Motherwell - 2 Celtic - 1: Celtic got an emotional finale to their Scottish Premier League season at Motherwell but not the one they had awaited with so much anticipation. Leading 1-0 as they sought the win that would have seen them retain the championship, they were stripped of the title in the closing moments as Scott McDonald presented it to Rangers.
With 88 minutes gone, the forward took a ball on his chest and turned away from Bobo Balde to sweep a shot high into the net. As Celtic strained to believe they could yet rescue the situation, McDonald scored again for a half-strength Motherwell team in stoppage time, with the help of a deflection off Stanislav Varga.
There has been much conjecture that Celtic's manager Martin O'Neill will resign to be with his wife Geraldine, who has cancer. He nonetheless had yearned to extend the most successful period the club has known for 30 years.
"We should have won at a canter," he said. O'Neill would not comment on his future, leaving a void that will be filled with the conjecture that identifies Gordon Strachan as one who could replace him.
This season's Scottish Premier League title chase with Rangers had been a tight contest and it was also a race against time for the current Celtic line-up, seven of whom at Fir Park were 30 or over and two more will soon cross that threshold. This is largely the team O'Neill built when he came to Glasgow in 2000 and, partly because of limited finances, he has been unable to rejuvenate it.
Celtic were ahead from the 29th minute, when Motherwell goalkeeper Gordon Marshall forced out a low cross by Alan Thompson and Chris Sutton responded smartly to shoot home the rebound.
The onus was on Celtic to consolidate. They could only command the match, though, for around 15 minutes at the start of the second half when Marshall made several significant saves. The best of them came after Craig Bellamy had been put clear by Stilian Petrov but Marshall also got in the way of a volley bashed by John Hartson.
The 41-year-old was once a Celtic goalkeeper and in Scotland, where allegiances are always to the fore, it is noteworthy his manager, Terry Butcher, was a marvellous centre-half for Rangers. McDonald, however, is the perfect hybrid. Born in Melbourne, Australia, his father supports Celtic and his mother Rangers.
The striker inclines towards O'Neill's club but did not let that distract him. "No one can question our professionalism," he said.
All the inquiries over a debacle for Celtic will be directed to O'Neill. It was apparent that a side growing old and stale together were vulnerable, yet he could not intervene radically. His good fortune in getting Bellamy on loan in the transfer window did not quite transform the situation. With four games to go Celtic led Rangers by five points, and the collapse does suggest a team running short of tomorrows.
"There will be fresh blood coming into the club and that's good news," O'Neill said. That sort of remark deepens the mystery over his intentions. If he is to go shortly, how can he identify possible signings? Should O'Neill's legacy dominate the years to come at Celtic even without his actual presence, it would be somehow appropriate. His achievements are difficult to overlook. Celtic have been champions in three of his five seasons and the earlier success for Rangers came on goal difference.
MOTHERWELL: Marshall, Corrigan, Craigan, Kinniburgh, Fagan, Foran, Kerr, Fitzpatrick (Clarkson 88), Paterson, Scott McDonald, Hamilton (Britton 85). Subs Not Used: Corr, Higgins, Connolly, Keogh, Smith. Booked: Foran, Craigan.Goals: Scott McDonald 88, 90.
CELTIC: Douglas, Agathe, Balde, Varga, McNamara, Petrov, Lennon, Sutton, Thompson, Hartson (Beattie 75), Bellamy. Subs Not Used: Valgaeren, Lambert, Laursen, Marshall, Maloney, McGeady. Booked: Bellamy. Goals: Sutton 29.
Referee: H Dallas (Scotland).
