O'Neill hails 'brilliant' Maeda as Japanese star finds form at just right time

WELL DONE SON: Celtic's James Forrest (left) shakes hands with manager Martin O'Neill after being substituted during the William Hill Premiership match at Celtic Park, Glasgow. Pict: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire

Celtic manager Martin O’Neill hailed Daizen Maeda’s return to form after the Japan international drove the champions to a 3-1 win over Falkirk.

The centre-forward scored twice and set up Kieran Tierney to net as the Hoops moved level on points with William Hill Premiership leaders Hearts.

The first two goals were a direct result of Maeda closing down opponents and he finished smartly for the third after substitute Kyrell Wilson had pulled a goal back.

Maeda had sent Celtic on their way to the Scottish Cup final last weekend by charging down a clearance from St Mirren goalkeeper Ryan Mullen to net and he again showed the value of his work ethic.

O’Neill said: “Last week he gets a goal out of nothing from closing down. His closing down is amazing. Even in the 85th minute, he closes someone down. I thought he was brilliant.

“I was pleased the one that he missed was actually offside, otherwise I’d have killed him. No, you couldn’t have done that today to him.” The 28-year-old has struggled to recapture the form that yielded 33 club goals last season plus Scotland’s main player of the year awards.

Maeda had only scored eight this season before last weekend’s Hampden goal and had not netted since January 10.

A summer move to Wolfsburg collapsed amid Celtic’s difficulties signing attacking players and O’Neill believes that episode might have had an impact on the forward.

O’Neill added: “It may well have been that move to the Bundesliga may have affected him at the time.

“Maybe he thought he was all set up – or so I believe, I wasn’t here at the time. I think he had maybe done his job here and felt ‘well, maybe I deserve to go to the Bundesliga’.

“And when it didn’t happen, and apparently it may have been at the 11th hour, there will be a natural disappointment.

“I’m only putting that out – it may not be that at all – but he’s come roaring back. He deserves any accolades that have been bestowed on him over the past few weeks.” Falkirk manager John McGlynn was proud of his players for the way they approached the game off the back of their semi-final disappointment against Dunfermline.

“I thought we were very brave,” he said. “We asked the players to be brave.

“We felt disappointment last weekend, and we lost too many goals in the second half against Rangers.

“Mentally, this was a big, big challenge. A huge challenge.

“The players did remarkably well to come out for the second half the way they did. A lot of teams would have buckled and that could have been a five or six. But we were so brave getting the goal back.

“We were on top of the game at that point but we looked a little tired toward the end in regards to their third goal, we just couldn’t get to Maeda.

“I’m so pleased with the response that we’ve got. Looking at the stats and what I felt in the game, there wasn’t a lot in it. We’ve got caught on the ball for the first two goals.”