Celtic fought their way back from the brink at Ibrox, but the clip that has supporters smiling tonight came after the football was finished.
Full-time arrived with the score locked at 2-2, Rangers furious at letting a two-goal lead slip, and Celtic’s players understandably wanting to enjoy a point that felt like a win after the way the second half played out.
In a moment that will do the rounds for days, the 74-year-old Martin O’Neill darted across the pitch at full time, moving like a man half his age, to get in among his players and shepherd them away from an upset Rangers group who looked determined to let cause trouble.
It was part protective dad, part seasoned operator, and entirely on brand for someone who has seen every version of a Glasgow Derby fallout.
The match itself had enough drama without the extra-curriculars. The Hoops were 2-0 down at half-time after a disasterous opening period that never matched the occasion. Rangers struck early and Celtic, slow to settle, paid the price.
It could have turned into one of those afternoons where you are counting down the minutes and hoping nothing else goes wrong.
Instead, the bhoys came out for the second half with intensity and belief. The tempo lifted, and Rangers started to look like a side clinging on rather than controlling.
Celtic’s Ibrox Comeback
Kieran Tierney dragged Celtic back into it with a crucial goal, then the equaliser arrived late after a VAR-awarded penalty for handball. Reo Hatate eventually forced it home after initial saves, and the away side’s second-half dominance was finally reflected on the scoreboard.
That second-half swing is why Rangers were raging. Celtic were the team pushing, probing, and creating, and by the end the mood on the pitch felt as if the home side had dropped points rather than gained one.
Which brings us back to O’Neill, sprinting about like a man chasing a loose ball in stoppage time, making sure Celtic’s players got out of the danger zone before things escalated. Running like a man half his age! It was brilliant! What a way to spend his 74th Birthday!
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One Response
I loved the moment. That picture is that moment Martin O’Neill put his arm around Neil Lennon in 04/05.
O’Niell saves. There’s magic in every moment having this 74 year old legend of the game at our club. Even if we don’t win the league. We’ve been blessed with nostalgia heart and spirit of one of Celtic’s finest man.