Key Takeaways
- Celtic moved level on points with Hearts at the top of the Scottish Premiership table following a 3-1 win over Falkirk.
- Japan striker Daizen Maeda scored two goals and set up Kieran Tierney during an impressive display of high pressing.
- Aberdeen held on for a vital 1-0 victory against relegation rivals Kilmarnock, while Livingston earned only their second league win of the season by beating St Mirren 2-0.
Celtic manager Martin O’Neill has praised striker Daizen Maeda for his hard work after the Japan international led the team to a 3-1 victory against Falkirk. The result moves the Glasgow club level on points with Hearts at the top of the Scottish Premiership table.
Maeda scored twice and provided an assist for defender Kieran Tierney during the match. His first two goals came from closing down opponents quickly. The forward also showed great skill to score his third after Falkirk substitute Kyrell Wilson had reduced the deficit.
The performance follows Maeda’s crucial goal in the Scottish Cup final the previous weekend, where he scored by charging down a clearance from the St Mirren goalkeeper.
O’Neill praised the 28-year-old for his effort levels. “Last week he gets a goal out of nothing from closing down. His closing down is amazing. Even in the 85th minute, he closes someone down. I thought he was brilliant,” the manager said.
The Celtic boss joked about a missed chance, saying he would have been upset if it had not been ruled offside. “I was pleased the one that he missed was actually offside, otherwise I’d have killed him. No, you couldn’t have done that today to him,” O’Neill added.
Maeda has struggled to play as well as he did last season, when he scored 33 goals and won Scotland’s player of the year awards. Before last weekend’s goal at Hampden, he had only scored eight times this season and had not found the net since 10 January.
A summer move to German club Wolfsburg did not go through, and O’Neill believes this may have affected the player’s mindset. The manager thinks Maeda may have felt disappointed when the transfer failed at the last minute after believing he had earned a move to the Bundesliga.
“I’m only putting that out – it may not be that at all – but he’s come roaring back. He deserves any praise that has been given to him over the past few weeks,” O’Neill stated.
In other matches, Aberdeen secured a nervous 1-0 home win against relegation rivals Kilmarnock. Afeez Aremu scored in the first minute, but the visitors hit the crossbar three times during the match. Aaron Tshibola headed against the woodwork twice, while Jack Milne nearly scored an own goal when he headed against his own crossbar.
The victory extends Aberdeen’s cushion over Kilmarnock, who occupy the relegation playoff position, to five points.
Meanwhile, bottom club Livingston kept their survival hopes alive with a 2-0 win away at St Mirren. The hosts dominated the first half but could not beat visiting goalkeeper Jerome Prior. An own goal from Alex Gogic gave Livingston the lead after 67 minutes, before substitute Scott Pittman sealed the points ten minutes from time. This was only Livingston’s second league victory since August.
Elsewhere, Rangers will host Motherwell on Sunday, while league leaders Hearts travel to face Hibernian. Dundee United will play Dundee in an early kick-off on Sunday.