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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Steven Mair

How the Celtic pundits reacted to Liel Abada's epic winner as ice cool Stiliyan Petrov told pals to keep the faith

Stilyan Petrov's coolness on the park clearly translates to the studio.

Because while everyone else inside Celtic Park gnawed their fingernails the Bulgarian pundit knew salvation wasn't far.

An epic 90th minute winner from Liel Abada downed Dundee United 1-0 with the hosts already down to 10 men after Nir Bitton's dismissal.

The place erupted after the goal that cut the gap at the top of the Premiership to two points but it was only then that Petrov lost his head while everyone else was riddled with nerves beforehand.

On Celtic TV he told Jackie McNamara and host Gerry McCulloch to relax as he could feel the killer blow coming despite a series of big misses and Benji Siegrist saves.

And so it proved as he said: "You can see the identity of the club, the manager, the players now.

"They had a style and a belief. The manager had to make a couple of changes to freshen out.

"But Abada - he was outstanding today and he was the one who was willing to create, get on the front foot.

"And that finish, especially under pressure and down to 10 men...

"They kept pushing, they kept believing and they managed to break the deadlock even at the end.

"We were just jumping in here! You didn't believe, you kept questioning it.

"And I kept saying to you, 'you play for 90 minutes'. And they managed to do that because they looked relaxed and didn't look like they were rushing things, even down to 10 men.

"They waited for that chance and it landed at the player who was outstanding on the day."

McNamara noted that Ange Postecoglou's reaction to going down a man helped seal the result.

Wingers Jota and Abada were pushed into the middle as striker Giorgos Giakoumakis was taken off instead.

(PA)

That reaction may have surprised a few but the pair combined for the winner and McNamara said: "The thing as well, after going down to 10 men he put two through the middle.

"He took that gamble with McCarthy coming on but I think it really helped.

"There was more space - Abada actually had a touch before he finished it. Every other cross was blocked by the Dundee United defence.

"The one time he gets free, he gets a touch and it's a composed finish."

16-year-old Ben Doak will never forget his Celtic debut after being brought on for Reo Hatate in the second half and he got an honourable mention after the whistle for an impressive showing.

McNamara added: "I thought he was excellent. He was direct, the kid's got no fear.

"That's the beauty of young players. They've no experience of fear and the stuff that goes with it, they just want to go and play.

"He's an exciting talent. He's got so much pace and directness - it's exciting to watch."

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