Celtic supervisor Martin O’Neill has lavished reward on a teenager who’s impressed in coaching at Lennoxtown.
Celtic seal very important win over Aberdeen at Pittodrie
Celtic’s title ambitions are very a lot alive, and final night time’s win at Pittodrie might show to be one of the crucial vital outcomes of their season.
O’Neill’s aspect travelled to Aberdeen figuring out precisely what was at stake. A win would carry them above Rangers into second place and minimize Hearts’ lead on the high of the Scottish Premiership to 5 factors with video games nonetheless in hand.
They delivered, although not with out drama.
Kieran Tierney, making a behavior of scoring in large moments, broke the impasse after simply 5 minutes — his header from a Liam Scales flick-on gave Celtic the right begin.
The lead lasted solely till the nineteenth minute, when Kevin Nisbet transformed from the spot after Scales was penalised for a foul contained in the field. From there it was a tense, typically scrappy affair, with Celtic missing the innovative to place the sport to mattress.
The Hoops have set their sights on a defender.
Then got here the second that settled it.
Benjamin Nygren, launched from the bench as O’Neill shuffled his choices, prodded house from shut vary within the 67th minute to revive Celtic’s lead. It stood.
The ultimate whistle at Pittodrie confirmed Celtic in second place, 5 factors behind Hearts, and again within the hunt for a title that appeared to be drifting away from them simply days in the past.
This was their third recreation in six days and a 3rd end result that gave them one thing to construct on. The Scottish Cup tie at Ibrox now awaits on Sunday — however final night time was about getting the three factors, they usually acquired them.
What made the night significantly noteworthy, nonetheless, was not simply the end result however one of many tales that surrounded it — and O’Neill was keen to speak about it afterwards.
Dane Murray pulled up through the pre-match warm-up, leaving the Celtic supervisor with a defensive disaster to resolve with barely minutes to spare.
The answer was Benjamin Arthur, the younger 20-year-old centre-back on mortgage from Brentford, who was all of the sudden thrust into solely his second look for the membership and his first ever begin.
Arthur, who has been described as a ‘unit’ and a ‘younger van Dijk’ by Dundee boss Steven Pressley earlier than, barely acquired a sniff recreation time earlier than final night time’s conflict up north, however he impressed.
Martin O’Neill makes Benjamin Arthur coaching declare after Celtic win
It couldn’t have been a extra daunting state of affairs.
Pittodrie on a Wednesday night time, a title race heating up, and barely a warm-up to organize, however Arthur did not flinch.
He was assured, calm on the ball, dealt with the bodily calls for of the Aberdeen assault with composure effectively past his years, and walked away with the person of the match award.
O’Neill was filled with admiration chatting with Sky Sports activities afterwards, making clear how the teenager impressed in coaching and the way he might turn out to be an actual one to observe.
“He has proven actually good attributes in coaching,” O’Neill stated.
“I believe he’ll be a participant in time.”
The supervisor was equally fast to acknowledge simply how tough the circumstances have been for the younger defender, who had gone from pondering he would possibly get a couple of minutes off the bench to being informed he was beginning simply quarter-hour earlier than kick-off.
“This was a giant recreation for him to be thrown in,” O’Neill added.
“As a result of your thoughts, once you’re a substitute within the recreation, you are pondering effectively, I’d get on at some stage or one other, however you are not interested by 15 or 20 minutes earlier than kick-off that you simply’re simply going to step within the recreation.”
As for whether or not Arthur has been having fun with his time in Glasgow, O’Neill gave a characteristically wry reply.
“I believe he is having fun with his time up right here. You may most likely interview him, and he’ll say one thing fully totally different. However, general, I used to be delighted with him.”
Given what awaits at Ibrox on Sunday, O’Neill may have loads of pondering to do.
Auston Trusty is obtainable once more and presents skilled choices on the again, however Arthur has simply made that choice headache an awesome deal extra attention-grabbing.
The Scottish giants are set to battle it out…