball barely left the home half. That is what happens when a side chasing a title throws everything forward.
The winner did not come from thin air. It came from sustained pressure and bodies in the box. Kilmarnock had chances to clear. They did not take them. Celtic stayed on the front foot and forced the issue.
Lyons admitting that leaves Neil McCann’s earlier complaints looking wide of the mark. It shifts the focus back to Julian Araujo’s winner rather than the time added on. Celtic won because they kept pushing until the final whistle. Not because they were handed extra time.
Respect for his honesty. But no surprise on McCann lying through his teeth as usual, is it?
We are talking about a guy who stole money from pensioners, kids and fellow professionals here with his under the table EBTs! A man who was a diving cheat as a player. A man who displayed a major hate for Celtic after leaving Hearts all because he had sent his agent to let us know he wanted to come to CELTIC, not the old now extinct rangers!
History shows we of course showed the agent the door and McCann has been bitter ever since.
Respect to his club captain though! I suspect he’s goung to be given the cold shoulder now. But McCann will not be manager for long anyway.
Facts not fiction he McCann and Dodds Spat the Dummy out .They both should have shown the Professor more respect and taken defeat way dignity And not Sour grapes.What a load of screaming and balling an possibly foul and abusive language in live TV .As the MOTM was being presented to the Winners .
Total true view on the game well said by the Captain of KFC and the should retract there own STATEMENT ON there site.
Play to the Whistle they had 7to 8 mins as did the CHAMPIONS