Celtic took their Scottish Cup tie with Dundee right to the brink.
It quite literally went to the final moment possible. Junior Adamu struck with the last action of normal time, keeping the Hoops alive when elimination looked inevitable. Without his instinctive finish on debut, Celtic’s cup run would have ended there and then.
For much of the match, Dundee were hanging on after grabbing the lead, while Celtic struggled to find any rhythm. The equaliser eventually arrived deep into stoppage time, in the 97th minute, even though only five minutes had originally been indicated.
That late timing sparked plenty of angry reaction online, but Dundee manager Steven Pressley was not interested in feeding into any controversy.
Pressley explains the added time
Anyone watching the match could see the referee did not simply let play run on without reason. The delay came after Kieran Tierney was checked for concussion late on, which resulted in Marcelo Saracchi being brought on.
Pressley acknowledged that after the game, saying: “I’ve got no complaints at all.
“We play until the referee blows the whistle. Of course we’re disappointed.
“The board showed five minutes and it went to 96 and a half, but that’s something we have to deal with. We have to stay switched on.
“I’m disappointed because I genuinely believe our players deserved to win.”
Pride despite the heartbreak
Pressley was full of praise for his side’s display, despite the painful ending.
“It’s gut-wrenching,” he said. “I’m incredibly proud of the team. Every single player was outstanding.
“They gave absolutely everything. It wasn’t just about effort either, I thought there was real bravery.
“They were willing to take the ball under pressure, to play, to build attacks. There were so many positives and, honestly, I felt we were right there.
“You always have to respect a club like Celtic. They never stop fighting. I just thought we were so close, which makes it even more disappointing.”
The Dundee boss also highlighted how his team has tried to evolve this season.
“When we beat Celtic earlier in the campaign, we played in a more pragmatic and defensive way.
“We’re trying to develop now, to be more progressive, more controlled, and to have more of the ball.
“My challenge to the players was whether they could come to Celtic Park, play with that bravery and control, and impose our game on them.
“I think the answer to that was yes, and that’s why they should be proud of themselves.”