Kasper Schmeichel praised for ‘really great save’ to earn Celtic win at Falkirk

Celtic manager Martin O’Neill praised goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel for a match-winning save after admitting his team were “second best” against Falkirk.

Schmeichel denied his former club a late equaliser when he spread himself to stop substitute Ethan Williams from scoring.

The Denmark keeper also produced some important saves in a first half that Falkirk largely dominated, only for Benjamin Nygren to head home an Arne Engels corner two minutes before the break.

The goal proved enough to earn Celtic victory and move them above Rangers on goal difference, six points behind William Hill Premiership leaders Hearts, who triumphed 2-0 against St Mirren despite losing Beni Baningime to an early red card.

“We didn’t play well in the game,” O’Neill said. “We saw it through and we can play much, much better.

“It just seems strange in a contrast, where we were so good on Saturday and tentative tonight and lost the ball in areas where we shouldn’t have been doing it.

“Overall, I think Falkirk would have found themselves really unlucky to be behind at half-time in the game.

“I thought we pressed a bit better in the second half, but overall, we didn’t play well in the game.

“I just thought, certainly in the first half, we were second best. We seemed devoid of that real, real energy that is necessary.

“But the most important thing, I have said this often enough, is obviously winning. Hearts have won as well and our margin of error is very, very small, really. We dropped a lot of points. So winning was the most important thing. We can play much better and we will.

“Having said this, some really decent performances. Kasper makes a great save for us, a really, really great save, which he has been doing all his life.

“Particularly when his dad was here. Great. So, there you are, emulating the father. Can’t be bad.”

Falkirk manager John McGlynn was proud of his players’ performance despite his frustration over the result.

“Any neutral is going to say that Falkirk deserved to take something from that game,” McGlynn said.

“I thought we were the better team first half and created some really good opportunities. Gutted to come in a goal down at half-time but it was a wicked ball in from the corner. Engels has been doing that fairly regularly.

“Barney (Stewart) had opportunities and there was a great ball in when Finn Yeats should have stuck his head on it. It could all have been so different.”

McGlynn added: “Very proud of the performance, it was an outstanding performance.

“I have played against Celtic many times and can’t remember our goalkeeper being so quiet.

“I thought Schmeichel made an amazing save, I thought we were going to equalise. Although he has probably been criticised for some goals recently, I thought he earned the points for Celtic tonight.”