Martin O’Neill found himself on the brink of a Scottish Cup exit until a last-minute goal enabled Celtic to snatch an extraordinary victory over Dundee in extra time.
At Celtic Park, Steven Pressley’s squad appeared poised to secure their inaugural win in the competition when Dundee’s midfielder, Ethan Hamilton, blasted in his first goal for the club in the 49th minute of this thrilling fifth-round encounter.
Despite Celtic’s struggles following the goal, the match took a dramatic turn with essentially the last play, surpassing the five minutes of added time. Junior Adamu, making his debut off the bench, managed to flick in a breathtaking equalizer.
This incredible comeback unfolded in front of a half-empty stadium, as many Celtic supporters continued their protest against the club’s board.
Reflecting on the game, a relieved O’Neill expressed, “Naturally, I’m delighted to be in the draw for the next round. It seemed an impossible task at what, the 97th minute?”
Martin O’Neill praised the determination of Celtic in coming back from behind to win
Celtic players celebrate the extra-time winner from Tounekti
Dundee boss Steven Pressley was gutted that his side fell agonisingly short
He added, “I definitely believe we showed a determination to push until the very end and create something out of nothing.”
‘I’m just so pleased with the team, naturally. I thought they were brilliant. Really, really brilliant to see that through, despite the mistakes that we made during the course of the game.
‘While the ball’s probably in the penalty area, then you know something might still materialise, as Seb had it.
‘I thought his introduction was probably key, really, as much as anything else. But you would think that the game’s gone beyond you.
‘If, for instance, Dundee kicked the ball clear, that’s probably the game over. But we’ve found a way to save the game and we find a way to win it.’
Dundee boss Pressley thought his side had sealed a famous win before Adamu came up with the late leveller.
The former Celtic centre-back, who had ‘no complaints’ about the game going over the five added minutes, said: ‘I’m exceptionally proud of the team. To a man, they were exceptional.
‘They left nothing out there. But not only did they show incredible effort, I thought they showed a lot of bravery.
‘Bravery to take the ball under pressure and play and build. So there were so many good things and the truth is, I thought we were there.
Celtic unveiled Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as a new signing and O’Neill has high hopes for him
‘You always have to give clubs like Celtic a great deal of respect. They never give up.
‘I just thought we were there. I’m so disappointed.’
Celtic confirmed the signing of 32-year-old former Arsenal and Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain a couple of hours before kick-off.
O’Neill will ascertain his fitness in the next couple of days ahead of the home game against Livingston on Wednesday.
He said: ‘We would know in a couple of days. He looks in really decent shape. He’s not carrying any weight and he’s raring to go.
‘I said this pre-match, he shows that hunger that he’s had for his career and a determination. And I think in terms of options he could have hung around the London area, even if Arsenal weren’t to take him. He could have, he didn’t.
‘And so he’s decided to come up and throw himself forward here. I will have a look at that and see how he does in the next couple of days.’
The former England international had earlier spoken of his delight at joining Celtic after penning an initial deal until the end of the season with scope for an additional year if the move goes well.
‘It’s been a busy few days, but I’m delighted and really excited,’ said the 32-year-old. ‘Speaking with the manager, it just felt like the perfect fit for me, and I feel like I can come in and help out the lads.
‘It’s exactly what I need. I need another challenge and I’m lucky enough it’s at a massive club like this.
‘And they can help me get back to where I need to get to and, more importantly, I need to help the team achieve the goals we want to do.’
