Martin O’Neill hailed Daizen Maeda’s return to form after the Japan international drove Celtic to a 3-1 win over Falkirk. The centre-forward scored twice and set up Kieran Tierney as the Hoops moved level on points with the Premiership leaders, Hearts. The first two goals were a direct result of Maeda closing down opponents and he finished smartly for the third after the substitute Kyrell Wilson had pulled a goal back.
Maeda had sent Celtic on their way to the Scottish Cup final last weekend by charging down a clearance from the St Mirren goalkeeper Ryan Mullen to net and he again showed the value of his work ethic.
O’Neill said: “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. 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.”
The 28-year-old has struggled to recapture the form that yielded 33 club goals last season plus Scotland’s main player of the year awards. Maeda had scored only eight this season before last weekend’s Hampden goal and had not found the net since 10 January. A summer move to Wolfsburg collapsed amid Celtic’s difficulties signing attacking players and O’Neill believes that episode might have had an impact.
O’Neill added: “It may well have been that move to the Bundesliga may have affected him at the time. Maybe he thought he was all set up – or so I believe, I wasn’t here at the time. I think he had maybe done his job here and felt: ‘Well, maybe I deserve to go to the Bundesliga.’ And when it didn’t happen, and apparently it may have been at the 11th hour, there will be a natural disappointment.
“I’m only putting that out – it may not be that at all – but he’s come roaring back. He deserves any accolades that have been bestowed on him over the past few weeks.”
Aberdeen led from the first minute in their vital match against their relegation rivals Kilmarnockbut had to hold on for a 1-0 win in a game where their crossbar was struck three times.
Afeez Aremu netted the early opener but, while Aberdeen rarely looked like adding a second, Killie’s Aaron Tshibola headed off the bar twice and Jack Milne came close to an own goal when he headed on to his own woodwork.
The Dons had won their final game before the split, against Hibs, to open up a five-point gap on Kilmarnock, who fill the relegation playoff spot, and that went some way to easing the tension around the Granite City.
Bottom-placed Livingston battled for a slim lifeline with a 2-0 win at St Mirren. The Buddies’ emergency keeper, Ross Sinclair, was making his first start of the season, but it was the Livi keeper, Jerome Prior, who made several saves in a first half dominated by Saints.
The visitors improved after the break and in the 67th minute they forced themselves ahead through an Alex Gogic own goal. A strike from the substitute Scott Pittman in the 80th minute sealed three points and only Livi’s second league victory of the season since beating Falkirk on 9 August.
Rangers are at home to Motherwell on Sunday, before the leaders visit Hibernian. Dundee United host Dundee in Sunday’s early game.
