Celtic secured a vital 3-1 win over Falkirk at Celtic Park, drawing level on points with league leaders Hearts and keeping the title race tightly contested. Martin O'Neill's side capitalised on the advantage of playing in front of their own fans and applied relentless pressure on both Rangers and Hearts, who face each other later on Sunday. The Japanese forward Daizen Maeda and left‑back Kieran Tierney each delivered superb first‑half finishes, exploiting Falkirk's inability to convert several clear chances.
In the second half, Falkirk’s substitute Kyrell Wilson produced a stunning half‑volley that hinted at a possible comeback, but Maeda struck again just seven minutes from the final whistle, sealing three essential points for the champions. The victory marks Celtic's fourth consecutive win as they head into the final four fixtures of the season, determined to defend their Premiership crown.
Falkirk, currently sitting in sixth place, now face a daunting challenge to break into the European qualification spots after a dismal run of just one win in their last five matches across all competitions. Their woes were compounded by injuries to three key players—Scott Bain, Filip Lissah and Liam Henderson—sustained during last weekend's Scottish Cup semi‑final loss to Dunfermline Athletic. Despite these setbacks, the Bairns began the match brightly. Captain Brad Spencer unleashed a powerful long‑range volley that was narrowly saved by Viljami Sinisalo, while a well‑executed corner saw Dylan Tait head wide.
John McGlynn’s men are well aware of the harsh reality of facing Celtic, having learned from previous encounters that the champions demand ruthless efficiency. Maeda, echoing his performance in the recent semi‑final win over St Mirren, showcased his extraordinary pressing skills to open the scoring.
He anticipated a loose ball from Keelan Adams at the halfway line, then calmly slotted the ball past goalkeeper Nicky Hogarth with a first‑time finish. Tierney doubled Celtic's lead just before halftime, hammering home his sixth league goal of the season after a swift counter‑attack that saw the ball rebound off the crossbar before finding him in stride. The Scottish side dominated the second half, with a potential third goal from Yang ruled out for off‑side. Falkirk, however, revived hopes of a comeback with twenty minutes left when Wilson received a cross‑field pass from Leon McCann, controlled it on his chest, and unleashed an unstoppable half‑volley that curled into the top corner from a tight angle.
Wilson continued to pose a threat as Falkirk pressed for an equaliser, but Maeda put the final nail in the coffin in the 83rd minute. The former Player of the Year, who had gone 17 games without scoring, pounced on a cut‑back from Sebastian Tounekti and calmly rolled the ball into the net, marking his second goal of the afternoon and his third in two matches.
O'Neill will be pleased with the timing of Maeda's resurgence as the club looks to maintain momentum with only four games remaining and a single point separating the top three. Post‑match, Celtic manager Martin O'Neill praised his side, saying, "The result was the most important thing. Daizen Maeda was phenomenal today… I thought he was tremendous.
I'm delighted with the result and delighted with quite a number of performances. There's been a lot of adversity, but the players have shown immense character. We have flaws like everybody else, but you cannot dispute the character of the team. I will pay attention to what's happening on Sunday, absolutely, I've always done that.
I remember years ago worrying about what Rangers might do the next day. Hearts have shown great resilience; it's a three‑horse race." Falkirk boss John McGlynn was also upbeat about his team's effort: "I'm really pleased with the performance; it was a big test for us today mentally after losing the late goals against Rangers and the penalty shoutout last week against Dunfermline. We gave it as good a go as anyone could have given… there's not a lot in the stats.
We tried to play a couple of times and lost the ball, Celtic punished us. Celtic were very much at it and were pressing with great intensity. I'm really proud of them because there was a big question about how we'd respond to that last week.
Yeah, we're beat, but the mentality of the team was great." Looking ahead, Celtic must maintain their sharpness as they approach the season's climax, with the title still very much up for grabs. Falkirk, meanwhile, will need to regroup and find a way to turn their form around if they hope to climb back into the European conversation. Both clubs have clear objectives: Celtic to reclaim the top spot and Falkirk to secure a European berth, making the remaining fixtures crucial for each side's ambitions.