Celtic narrowly avoided defeat in their opening pre-season friendly after Shin Yamada‘s late penalty sealed a 1-1 draw with Shelbourne.
Martin O’Neill fielded two separate XIs for the first game of their tour and the first half saw Michel-Ange Balikwisha make a rare start – while Cameron Carter-Vickers was back in the picture.
But there wasn’t much to note in the first 45, with the hosts – deep into their domestic season – looking the sharper of the two teams.
Callum Osmand had the best chance of the first half but his effort hit the legs of the keeper and was cleared by the hosts.
If the first half was attritional then the second was even moreso. The only real open-play chance fell to Luke McCowan, playing in the No.10 role in the second half XI, going close from range.
But madness ensued as the game entered its closing stages.
Shelbourne fans celebrated with smokebombs when Harry Wood turned home a spot-kick after Adam Montgomery committed a clumsy foul in the area.
But the Celtic fans in the house responded in kind when, after Maik Nawrocki was upended in the box, Yamada had the last laugh from 12 yards.
Celtic first half XI: Doohan, Donovan, Carter-Vickers, Murray, Haney, McGregor, Bernardo, McArdle, Balikwisha, Forrest, Osmand
Celtic second half XI: Sinisalo, Kennedy, Nawrocki, Scales, Montgomery, Ure, Engels, McCowan, Turley, Hatton, Yamada