JUST as they have done several times this season, Celtic struck late to get a result this afternoon, Reo Hatate's injury-time goal snatching a point for the Hoops against Rangers at Ibrox.
It was a euphoric end to the match for Celtic, who had looked dead and buried after a first half in which that failed to lay a glove on their rivals.
However, once the dust has settled on another frenetic Glasgow Derby, it'll be fans of Hearts that celebrate loudest and longest on what was Celtic boss Martin O'Neill's 74th birthday.
Given Rangers' deserved 2-0 lead at half-time, it's a result that probably feels like a defeat for the home side and akin to a victory for the visitors.
In truth, it does neither Glasgow side much good in their respective title bids, with the draw seeing the Jambos end the weekend two points further ahead of the pair.
After beating Aberdeen 1-0 at Tynecastle yesterday, the Edinburgh side now hold a six-point lead over second-placed Rangers and are eight ahead of Celtic, albeit having played a game more than the Hoops.
Meanwhile, Motherwell sit just two points behind Celtic having played the same number of games.
Celtic pay for woeful first half
Rangers flew out of the traps at Ibrox and took the lead through a sensational Youssef Chermiti overhead kick after eight minutes, with the striker hitting the woodwork two minutes later.
The hosts eventually doubled their lead on 26 minutes after Dane Murray sliced Nicolas Raskin's hopeful ball into the area, sending it looping over fellow defender Julian Araujo.
Chermiti skilfully nicked it out of the way of the Mexican before dinking it past Viljami Sinisalo to make it 2-0.
Rangers were good value for their lead against a woeful Celtic, who mustered only one shot in the first half, a blocked effort from Daizen Maeda late in the half.
The hosts started the second half where they left off, with both Andreas Skov Olsen and Tuur Rommens going close, however, Celtic finally began to get a foothold in the game.
Youssef Chermiti acrobatically puts Rangers 1-0 up (Image: Alan Harvey / SNS Group via Getty Images)Reo Hatate and Benjamin Nygren had a couple of half chances before Celtic's top scorer turned provider for Kieran Tierney on 56 minutes.
Nygren curled the ball from just inside the box towards the far post and Tierney rose highest in between Emmanuel Fernandez and Raskin to nod down past Jack Butland.
Celtic continued to grow into the game while Rangers looked to protect their lead, with chances falling to Maeda, Hatate, Nygren and Luke McCowan.
However, just as it looked as though the visitors would be punished for their second-half profligacy, Celtic were handed a penalty when Maeda's 87th-minute header struck Dujon Sterling's arm.
Butland saved Hatate's initial effort down to his right before incredibly getting a left hand to the follow-up, only for the Japanese midfielder to tuck the ball away at the third time of asking.
'We could have won'
Despite Celtic's abject opening 45 minutes, O'Neill felt his side deserved a least a point for their their second-half showing, in which they notched 16 shots with seven on target.
"We got off to a bad start obviously, they get a goal, crowd up for the game, all those type of things, then we concede a poor second goal," O'Neill told Celtic TV after the game.
"We had not been good in the first half. When we had moments to deal with the ball, it kept breaking down for us.
"But the second half, other than the first three of four minutes, belonged totally to us.
"We got forward, we showed commitment and drive, determination and a bit of ability to pass the ball.
"We could have won the game — even before we get the penalty kick, we had chances before that to have won.
“We deserved at least a point in the game considering our second-half performance, considering we're away from home and considering where we were, at Ibrox."
Martin O'Neill felt Celtic could have won the game after their poor start (Image: WM Sport Media / Getty Images)O'Neill admitted his side were way off the pace in the first half but praised their determination to ride out Rangers' early second-half pressure and snatch a result.
"We were second best [in the first half] — second best to the first ball, second best to the second ball, second best to the third ball," he said.
"You have to show more determination than that, you've got to show it.
“You can talk to your blue in the face about tactics, about this, that and the other thing, but if you don't have that desire to go and play, to go and want to compete, then you're finished.
"But the team have shown, certainly during my spell here, they definitely have shown a determination to go right to the end.
"So, you felt as if you just have to bin that first-half performance, get starting again in the second half and I think that's what we did.
"We played some great, great stuff and got the crowd turned against their own team too."
Celtic can't rely on late shows
Celtic will undoubtedly be the happier of the two sides with today's result, which means they can leapfrog Rangers if they win their game in hand at Aberdeen in midweek.
A point at Ibrox is a good result at any time but more so this term, with the Hoops' indifferent form already seeing them lose as many league games this season as in the past two combined.
Despite those seven defeats, O'Neill will once again be buoyed by his side's resolve and never-say-die determination to grind out a result.
As well as today's comeback, he saw his side come from 2-0 down two weeks ago to defeat Kilmarnock 3-2 courtesy of Julian Araujo's 97th-minute winner.
Four days earlier, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scored a 91st-minute debut winner in the 2-1 win over Livingston.
In the previous match, Junior Adamu scored a 97th-minute equaliser to rescue Celtic's Scottish Cup hopes before Sebastian Tounekti netted the winner in extra time.
Reo Hatate beats Jack Butland at the third time of asking to level the match at 2-2 (Image: Craig Williamson / SNS Group via Getty Images)However, Celtic don't have an infinite supply of get-out-of-jail-free cards and can't keep relying on late moments of magic to sustain their season.
Finding themselves behind in these games in the first place will be a concern for O'Neill, who will remember his side regularly dominating games for 90 minutes and frequently putting four or five past teams during his first spell at the club.
And for all the relief the late results bring, they are still tempered by costly defeats such as last weekend's tame 2-1 home loss to Hibs, a result Celtic could barely afford given Hearts' lead.
However this season ends, a serious inquest is needed as to how the club was allowed to concede a position of such dominance in Scottish football to facing the possibility of finishing fourth this season and without a trophy.
The board must also reflect on their stewardship of the club, particularly after a season marred by poor scouting and transfers; a season that began with an embarrassing Champions League exit to Kazakh side Kairat Almaty; a season that saw a top-tier manager quit in acrimonious circumstances only to be replaced with an MLS coach who had no European management experience; a season in which Celtic were outclassed in the League Cup Final by a side that have won only five of 28 league games this term; a season that has seen a growing, bitter disconnect between the board and some of the fans.
That period of reflection is for the close season.
For now, it's an old cliché but it really is one game at a time for Celtic, who can scarcely afford any more slip-ups in a campaign season after rescuing a point today.
All eyes, then — be they in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Motherwell or Aberdeen — will turn to Pittodrie on Wednesday for the next chapter in an engrossing title race.
Everything from irishpost.com and the print edition is available on the Irish Post App — plus more! Download it for Android or Apple IOS devices today.
See More: Celtic, Scottish Premiership
