Celtic eye own fairytale as Hearts' story continues to captivate
Daizen Maeda was a huge figure in the Old Firm derby, setting Rangers' faint hopes of a late title bid ablaze with two goals in four minutes just after the break, the second a bicycle kick that looped into Jack Butland's net. They're now done, some of them complaining about a first-half tackle by Alistair Johnston on Mikey Moore that brought yellow when they wanted red, others questioning the legitimacy of Celtic's opening goal. Noise.
Having spent £35m-£40m in the last two transfer windows their race is run. Rangers have a leadership deficit that has cost them their place in the denouement, they have a weakness at their heart that caught up with them in the end. Roll on Wednesday when Hearts will have a one-point and a three-goal advantage at the top as they host Falkirk.
Celtic have to travel to Fir Park, a place that might as well have red warning signs outside reminding all visitors of the danger ahead. Twists and turns to come? You can almost hang your hat on that.
O'Neill said two wins from the last two games is going to be like climbing two mountains, but if it happens they'll be champions. Not pretty champions, not convincing or easy on the eye, but champions none the less. And his team is improving at the right time.
Bang in the middle of it is Maeda. He's not repeated his imperious goalscoring of last season, or looked all that happy at various times over the last 10 months having had a move to Germany cancelled amid the slapstick antics of what passes for Celtic's recruitment department. In April, though, he ended a run of 17 games without a goal - last season he never went more than six without scoring.