Aberdeen interim boss Neil Warnock admits he cannot be confident his side will avoid being drawn into a cinch Premiership relegation battle if they continue to concede “stupid” goals.

Warnock is still without a win in five league matches in charge – with Aberdeen winless in nine in total – and the Dons fell behind to a first-half Nicky Clark penalty after Richard Jensen’s handball.

Benjamin Kimpioka added a second late in the game and the Dons fans turned on their side and the clubs’ board.

Warnock confessed he understands their anger, saying: “You can understand that. They see the goals we’re conceding. We’ve had some good opportunities tonight, couldn’t score and we lose sloppy goals.

“It’s disheartening. The lads have to stop feeling sorry for themselves and we’ve got to get on with it. I’ve never experienced anything like it.

“Looking at the goals we’re conceding, do you see us winning another game? I can’t remember having a team concede goals like we are.

“You can’t legislate for the goals we’re conceding. We have quality but we still concede stupid goals.

“When you look at those goals, I don’t think anybody could be confident [of escaping a relegation battle]. It needs some experience here to look at what we’ve got and find a way to get something out of the games we have coming up”.

Saints boss Craig Levein hailed the character his side showed in bouncing back from a poor performance at St Mirren at the weekend, to add to Aberdeen’s misery.

He said: “On Saturday we didn’t turn up ready to fight which gave the opposition the advantage.

“The big question today was whether we could go out and deliver what we didn’t last week and I’m so proud of the performance today. We stood up to be counted in every single area of the pitch. It was a real team performance and a real fillip for us.

“We recognised that at Aberdeen the expectations are high and if the players and team don’t achieve what the supporters are looking for it can be quite tough.

“I’m only focusing on Saturday now and we’ll need to bring that type of performance. If we do, we’ll have a chance of taking something from the game”.

Motherwell came from behind to beat bottom side Livingston 3-1 and enhance their cinch Premiership top six hopes.

Livingston had taken the lead after only three minutes through Tete Yengi but Sam Nicholson levelled minutes into the second half before Blair Spittal notched a sublime goal.

Substitute Jack Vale compounded Livingston’s woes with a third in the 87th minute.

Motherwell climbed to within three points off the top six, while Livingston sit seven points adrift at the foot of the table with only 10 games left.

The home team made a fast start and Yengi gave them the lead following a flowing move.

The Australian was involved at the start with a lay-off to Bruce Anderson and the striker’s reverse pass set Daniel MacKay clear. His shot was blocked by Liam Kelly but the ball broke to Yengi and he swept a shot into the empty net.

It was the just the start Livingston needed after losing to an agonising stoppage-time goal in the weekend’s relegation battle at Ross County.

Motherwell could have levelled five minutes later but Bevis Mugabi headed a Spittal free-kick wide from 10 yards.

The visitors enjoyed plenty of possession but were struggling to create any clear-cut chances in the final third.

Their next opening did not come until the 28th minute when Spittal got on the end of Adam Devine’s pass inside the box but his miscued effort drifted wide.

MacKay had a shot saved by Kelly at the other end before the visitors finished the half strongly.

Spittal was again involved as he got on the end of a Stephen O’Donnell cross and his first-time shot was deflected just over.

From Spittal’s resulting free-kick Livingston goalkeeper Shamal George pushed Mugabi’s header behind.

Motherwell brought on Vale at the break and Stuart Kettlewell’s side drew level just four minutes later.

O’Donnell again delivered a cross from the right and this time Nicholson glanced a header beyond George from close range.

Livingston were dealt another blow after injured goalkeeper George had to be replaced by Michael McGovern in the 57th minute.

Motherwell grew in confidence after fighting back and Kettlewell’s team went ahead in the 71st minute with a sublime effort from Spittal.

Paul McGinn’s cross fell to the playmaker on the edge of the box and he smashed an unstoppable left-footed half-volley into the top corner.

Vale then made sure of the points when he nodded home three minutes from time.

Celtic hit form with a 7-1 victory over Dundee following a first-half goal spree at Parkhead.

Cameron Carter-Vickers started the rout in the seventh minute and goals from Adam Idah, Matt O’Riley and Daizen Maeda had Celtic four up before the half-hour mark.

Greg Taylor and Callum McGregor made it six before the break and Daniel Kelly marked his league debut with a brilliantly-taken goal.

Dundee were down to 10 men through Finlay Robertson’s red card when they pulled a goal back from Michael Mellon, although the atmosphere had already lost a bit of an edge following Rangers’ comeback at Kilmarnock.

The Light Blues’ 2-1 victory keeps them two points ahead of Celtic at the top of the cinch Premiership.

However, Celtic have moved back to one behind on goal difference and secured a morale boost with their biggest win of the season after struggling to find their groove since the winter break. They had drawn twice in their previous four league matches and needed stoppage-time winners in the other two.

Manager Brendan Rodgers had called for positivity from the stands on the eve of the game after referencing the dissent that greeted one of his substitutions during the champions’ late win at Motherwell on Sunday.

His players ensured there was no opportunity for any negativity to emerge, although Dundee twice came close in the first two minutes through Curtis Main and Owen Beck.

Beck had kept Maeda quiet at Dens Park on Boxing Day but Yang Hyun-jun got an early edge when he got past him and drew a foul which earned the on-loan Liverpool left-back a booking.

There was further punishment from O’Riley’s free-kick as Carter-Vickers rose above Amadou Bakoyoko to head home his first goal of an injury-disrupted season.

Beck was fortunate not to receive another booking from referee Matthew MacDermid for a reckless tackle on Yang and Celtic continued to put the visitors under pressure as O’Riley was twice denied.

The home support were given another boost when news emerged of Kilmarnock’s opener and Idah had them celebrating in the 18th minute with a brilliant header from Alistair Johnston’s cross to net his fifth goal since joining four weeks ago.

O’Riley ran on to Taylor’s perfect cross to head home four minutes later and the midfielder turned provider as his pass found Maeda’s run across the box. The Japan international had plenty to do but a brilliant touch fooled Joe Shaughnessy and he curled into the far corner.

O’Riley sent a brilliant volley off the bar from 22 yards and Taylor’s run into the box was rewarded when Johnston’s cross ultimately fell for him as the left-back stroked home from eight yards in the 36th minute.

Main had a goal disallowed for offside following a VAR check before McGregor drilled home in stoppage time after an exchange of passes with Taylor with Yang once again involved.

Celtic went off at half-time amid noise akin to a Champions League night but the atmosphere dampened down as news of two quickfire goals from Rangers filtered through early in the second half.

Dundee manager Tony Docherty had made three half-time changes and his side looked more compact but half-time substitute Kelly showed composure beyond his 18 years to curl into the top corner after Yang’s low cross came to him on the edge of the box.

The Celtic Park DJ dug out the Magnificent Seven theme tune that used to follow Henrik Larsson’s many Parkhead goals and more fanfares looked on the cards.

Luis Palma curled off the Dundee bar and Robertson received a second yellow card for a late challenge on Johnston in the 76th minute.

However, it was Dundee who added to the scoring eight minutes later when Mellon volleyed home a cross from fellow substitute Aaron Donnelly.

Hearts forward Lawrence Shankland scored his 26th goal of the season from the penalty spot in a 1-1 draw at home to city rivals Hibernian.

The Easter Road side went ahead through on-loan Bournemouth playmaker Emiliano Marcondes.

But they were pegged back just before the break when Hearts were awarded a contentious spot-kick, and in-form Shankland fired home his sixth Edinburgh derby goal since moving to Tynecastle in the summer of 2022.

Despite being unable to find a winner in an end-to-end second half, Hearts increased their advantage in third place in the cinch Premiership to 12 points over fourth-placed Kilmarnock, while the Hibees moved within a point of the top six.

Hearts manager Steven Naismith made three changes to the team that started Saturday’s 5-0 defeat at Rangers as Kye Rowles, Beni Baningime and Jorge Grant dropped to the bench and were replaced by Cammy Devlin, Scott Fraser and Alan Forrest.

Hibs boss Nick Montgomery selected the same side that started the 2-1 win at home to Dundee – a result that stemmed a run of eight games without a league victory.

The visitors – seeking a first triumph at Tynecastle since Boxing Day 2019 – settled well and they threatened after three minutes when Marcondes picked out Joe Newell just inside the box with a cleverly-worked corner, but the Englishman’s shot was blocked by his own team-mate Lewis Miller.

Hibs forward Martin Boyle almost got himself clear in the 25th minute when Rocky Bushiri’s headed clearance from his own box bounced into the Hearts half but the Australia international could not get the ball fully under control and Nathaniel Atkinson got back to snuff out the danger.

The Hibees, who had looked the likelier side, made the breakthrough in the 27th minute when Marcondes calmly slotted home the rebound from 10 yards out after Boyle was released in the box by Dylan Vente and clipped the ball beyond Hearts goalkeeper Zander Clark, only to see Atkinson scramble it off the line.

The hosts had offered little in the first half but they managed to get themselves level just before the break when they were awarded a penalty after Kenneth Vargas fell to the ground as he tried to seize on a loose touch from Hibs defender Will Fish.

Referee Kevin Clancy was advised by VAR to review the incident on the pitchside monitor but he felt there was enough contact to justify sticking with his initial decision. Shankland was pelted by objects thrown from the away end as he waited to take his spot-kick but, after the penalty area was cleared of debris, he fired emphatically past David Marshall.

The second half was far more open, with good chances at both ends. Vente, Boyle and Myziane Maolida all went close for the Hibees, while Vargas, Shankland, Forrest and Calem Nieuwenhof had opportunities to win it for the Jambos.

Rangers maintained their advantage over Celtic at the top of the cinch Premiership but only after a hard-fought 2-1 comeback win over Kilmarnock at Rugby Park.

Killie wide-man Danny Armstrong scored from the spot in the 11th minute of an energetic first half and Derek McInnes’ side were worth their interval lead.

The Gers had to dig deep and captain James Tavernier levelled in the 55th minute with a trademark free-kick before midfielder Tom Lawrence netted with a fine finish just four minutes later as the visitors reasserted themselves.

With 10 league games remaining – five before the split – Philippe Clement’s side are two points ahead of Celtic, who demolished Dundee 7-1 at Parkhead to keep hot on the heels of the Govan men.

The visitors had racked up 10 wins in a row with a 5-0 win over Hearts at the weekend, including a 3-1 win over Killie on January 2, the only defeat for the Ayrshire outfit in their last 14 outings.

Clement had noted the vagaries of the artificial surface and again tinkered with his squad to suit, making three changes with Borna Barisic, Ross McCausland and Fabio Silva coming back in while the home side were unchanged.

Silva had the first effort on goal after five minutes, his close-range shot deflected for a corner from which Rangers defender Connor Goldson’s header was pushed behind by Killie keeper Will Dennis.

Liam Donnelly came close with a header at the other end as Killie responded but moments later John Lundstram blocked an Armstrong cross with his arm and referee David Dickinson pointed to the spot.

Armstrong confidently beat Jack Butland with his penalty and yet another upset was on the cards.

Clement’s men appeared ill at ease as the route-one first-half unfolded further and Kilmarnock continued chasing and harrying.

There was some controversy in the 40th minute when Mohamed Diomande appeared to prevent Liam Polworth from cleanly latching on to his short pass, but Dickinson played on and was not required by VAR to check his pitchside monitor, to the ire of the home players and supporters.

Cyriel Dessers and Ridvan Yilmaz replaced Silva and Barisic for the start of the second half – Dujon Sterling would replace McCausland – but Butland soon had to make a fine one-handed save to prevent Matty Kennedy stroking in a second from six yards out.

Kilmarnock paid for that miss after defender Lewis Mayo fouled Lawrence 25 yards from goal, with Tavernier stepping up to send his curling shot past the diving Dennis.

Rain continued to swirl around the ground as Rangers went for the second, which came when Lawrence pounced on a loose ball at the edge of the box and guided his shot low past Dennis and into the far corner for his first goal of the season, sparking wild scenes of delight in the stand behind the goal which housed the visiting fans, some of whom spilled out.

The game had swung towards the rejuvenated Ibrox men and Dessers hit the bar from a Tavernier corner.

In the 70th minute, Oscar Cortes limped off with what looked like a hamstring problem to be replaced by Scott Wright and the game was still in the balance.

Diomande curled a shot past the far post from 16 yards as play sped from end to end and Dessers got tangled up as he tried to capitalise on a mistake by Killie centre-back Stuart Findlay.

Six minutes were added on but there were no more goals which meant a crucial three points for Rangers, but Celtic’s stunning win over Dundee confirmed there is still plenty left in the title race.

Aberdeen remain at risk of being drawn into a cinch Premiership relegation battle after the toothless Dons sank to defeat against St Johnstone.

Nicky Clark’s penalty late in the first half opened the scoring and Benjamin Kimpioka netted a second 13 minutes from time.

The win moves Craig Levein’s Saints level on points with the Dons as the two sides seemingly head on opposite trajectories.

Both sides rang the changes after weekend defeats, Aberdeen showing four changes after their 2-0 defeat to Kilmarnock, while Levein brought in five fresh players after defeat to St Mirren.

Neither side fashioned a clear view on goal in the opening period before a Matt Smith cross after 17 minutes found the experienced Clark, who tried to chest the ball home from close range, Kelle Roos saving comfortably.

Aberdeen were finding it hard to provide any service for lone striker Bojan Miovski and their best opportunities in the first half came from midfielders, Jamie McGrath forcing a fingertip save from Dimitar Mitov from a 25-yard free-kick, while Graeme Shinnie saw a shot from distance blocked by Liam Gordon.

The visitors were also shot-shy but they took the lead two minutes from the interval when Clark found the bottom left corner from the penalty spot after Richard Jensen’s handball.

The home side finally worked an opening for Miovski immediately afterwards but his subtle flick was easy for Mitov to hold.

A change of system at the interval saw Aberdeen become a more regular threat and Leighton Clarkson really should have levelled when he ran onto Roos’ long clearance but shot straight at Mitov.

Jonny Hayes flashed an effort wide and Clarkson hit over as the Dons searched for a leveller but the biggest threat to Levein’s side would be their own goalkeeper.

Mitov dropped a Connor Barron corner he looked to have full control of and his defenders scrambled to partially clear the ball before Miovski’s eventual shot was deflected over.

Two minutes later there was another scramble in front of goal, Mitov this time doing well to hold Stefan Gartenmann’s powerful header.

While Aberdeen may have had the volume of chances, the visitors looked sharp on the break with Kimpioka having the run of Gartenmann in particular and that would lead to the second goal.

Diallang Jaiyesimi’s ball over the top gave the striker something to chase and he drew Roos off his line before clipping home an angled shot to double his side’s lead.

Aberdeen huffed and puffed but as shouts of “sack the board” echoed round a rapidly emptying Pittodrie, Mitov in truth was rarely troubled.

St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson felt his side should have been awarded a penalty in their 1-1 draw at Ross County.

The Buddies had to come from behind after an Alex Gogic mistake allowed Jordan White to slot past goalkeeper Zach Hemming early on, but Robinson felt a possible handball from Ross County’s Ryan Leak should have been checked by VAR.

Toyosi Olusanya salvaged a point late on for St Mirren, but Robinson said: “There was a blatant handball and I believe it wasn’t checked.

“That happened before the foul, so I don’t understand why that would be.

“I can’t control that, but it seems quite obvious from what we’ve seen and what we’ve been told.

“We were not at the top of our game, there were three or four players who were below what they have been recently, but we showed great character to get back into it and get a point – and it could have been three with the chance at the end.

“We didn’t start well. We made a mistake, which is so uncharacteristic of Alex, but he showed great mentality to play the way he did after.

“Ross County scored with their only shot on goal, which came from our mistake. But we didn’t play as well as we can.

“The subs gave us a real impetus when they came on. A point away from home is a point gained. If we can take seven points from this week it would be fantastic for us.”

Ross County interim manager Don Cowie looked at the result as two points dropped after they had enjoyed the lead for so long in the match.

“It was two points dropped, especially when you’re leading with five minutes to go,” Cowie said.

“It wasn’t the greatest game or the best performance from us but when you’re leading at that stage you have to get the points.

“I thought we defended very well until the goal.

“St Mirren are a very good team with a lot of players who can hurt you but I thought we kept them pretty quiet so it’s frustrating.

“The message before the game was to build on Saturday and we’ve done that by adding a point. It’s a step in the right direction, taking four from six, and we want to add to that against Hibs now.”

Toyosi Olusanya’s last-gasp strike for St Mirren denied Ross County three points that would have moved them out of the relegation play-off place in the cinch Premiership.

Jordan White had given the hosts a first-half lead in Dingwall, making the most of an Alex Gogic mistake to put the Staggies ahead in the 12th minute.

St Mirren fought valiantly for an equaliser but they had to be patient, with Olusanya’s goal eventually coming in the 90th minute.

There was just one change between the two starting XIs – Eli King coming into Ross County’s line-up in place of Teddy Jenks.

The visitors had not settled when a mistake at the back gifted Ross County the opening goal in the 12th minute.

Gogic attempted to pass the ball back to his goalkeeper, only for White to nip in ahead of Zach Hemming and round the Buddies goalkeeper before rolling the ball into an empty net for his sixth goal of the season in all competitions.

County had to be on their guard to prevent a quick St Mirren response, with keeper George Wickens diving to his right to keep out Caolan Boyd-Munce’s deflected strike.

It was a similar story at the start of the second half, with Lewis Jamieson this time cutting inside from the right flank and forcing an acrobatic stop from Wickens.

St Mirren continued to put the pressure on their hosts and as the clock ticked down, Stephen Robinson threw on some fresh legs to give the visitors fresh impetus going forward.

It worked as Keanu Baccus’ header sent Olusanya goal-side of Loick Ayina to finish into the bottom corner in the last minute.

Ross County remain 11th, while St Mirren move to within a point of fourth-placed Kilmarnock.

Derek McInnes believes Kilmarnock will on Wednesday night face a vastly-improved Rangers team to the one who lost at Rugby Park on the opening day of the cinch Premiership season.

A 1-0 win for the Ayrshire side on August 5 heaped immediate pressure on then Gers boss Michael Beale, who lasted only until October when he was replaced by Philippe Clement with the Light Blues trailing Celtic by seven points at the top of the table.

The Belgian boss has turned Rangers’ fortunes around, bringing the Viaplay Cup to Ibrox and guiding the Govan side to the last 16 of the Europa League where they will play Portuguese side Benfica, as well as overtaking their Old Firm rivals by two points in the league.

Killie themselves are in good form, with their only defeat in the last 14 games coming at Ibrox on January 2, but manager McInnes is bracing himself for a night of “bedlam” when the Ibrox men visit for the second time this season.

He said: “The biggest compliment I can give the current manager is that even with a lot of the players that played that day, there’s far more robustness about Rangers, there is a strength about them, they certainly have the added confidence that winning gives you.

“When maybe the performance that day was a wee bit unsure, there is a certainty about them now. You know what you’re going to get.

“I actually like the way he plays, there is a directness, there is a simplicity, an organisation, you see the detail in their work in and out of possession.

“They don’t think they are anything they are not. They play forward, they ask the question, put balls in the box, take shots on from distance. They work you and you need to be able to stand up to that.

“We’re expecting a tough game but equally, I expect Rangers to get a tough game from us, if we can be anything like ourselves.

“We feel there is a performance in us that can upset Rangers and cause Rangers problems.”

Rangers, who have won nine in a row, scored in the second minute of their commanding 5-0 win over Hearts at Ibrox at the weekend and McInnes expects the start on Wednesday night to be important.

The former Gers midfielder said: “It will be bedlam here, there will be a brilliant atmosphere.

“It is a type of game players want to be involved in and that focuses you, the game demands that and concentration.

“When you are playing against players who want to start quick and come here and flex their muscles, you have to be ready to fight fire with fire and we want to make sure that we try to own that pitch, impose ourselves on the game, like we do any home game.

“Some games are easy to do that, tomorrow night will be a challenge against a strong Rangers team but we have to have the belief going on to the pitch that we are capable of getting a result.

“I know we have the performance in us to win the game and we have to do so much right to make sure that is the case.”

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers stressed the advantages of positivity from the stands ahead of Wednesday’s visit of Dundee after finding dissent over a substitution “strange”.

Boos rang out from the away support at Motherwell on Sunday when Rodgers brought on Paulo Bernardo for Tomoki Iwata with the scores tied at 1-1 with 13 minutes left.

The criticism likely stemmed from supporters’ desire to see someone else coming off other than Iwata, who had not played since December 13 because of injury, but Rodgers felt it did not help the player coming on.

Celtic went on to win 3-1 with substitutes Adam Idah and Luis Palma getting all three goals between them and Rodgers brought up the jeers when asked about the importance of utilising his bench.

“It’s very important, especially when you get booed for taking off a defender and putting on an attacker,” he said. “That seemed strange.

“You are talking 95 to 100-minute games now, so your bench is very, very important. Having the depth to bring players on make an impact is very important.”

When asked how he felt about the criticism, Rodgers said: “It doesn’t really matter to me, it’s more for the player coming on and the team.

“It’s a negative reaction which I don’t quite understand. You are 1-1 in the game and take off a defensive midfield player and bring on an attacking player who has scored goals this season and you get booed. It just seemed a little strange.

“But thankfully the players’ mentality on the pitch was superb, they kept going, they kept fighting and all the great work they did – especially in the second half in terms of tiring the opponent out – led to a couple of goals at the end.”

When asked about the effect of criticism from the stands, Rodgers said: “It’s not only for Celtic, it’s in general in any club, if that feeling rolls down from the stands onto the pitch and it’s negative, then what do you expect?

“You will get players who will have a nervousness, so the game will look different.

“Whereas if they have that positive reaction and that support, it’s like life, if you get that support and that feeling that people are behind you, everyone, then you will have a greater chance to succeed.”

Sunday’s encounter continued a recent trend where Celtic put together two very different halves of football, as Motherwell deservedly led at half-time. On other occasions, they have struggled to build on a comfortable first half.

“To be fair, it’s been like that for bits of the season,” Rodgers said.

“I see people saying ‘they don’t know their best team, they don’t know the best structure’. We know clearly what the structure is. And it’s not about the best team, it’s the team that finishes the game.

“You play so many games, you are looking for an energy in the game that you can’t possibly keep for 90 minutes unless you make those changes.

“Each game tactically is different. It’s not about finding your best 11 because they won’t finish the game. You have to adapt within the game.

“But there’s no doubt you need to have that ruthless mentality and we would want that for longer periods, of course.

“And we will continue to analyse that to see where we can improve. But by the end of the game, if we have won the game, then that’s what is most important, as well as performing well.”

Philippe Clement would welcome an England recall for Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland but knows Gareth Southgate needs to make that decision.

A Sky Sports report claimed the 30-year-old, who won the last of his nine caps in September 2018, is in contention for the Brazil and Belgium friendlies at Wembley in March ahead of the 2024 European Championships this summer.

Ahead of the cinch Premiership trip to Kilmarnock on Wednesday night – where Gers boss Clement revealed striker Kemar Roofe will not be considered because of the artificial surface – the Belgian said of the Butland report: “I would love that he would be there because he deserves, he is ready in that way.

“If he deserves enough, that is the decision of Southgate of course.

“He (Butland) has been really good for the team although he has had less to do in the last couple of weeks.

“But he keeps the same concentration, the same seriousness and he is important in the dressing room and in training, and he is going to be important in the next couple of weeks and months because we have a lot of games to go and a lot of important games where you need players with personality.”

Derek McInnes’ side have gone unbeaten in seven games in all competitions since losing 3-1 at Ibrox on January 2 and sit in fourth place.

Clement’s team are two points clear of Celtic at the top of the table but he is wary of the Ayrshire side’s form and their artificial surface providing a potential double-whammy to their title challenge.

He said: “It is a difficult challenge and we will approach the game with respect for the opponent but also respect for ourselves, to play our own game although you need to adapt to a totally different kind of football because of the pitch.

“I made the comparison with tennis. Playing at Wimbledon or on a clay court.

“It is a little bit like that, of course a different sport but the ball goes faster (on artificial turf) so you need to be a little bit more precise.

“On a grass pitch when you give a pass it slows down after a while. On artificial, it keeps its speed or goes even faster along the way.

“The ball bounces in a totally different way, also the way of turning, sprinting, stopping – a lot of things that are different but it is what it is.

“It is not easy but we did it before at Livingston and we need to do it again.

“The most important thing is getting three points but it will be a totally different game.

“We are going to go there with full focus but we know it is one of those dangerous moments, it can be a bump on the road.”

Adam Idah believes the pressure of playing for Celtic is bringing out the best in him after he stepped up to the mark at Motherwell.

Idah came off the bench at Fir Park with the home side deservedly one ahead at half-time and Celtic at major risk of falling further behind Rangers in the cinch Premiership title race.

The on-loan Norwich striker came to Celtic’s rescue with a well-taken double before Luis Palma grabbed another stoppage-time goal to earn a 3-1 win and cut the gap back to two points.

Idah said: “Look, there’s always going to be pressure going into any game. There’s always pressure at Celtic because it’s such a big club and the demands on everyone are huge.

“I think for us players, you need pressure. It can be tough at times but we are all experienced enough to deal with that pressure and keep going.

“I think I thrive off pressure. That’s what excites me. For a lot of players, that’s what you play football for.

“That pressure gives you that bit of motivation. I know for me, that’s when I play my best.”

Just like against Hibernian earlier this month, Idah’s second goal came four minutes into stoppage-time.

“I’m aware of Celtic and late goals,” the 23-year-old said. “We actually watched the clips before the game of Matty O’Riley scoring at Motherwell in the 96th minute.

“But it’s just that attitude of never giving up. I could see it as soon as I came in. Everyone is so hard-working in training, so professional.

“You see it in the games. They never give up, everyone is willing to put in that extra per cent to get results. You saw that on Sunday and it turned out well.”

Idah netted two penalties at Easter Road and he was delighted to double his Celtic tally at Fir Park without the aid of spot-kicks.

“It’s obviously very pleasing,” the Republic of Ireland international said. “The two penalties were great but you do want to score from open play.

“To do that on Sunday and the way it went was unbelievable for me and my confidence as a striker.

“My job is getting goals so I was delighted. That’s what I’ve come here to try to do. I want to score as many goals as I can and help the team.

“The team is helping me by putting balls in the box and making me the reference point. Overall we are working well with each other.”

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers praised his side for dealing with the pressure after coming from behind to snatch a last-gasp win over Motherwell.

Motherwell deservedly led at half-time through Blair Spittal’s impressive goal but substitute Adam Idah quickly headed Celtic level after the break.

Celtic forced Motherwell back in the final quarter of the game and the pressure told four minutes into stoppage time when Idah stabbed home Alistair Johnston’s pass.

Luis Palma quickly added another to seal a 3-1 victory which cut the gap at the top of the table back to two points.

Rangers had moved five in front with a 5-0 win over Hearts on Saturday and Celtic faced a big challenge at half-time after dropping four points in their previous three league matches.

Rodgers admitted there was an anxiety in his side’s first-half passing but he added: “It was more the football and the performance, we were arriving into areas too early which gave players less options on the ball, that meant the passes were longer and they were looking into depth too much.

“Sometimes that happens in the game, so at half-time it was just about staying calm, reinforce the good bits of the game, but actually where we needed to adapt in order to connect the game.

“That is what this team is about. It’s about running and connecting the game fast, lots of passes, getting it out to the sides, making runs in behind, getting crosses into the box from half space wide areas.

“Technically, we needed to make some adjustments, but all at the same time, stay calm. Stay calm, because it’s one goal in it and I know this team and I know this club.

“The players were magnificent second half, I’ve got to say, under the pressure of being behind. They dealt with it really well.”

Rodgers was delighted with the impact of his subs with Yang Hyun-jun and Cameron Carter-Vickers coming off the bench to good effect following the half-time introduction of Idah for Kyogo Furuhashi.

“He scores two brilliant goals,” Rodgers said. “His first one is an amazing header – it’s a great cross by Greg (Taylor) but his header is absolutely brilliant. And then obviously he makes his first-post run and gets the second one.

“I think the guys coming into the game made a really good impact. Yang was good, he gave us the width and attacked on the outside and created space for the passes inside. Palma comes in and scores a goal as well, gets into the second post for the cross.”

On Carter-Vickers, Rodgers added: “You see when he comes into the game, there’s no trouble.

“The big guy up front (Theo Bair) gave us a problem in the first half with his strength and his size, and Cam comes in and just controls that side of it and allows us to play and get forward quicker, because he’s controlling that along with Scalesy (Liam Scales). So, him coming back is huge for us.”

Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell was frustrated over the “miscommunication” that saw two players dragged to the ball to leave Johnston free to set up Idah’s second.

And he will work on getting his players conditioned for 90 minutes after taking off four young players and Dan Casey, who pulled up after making a sliding tackle.

“Once we start to see one or two feeling for hamstrings and thighs, it shows the opposition can grow momentum,” he said.

“Ideally, how we were performing defensively, I would rather keep that structure and personnel on there. But I felt we were forced into one or two changes through necessity.

“One or two young guys in the team, even the senior players, we have to work towards being able to condition ourselves to play 96 minutes.

“It’s not just your body, it’s your head and being switched on to it. I have to identify what I felt cost us at least a point.”

Adam Idah came off the bench to hit a double as Celtic came from behind to win another close contest with Motherwell in stoppage time.

Celtic were in serious danger of losing more ground in the cinch Premiership title race after Blair Spittal scored a wonderful goal to give Motherwell a deserved half-time lead at Fir Park.

But Idah headed Celtic level within five minutes of the restart and struck in the third minute of added time as the champions turned the tide in the latter stages of the game.

Fellow substitute Luis Palma made it 3-1 as Celtic cut the gap on leaders Rangers back to two points.

Rangers had piled the pressure on with a 5-0 victory over in-form Hearts on Saturday after Celtic lost top spot following two draws in their previous three league matches.

They knew they would likely face a tough encounter against a Motherwell who have drawn twice at Parkhead in the past year and ran Brendan Rodgers’ side close at Fir Park earlier this season, when Matt O’Riley netted a winner in the seventh minute of time added on.

Spittal was back from injury as Harry Paton missed out, while Celtic had Alistair Johnston and Tomoki Iwata making comebacks, the latter’s selection allowing Callum McGregor to play further forward.

Greg Taylor saw an early shot held by Motherwell captain Liam Kelly, but it was the visiting defence which looked vulnerable in the opening stages.

Lennon Miller got both Theo Bair and Jack Vale in behind with a quick pass on separate occasions. Bair finished brilliantly but was flagged offside and Vale could not get a shot away, turning inside and outside Mark Nawrocki before the defender recovered.

Vale soon forced a diving save from Joe Hart after slack play from Celtic and Motherwell cut open their visitors with an excellent one-touch move which ended with Georgie Gent slicing wide.

Celtic only carved out one real first-half chance, when McGregor’s through-ball found Kyogo Furuhashi, but Kelly came out to block with his feet.

Motherwell remained a threat though and their opener was a thing of beauty. Miller swivelled his way past McGregor with a tremendous piece of skill and set up Spittal to curl the ball out of Hart’s reach from 22 yards.

Idah came on for Furuhashi, who appeared to hurt his troublesome shoulder late in the first half. The Irishman made an instant impact, getting a run on Dan Casey to meet Taylor’s cross and power a header home from 12 yards.

The goal did not initially shift the momentum, though. Hart pulled off a brilliant stop from Miller’s header and Vale threatened twice, the second time when tackling the Celtic goalkeeper, who was relieved to see the ball go wide.

But the champions began to exert more pressure. Cameron Carter-Vickers came off the bench to add an assurance to the Celtic defence and fellow substitute Yang Hyun-jun was causing far more problems for the home team than the man he replaced, Nicolas Kuhn.

Liam Scales had a header saved, Daizen Maeda failed to get any of three chances on target and O’Riley saw a shot charged down by the Motherwell wall after Calum Butcher had hauled Idah to the ground after being turned on the edge of the box.

Willie Collum booked the Motherwell man and stuck to his decision despite being called to the monitor for a potential red-card review.

The pressure grow and Idah got ahead of his marker to convert Johnston’s low cross before Palma tapped home Yang’s ball across the face of goal.

Livingston manager David Martindale bemoaned “ridiculous” game management following his side’s last-gasp defeat against Ross County.

Livi fought back from Eamonn Brophy’s first-half double in Dingwall as a brace from Bruce Anderson got his side level with four minutes left.

But Josh Sims netted in stoppage time for the hosts to earn a 3-2 win which leaves Livi six points adrift at the foot of the cinch Premiership table.

Martindale said: “I thought our game management for that third goal was ridiculous – terrible.

“In the first half, it was a wee bit toothless, gutless – we couldn’t get close enough. Our distances were all wrong.

“The first goal was a blatant error, under no pressure at all. A lack of focus leads to the first goal. It gives Ross County momentum and takes a wee bit of belief away from us.

“The second goal we don’t go in tight enough. We were too narrow and give Brophy too much room.

“We go in at half-time 2-0 down and make changes. It wasn’t down to the two who came off. We could probably have looked at the defensive unit as being the ones at fault.

“But you have to change something so we changed to 4-4-2 and put Bruce on and get the next goal.

“We threw caution to the wind in the last 10 minutes with big Kurtis Guthrie on and get the second goal back.

“At that point, maybe I should have changed it back to a back four or five and taken the point. I never, I thought the momentum was with us.

“Unfortunately we get done with a sucker punch. Again, defensively, we’ve got to do a lot better as a unit.”

County interim manager Don Cowie hailed his side’s character after keeping their composure following Livingston’s equaliser.

“We were very good in the first half and were worthy at 2-0 up,” said Cowie.

“I was really disappointed to lose a goal so early in the second half. It gave Livingston a massive boost and it became a difficult half of football.

“But we hung in there and came up with a bit of magic to win the game. I’m delighted for the group.

“The fact they kept going like that was pleasing. Most people would have assumed it would be Livingston who would go on and get the winning goal at that stage, but we came again.

“It’s the character that I know is in that dressing room.”