Celtic pulled level on points with Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts after Daizen Maeda’s brace and a Kieran Tierney strike secured a hard-fought victory over Falkirk.
Despite long spells of pressure from the visitors, Celtic held firm, with Maeda’s late goal sealing a crucial win in an increasingly tense title race.
The game began at a frantic pace, with Falkirk initially threatening.
Captain Brad Spencer came close to opening the scoring, only for Viljami Sinisalo to produce an excellent save.
However, it was Celtic who struck first, capitalising on a defensive error.
Maeda’s relentless pressing forced a mistake from Keelan Adams, allowing the Japanese forward to race through and finish from distance.
Tierney doubled the lead just before half-time with a powerful strike, giving Celtic a seemingly comfortable cushion.
But Falkirk refused to fade. After Yang Hyun-jun had a third goal ruled out for offside, substitute Kyrell Wilson reignited the contest with a stunning long-range effort.
With Celtic Park growing nervous, Maeda stepped up again, finding space in the box to calmly finish and restore the two-goal advantage, effectively ending Falkirk’s hopes.
With the title race finely poised, Maeda delivered when it mattered most.
His energy and pressing set the tone, while his composure in front of goal proved decisive.
Alongside Tierney, he provided the key moments that ensured Celtic kept pace at the top, even if the performance was far from comfortable.
Falkirk can take pride in their display, pushing Celtic for long periods and creating several chances.
Their persistence was rewarded with Wilson’s goal, and they continued to test the hosts until the closing stages.
Injuries and a costly defensive lapse ultimately proved decisive, but their performance highlighted the quality that has defined their strong season.
While a European finish may now be unlikely, Falkirk’s campaign remains impressive - and they will aim to finish strongly despite this setback.
Celtic manager Martin O'Neill: "Tough game today, knew it would be as well too.
"We're delighted we've won, we played some really decent stuff and stuck at it and at a time when Falkirk came roaring into the game. I thought we saw it through, and Daizen Maeda was fantastic."
Falkirk manager John McGlynn: "It was a big challenge today to see where the players were, it's been a hard week for us.
"I'm very proud, it was very, very gutsy and brave, the performance. We didn't sit back, we just tried to take it to Celtic as much as we could."
