Martin O’Neill highlighted the Celtic support after the win over St Mirren, with the manager quick to recognise the role the crowd played during a tough game.
Celtic went ahead early through Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain but never pushed on from there. The second half became scrappy, with possession given away too easily and the game left open longer than it should have been.
That is when the crowd stepped in. With the Green Brigade back, there was a different feel inside Celtic Park, especially when the team needed a lift late in the match.
It was not an impressive performance, but the backing from the stands stayed with the players, even when things were not working on the pitch.
O’Neill said: (Celtic FC YouTube), “I thought the crowd were great to us today because they could easily have got irritated with some of the things that we did.
“I thought we were loose in possession at times and they could have done. They kept us going, a wee bit like Dundee last week, which I felt had a big effect on us staying in the game at a time just when Dundee had equalised.
“I really thought the crowd were great. If by the end of the season we can get a few things cleared up, rectified, call it what you want.
“But it felt like a proper Celtic Park atmosphere today.”
That connection between the crowd and the team was clear as the game went on. Celtic lost their grip in midfield at times, which let St Mirren step forward and put pressure on the back line.
The reaction in the stands never turned. The noise stayed with the team, and that helped Celtic get through it, especially when dealing with set plays late in the match.
O’Neill’s comments match that feeling. The performance was not where he wanted it, but the support helped the team through those moments.
With a semi-final against the same side coming up, that link could matter again. Celtic will need more control on the pitch, but the backing from the stands is there again.
