It was a very late show from Celtic in the Scottish Cup on Saturday night.
If anything illustrated how Celtic are simply battling their way to victories under Martin O’Neill, then this tense clash against Dundee highlighted that perfectly.
Celtic required extra time to overcome Dundee, and it was debutant Junior Adamu netting in the 97th minute that rescued the Hoops from embarrassment.
After Adamu’s smart equaliser forced an additional 30 minutes of play, there appeared to be only one likely victor, and Steven Pressley reacted with dignity following Celtic’s triumph over his Dundee squad.
Steven Pressley on Celtic’s ‘habit’ of scoring late goals
Kieran Tierney had fallen to the ground just as the stoppage-time board was raised, showing five minutes of added time.
However, it felt inevitable that the referee would allow an additional minute, or even more, because Tierney’s injury had consumed part of the added time.
Pressley did not protest about Adamu finding the net in the 97th minute; instead, he displayed respect and explained how teams like Celtic develop a ‘habit’ of scoring decisive late goals.
Yes, it was a scrappy display from Scotland’s reigning champions, but what cannot be questioned is their persistence, which ultimately paid off.
“It was disappointing to lose such a late goal,” said Pressley. “It was one more action we needed to defend.
“If we had, then we would be speaking about the next round of the cup. But, unfortunately, that’s the way.
“The one thing about Celtic is, these sorts of clubs always score late goals. It’s a habit that they have. They keep coming at you and at you.
“I thought we managed to ride the storm. I thought we showed that mentality. I am so disappointed because I couldn’t be prouder of the group.