Beattie provides last-gasp equaliser to save Celtic blushes

FT Motherwell 4 Celtic 4

An injury-time equaliser by substitute Craig Beattie prevented Celtic manager Gordon Strachan from adding an embarrassing league defeat to midweek humiliation in the Champions League.

It ended 4-4 at Motherwell in an extraordinary opening fixture to the new Bank of Scotland Premier League season.

The Hoops, who had been thrashed 5-0 by Slovak unknowns Artmedia Bratislava on Wednesday, had been 3-1 up at the break thanks to a John Hartson hat-trick.

But Well mounted a stirring comeback with Jim Hamilton, Scott McDonald and William Kinniburgh adding to Brian Kerr’s first half goal to make it 4-3.

Well replaced McCormack with David Keogh in the 70th minute.

Quinn brought down Maloney before he could reach the box but the striker blasted the free-kick into the wall. He was fouled trying to retrieve however but did exactly the same from the second attempt.

Craigan headed over from a free-kick at the other end before Celtic replied with a corner which saw Varga send a free header straight at the goalkeeper.

William Kinniburgh put Well 4-3 up the 85th minute then he headed in a Hamilton cross from the right after Hartson had allowed a pass to reach the striker.

But Beattie equalised in stoppage time by poking past Marshall after bounding through the Well defence.