Motherwell 2 – 3 Celtic

Kelechi Iheanacho’s controversial 100th-minute penalty to grab Celtic a 3-2 win at Motherwell sent the Scottish Premiership title race to the final day in the most incredible circumstances.

Hearts were primed to be crowned champions at Celtic Park on Saturday lunchtime, live on Sky Sports, having beaten Falkirk 3-0. But while they celebrated that win with their supporters at Tynecastle, their hopes of a first title in 66 years were hit with the final kick of the game at Fir Park after penalty drama.

The top two will instead face off with just one point separating them. But whether Celtic should have been awarded a spot-kick split opinion.

With Celtic desperately searching for a winner and just seconds remaining, a VAR check sent referee John Beaton to the pitchside monitor where he judged Motherwell’s Sam Nicholson to have committed handball from a long throw launched into the box. Sub Iheanacho was ice cool as he sent Calum Ward the wrong way and Celtic’s travelling fans wild.

They ran onto the pitch to join their jubilant players, knowing victory at home on Saturday will complete an epic comeback to retain the title.

Hearts, who have led this race for so much of the campaign, still have it in their hands, too. But whereas a Celtic draw at Motherwell would have required Martin O’Neill’s side to beat Hearts by three goals to overcome a goal-difference gap, Hearts must now at least draw at the home of the defending champions if they are to dethrone them.

Iheanacho’s penalty also means there is still work for Motherwell to do to secure European football for next season. They go to Hibernian on the final day with just a one-point advantage over them in the chase for fourth and a Conference League spot.

Was the penalty decision correct?

As the long throw came in, Nicholson jumped up with Celtic’s Auston Trusty to try to head the ball.

Nicholson’s elbow was raised but then pushed further up by Trusty’s shoulder as they jumped up together, with his hand up near his own face.

“If it hits him on the hand, his arm is up and raised,” said former Celtic striker Chris Sutton on co-commentary.

But pundits in the Sky Sports studio weren’t convinced the ball did hit Nicholson’s hand.

“For that to fly off his head at this pace, if it hits your hand it will drop in front of you – it won’t fly off [like it did],” said former Rangers striker Kris Boyd.

Former Hearts striker and manager John Robertson said: “I don’t know if it has hit his hand, I think it is the head. His hand is up and if it has hit his hand, it is a penalty.”

Former Hearts midfielder Paul Hartley said: “The power on it takes it for a throw-in. I didn’t see too many Celtic players appeal for a penalty; I just thought it was a throw-in.

“His hand is up but it has clearly come off his head. That is a header. The view is quite difficult. They [Celtic] have got lucky.”

O’Neill: Penalty ‘pretty clear cut’

Celtic boss Martin O’Neill: “When the time is running out, Motherwell have got the equalising goal. There’s a calm about them and we’re desperate to try and get a goal ourselves at the other end.

“Obviously, we got a penalty, which looks as if it’s a pretty clear cut. He’s given it for the handball, and also an elbow on top of that there as well.

“Obviously, I’m delighted for the team and delighted for the supporters. As I said, a phenomenal heart by the team.

“He’s [Iheanacho] seriously been brilliant for us. He’s won matches for us, this is the point. He’s been fantastic. The little cameo roles that he’s been performing have just been simply sublime.”

Askou calls penalty decision ‘shocking’

Motherwell boss Jens Berthel Askou

“I think the big question is, what are we even doing here, when things like that happen? I’m in total shock. I thought I’d seen it all this year, but apparently I haven’t. It’s shocking, it’s a shame for the game.

“I think we did everything we could and should to finish off. Really strong at Fir Park this season, finish where we started, in a great game of football between two teams who had good spells, both teams, during the game.

“I think coming back from 2-1, we did that really, really strongly. It felt totally unreal, and looking at it on the TV footage, no matter how you read that situation, I can’t see anywhere where you can find a paragraph in the rulebook where it can lead into a penalty.

“Even if he touches with his fingernail, it’s because there’s contact when he goes up, his arm is here, then he gets pushed into it, so it would never be a penalty anyway.

“Let’s say he actually did touch his hands, which I can’t see, no matter what angle I look at… Also, you can see the way the ball gets power, where the kid connects with the head and has a lot of power when it goes through. It’s a crazy thing to be part of, and I think the game deserved a lot better than that.”

How the drama unfolded

Celtic’s title hopes looked in real danger with just 30 minutes played. They were trailing to Elliot Watt’s deflected volley and the Jambos were 2-0 up at home to Falkirk.

But Daizen Maeda – fresh from his double against Rangers – produced a fine finish just before half-time to level it up and Benjamin Nygren then crashed in a super shot from 20 yards on 58 minutes to turn things around.

Celtic felt they should have had the chance to score a second before that, with Motherwell goalkeeper Ward jumping into the back of Maeda in the box as he tried to punch away a long ball. Arne Engels then lifted the ball over the pair of them and onto the bar as referee Beaton ignored the penalty appeals.

He also rejected Motherwell spot-kick claims when Callum Slattery slipped in the area and made contact with Callum McGregor just before Nygren’s strike.

Motherwell pinned Celtic back as they looked for an equaliser of their own, with Tom Sparrow’s shot deflected onto the bar and Viljami Sinisalo forced into a sharp stop to deny Elijah Just. But their persistence paid off when Tawanda Maswanhise had a shot blocked and then another parried into the path of sub Liam Gordon to tap in for 2-2.

At that point, with Rangers and Hibernian level at 1-1, Motherwell’s fans were singing about a European tour. But the late penalty changed the picture in the race for fourth as well as first. Expect twists and turns on the final day as the teams battling for those two spots face off.

What’s coming up in the Scottish Premiership?