CELTIC manager Ange Postecoglou praised the character and resilience of his Celtic side after Giorgos Giakoumakis hit a late, late winner to secure a crucial three points in Perth.
St Johnstone looked to have punished Celtic for missing a host of opportunities as Alex Mitchell popped up to level the game in injury-time, with an Andy Considine own goal the only reward the visitors had for their domination of the match.
But Giakoumakis bundled home Alexandro Bernabei’s cross in the 95th minute to send the visiting fans wild, and ensure that Celtic didn’t spill two valuable points.
“It’s a game we probably should have put to bed a little bit earlier with the chances we had,” Postecoglou said.
“At 1-0 you know that it’s always on a bit of knife-edge, particularly as they’re a team who will lump balls into the box, and you are going to have to defend sometimes pretty desperately.
“They obviously got the goal late, but again, there was great character and resilience by the lads. We did it a few times last year and we’re going to have to show that at times again this year.
“You can win a game of football in many ways, but I think winning it this way also provides us confidence in the fact that we still have that sort of resilience within the group.”
Postecoglou acknowledged his team’s profligacy, but said that the goals will soon start to flow once more if they keep creating chances at the same rate.
“At the beginning of the year we were putting everything away, and now we’re going through a patch where we’re not as clinical in front of goal,” he said.
“During the course of a season that is going to happen, and we’re going to have to show that character we showed today if we want to be successful. Credit to the players, they did it.
“That will happen unless you’re a perfect side. You can go through points of a season where things just aren’t going in for you, and we’re certainly going through a period like that now.
“But the chances are still there, and my belief is that if you keep persisting with that then the goals will come, because we’ve got goalscorers in the team.
“We showed that last year, we showed that at the beginning of this year, it’s just about getting into those areas, maintaining our composure and not getting too anxious about it.
“If we keep creating the kinds of chances we are then we will get the rewards.”
