Scottish Premiership | Matchday 37 | Wednesday, 13 May 2026 Fir Park, Motherwell | Attendance: 12,000+ (highest since 2005) | Referee: John Beaton (SCO)
Nine minutes into stoppage time. Referee John Beaton is sent to the monitor. Sam Nicholson jumps to head the ball clear and it clips his hand. Handball. Penalty to Celtic. Kelechi Iheanacho steps up and fires left-footed past Calum Ward.
Fir Park collapses. The Motherwell supporters cannot believe what has just happened. Celtic win 3-2 and the Scottish Premiership title race goes to a final-day decider.
Fixture card said 0-0. That could not be more wrong. This was one of the matches of the Scottish season.
Motherwell were brilliant tonight. They came out in their original blue colours to mark the club’s 140th anniversary. Over 12,000 inside Fir Park — the biggest crowd there since 2005. The atmosphere was extraordinary from the first whistle. And the home side matched it completely.
Elliot Watt gave them the lead in the 17th minute. A volley from 22 yards that flew in and sent the ground into delirium. Celtic were shaky. Nervous. Leaders Hearts were already 2-0 up at Tynecastle against Falkirk, and the Celtic fans in the away end knew what that meant if things stayed as they were.
Panic was visible among the travelling support. But Celtic dragged themselves into it just before half-time. Maeda had already dragged one wide before he found his range in the 41st minute — getting the break of the ball when Slattery tracked back to challenge Yang Hyun-jun, and firing in off the post. 1-1 at the break. Celtic lucky to be level.
Benjamin Nygren put them ahead in the 58th minute. And that looked like it might be enough. Motherwell kept pressing, kept creating, Ward making a brilliant one-handed stop from Just at one end while Maswanhise was twice denied at the other. The Motherwell striker has been the Premiership’s top scorer this season. He did not get his goal tonight. He deserved one.
Then came the sucker punch. Liam Gordon — former Hearts player, former Celtic player, now back in claret and amber — rose highest at the back post and headed home in the 85th minute to make it 2-2. The home crowd went absolutely wild. Celtic were heading into a final-day decider needing to beat Hearts by three goals on current form. That looked impossible.
Five minutes of added time signalled. Celtic pressed. Nothing came. The clock ticked past 90+5. Most people assumed it was over.
Then Beaton went to the monitor.
Nicholson jumped to head the ball and it caught his raised hand. The contact was right in front of his face — the kind of handball decision that splits every room in football. VAR official Andrew Dallas sent Beaton across and the referee pointed to the spot. Motherwell players surrounded him. The noise inside Fir Park was something else entirely.
Iheanacho. Ice-cold. Left foot. Bottom corner. 3-2 Celtic.
Martin O’Neill stood on the touchline. This ground holds demons for him — Celtic lost the title here in the final game of the 2004-05 season when Scott McDonald scored twice for Motherwell to hand Rangers the league. History threatened to repeat itself tonight in a different form. It did not.
Celtic stay second on 79 points. Hearts top on 82 — they beat Falkirk 3-0 at Tynecastle with goals from Frankie Kent, Cammy Devlin and a curler from Blair Spittal. The gap is three points with one game remaining. Celtic need to beat Hearts by enough to overturn goal difference. It is a long shot. But it is alive.
For Motherwell the night was genuinely heartbreaking. They outplayed Celtic for large parts. Watt’s volley was special. Gordon’s equaliser was timed perfectly. The club marked their 140th anniversary with a performance that deserved more. Manager Stuart Kettlewell said afterwards his players gave everything and should feel proud of how they played.
Whether Celtic can overhaul Hearts on Saturday — the two sides meeting head-to-head at Celtic Park in what the entire country will watch — nobody knows. But they gave themselves a chance. In the cruelest, most dramatic way possible.
For live Scottish Premiership scores and coverage, visit fawanews.org.uk. Full standings and title race details are at the official Scottish Premiership website.
Motherwell 2-3 Celtic Scottish Premiership, Matchday 37 | Wednesday, 13 May 2026 Fir Park, Motherwell | Attendance: 12,000+ | Referee: John Beaton (SCO)
Goals: Elliot Watt 17′ (Motherwell), Daizen Maeda 41′ (Celtic), Benjamin Nygren 58′ (Celtic), Liam Gordon 85′ (Motherwell), Kelechi Iheanacho 90’+9′ pen (Celtic)
Motherwell (4-2-3-1): Ward; Longelo, Koutroumbis, O’Donnell, Sparrow; Watt, Fadinger; Just, Slattery, Sa’id; Maswanhise
Celtic (4-4-2): Sinisalo; Johnston, Scales, Trusty, Tierney; Engels, McGregor, McCowan, Nygren; Yang Hyun-jun, Maeda
Half-time: 1-1 | Standings: Hearts 82 pts | Celtic 79 pts | One game remaining
