Kelechi Iheanacho scored a stoppage-time penalty to give Celtic a 3-2 win over Motherwell, setting up a final day showdown against Hearts for the Scottish Premiership title. The goal came after a VAR review for a possible handball by Motherwell's Sam Nicholson, which Hearts manager Derek McInnes called "disgusting" and insisted was not a penalty. Celtic remain one point behind Hearts, who are chasing their first league title since 1960 and aiming to become the first non-Old Firm club to win in 41 years.
McInnes expressed frustration over the decision, claiming Hearts are "up against everybody" in their bid to break the dominance of Scotland's Glasgow-based giants. He also referenced a denied penalty claim in Hearts' 1-1 draw with Motherwell on Saturday. Despite the controversy, McInnes acknowledged the drama of the season going down to the final match. At Tynecastle, Hearts took a 2-0 lead over Kilmarnock through Frankie Kent and Cammy Devlin, while Blair Spittal added a late third in a 3-1 win.
Celtic trailed early at Motherwell after Elliot Watt's opener but equalised before half-time through Daizen Maeda, who scored his seventh goal in five games. Benjamin Nygren put Celtic ahead with a powerful strike, only for Liam Gordon to level for Motherwell amid late pressure. Iheanacho, the former Manchester City forward, converted the decisive penalty in the 99th minute. Celtic captain Callum McGregor said the team deserved to take the title race to the final day, adding that "sometimes you need things to drop for you" in a tight race.
Third-placed Rangers lost 2-1 to Hibernian at Ibrox, marking their fourth consecutive league defeat — their worst run since 1983.
Derek McInnes claims Hearts are "up against everybody" after a contentious penalty handed Celtic a lifeline, yet his own team benefited from a similar denied call just days earlier. The same league that denied Hearts a penalty on Saturday awarded Celtic one on Wednesday under comparable scrutiny. If fairness is the standard, then both clubs are operating in the same fog of refereeing inconsistency. The final day will decide the champion, but not the question of whose luck ran better when it mattered.
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