Celtic's Daizen Maeda memo is errantly cast aside as Parkhead briefly goes back in time - now over to Hearts and Rangers

Keelan Adams and Ben Broggio of Falkirk didn't get the memo, though. Now, Broggio is on loan from Aston Villa. A mitigating factor. But Adams should know better.

Falkirk were well and truly in this match before dereliction struck on the half-hour mark. They had looked the more threatening team, with Celtic keeper Viljami Sinisalo making a fine save to deny a Brad Spencer volley. Celtic weren't exactly purring.

Maeda closed down St Mirren keeper Ryan Mullen to open the scoring a minute into last weekend's Scottish Cup semi-final. He had more to do here. Adams was midway inside his own half but took too long, as the last defender, to pick out a pass.

The jet-heeled Maeda took off like a cheetah. He pounced upon Adams as if he were a grazing wildebeest, the ball squirting back towards the stranded Falkirk keeper Nicky Hogarth. The Japanese raced on to it curled beyond the flailing stopper's dive. A crucial goal for Celtic.

The champions had their customary wobble in this must-win Premiership encounter but ultimately prevailed 3-1. A second goal before the break felt inevitable after Falkirk shot themselves in the foot and it came on 44 minutes. This time, Maeda picked the pocket of a dawdling Broggio in midfield, shuttled it wide to the overlapping Kieran Tierney and the left-back fired a precise finish in off the bar.

Falkirk arrived in Glasgow without first-choice goalkeeper Scott Bain, centre-half Liam Henderson and full-back Filip Lissah. Morale likely dipped after losing in the Scottish Cup semi-finals to Dunfermline Athletic last week. Yet they started well here, tidy in possession and certainly not overawed by a more raucous than usual Celtic Park.

The return of the Green Brigade makes a difference to the atmosphere. A stadium haunted by disunity for most of this season, the Celtic support burst into a hearty rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone that lasted a good minute after kick-off.

Celtic Park goes back in time

Fresh from signing a new contract, veteran winger James Forrest started a league game for the first time in six months. With Celtic Park on song, for a fleeting moment it felt like it used to be, when Celtic were dominating the Scottish game.

This victory means they finish the night level on points with leaders Hearts but have an inferior goal difference by four. The Jam Tarts are at Hibs on Sunday, while Rangers - provisionally down to third - host Motherwell. At least Martin O'Neill's men kept their side of the bargain.

There was a brief spell at the start of the second half where Celtic threatened to run riot but Falkirk stayed in the fight. This Celtic team simply aren't good enough to dominate as their predecessors used to.

The home fans were silenced on 70 minutes when a sweeping Falkirk move ended with substitute Kyrell Wilson lashing a quite sumptuous half-volley past Sinisalo. It was another instance where Celtic lulled - and were punished.

O'Neill responded by bringing on striker Kelechi Iheanacho and right-back Alistair Johnston, making his first appearance of 2026 after a torn hamstring. His return was celebrated by Celtic Park as if a goal had been scored.

Captain Callum McGregor exited shortly after. There must be reasonably serious concerns about the midfielder's fitness to take him off at such a critical juncture of a match. He has not completed 90 minutes in his last three outings.

Celtic did not go into their shells in a captivating denouement to proceedings. On 80 minutes, Hogarth made an excellent save to stop a goalbound Liam Scales header. The crowd responded with chants of "come on the Hoops". Even they knew this wasn't the right time to pillory the board.

On 83 minutes, Wilson made a mockery of Marcelo Saracchi on the touchline but his shot was blocked. A moment later, Celtic raced up the other end and a Sebastian Tounekti cutback found Maeda and he guided the ball back across goal and into the bottom corner. Relief for the hosts. Sheer relief.

Maeda really ought to have had a hat-trick, but he sent the ball wide right on 90 minutes in what was his easiest chance of the match.

In the first of their top-six matches, Celtic have kept their side of the bargain. Over to Hearts and Rangers now. The champions' next assignment is a trip to Easter Road next Sunday. Hibs head coach David Gray was in attendance to take this one in. Surely they have got the message on Maeda ...

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