Martin O’Neill admitted Celtic should have been out of sight long before a late Kelechi Iheanacho goal secured a 2-1 win over Dundee at Dens Park.
Two weeks after the Hoops lost to Dundee United, O’Neill knew this trip to Dens Park carried added pressure following Rangers’ win and Hearts dropping points earlier in the day.
Celtic took control early through Hyunjun Yang but failed to build on their dominance, a pattern that nearly proved costly when Dundee equalised from the penalty spot after half-time.
Iheanacho’s 81st-minute strike eventually secured three points, but O’Neill made clear the performance in front of goal remains a concern heading into the title run-in.
And the Celtic boss did not hide his frustration.
Who do you think got the final touch for Celtic’s opener?
Martin O’Neill highlights Celtic finishing issue after Dundee win
Speaking to the BBC, O’Neill said Celtic’s first-half display should have put the game beyond doubt.
He said, “I thought we played brilliantly first half. We’d created chance after chance. We got a goal, should have got two, three and four.
“You always felt it was going to come back to haunt you, and so it did. They get a penalty, tails are up then after that, and it’s really hard work.
“But we created another chance or two, and Iheanacho puts one in the net. So I think overall, we deserved to win the game.
“But we made it really tight for ourselves, because we just couldn’t put the ball in the net.”
The missed chances almost cost Celtic again, and it is an issue O’Neill will need to address quickly with the title race entering its final phase.
How the Scottish Premiership table looks after Celtic, Rangers and Hearts results
With one fixture remaining before the split, Celtic sit on 64 points, three behind Hearts and two behind Rangers in second.
Goal difference remains a factor with Celtic on +26, compared to Rangers’ +32 and Hearts’ +28.
St Mirren are next at Celtic Park, with O’Neill’s side needing another win to maintain pressure on their title rivals.
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