Manager: It was a wonderful derby display by the team

Manager: It was a wonderful derby display by the team

It was a momentous victory for Celtic, sealed with a magnificent goal, and the three points Martin O’Neill’s side secured with a 3-1 Glasgow derby win has reduced the gap at the top of the Premiership table to just one point with two games remaining.

While attention will now very quickly turn to this Wednesday night’s fixtures – with Celtic facing Motherwell at Fir Park while Hearts play host to Falkirk – Martin O’Neill was able to savour the win over Rangers and praised the performance of his team on an afternoon when they needed to get the victory.

Speaking to Celtic TV after the game, the Celtic manager said: “I’m absolutely delighted – delighted with the team and delighted with the way we fought back.

“We conceded the goal and were under a bit of pressure, but it was just a wonderful display by the team. In the second-half we really got after them and deserved to win.”

“I felt we were capable of fighting back in the game because this side has shown plenty of resilience.”

After losing an early goal, Celtic fought back and equalised midway through the first half when Yang fired home his 10th goal of the season.

And in the second half, Daizen Maeda hit a double, including a spectacular overhead kick which will take its place as one of the finest derby goals ever witnessed at Paradise.

“Daizen was magnificent from start to finish in the game,” Martin O’Neill said. “First of all, the negative part of the game – closing players down – he’s terrific at that and I don’t know where he finds the energy from.

“But then his display was magnificent. He never gave the Rangers defence a moment to settle today, and his goal was just magnificent.

“The Motherwell game becomes absolutely immense for us now. It was great to win and it keeps us going, and that’s the point.

“It gives us a chance and that’s all you can ask for, but that’s what we’ve been doing for months and months.”