Debutant Kelechi Iheanacho scored a last-gasp penalty as mutinous Celtic fans were left celebrating a 2-1 victory over Kilmarnock that moved them back to the top of the William Hill Premiership.
After a summer in which the club were widely deemed to have failed to adequately bolster their squad in the summer before crashing out of the Champions League at the hands of Kairat Almaty, angry supporters held a crisis meeting last week and decided to boycott the opening 12 minutes of the Rugby Park fixture.
Around half of the travelling fans opted against partaking in the late-entry protest while the others eventually filtered in to witness the remainder of an underwhelming, goalless first half from Brendan Rodgers’ side.
Daizen Maeda eased some of the tension when he headed the reigning champions in front with only his second goal since April.
But on a day when “sack the board” chants and banners were evident from the away end, it looked like the hierarchy were set to come under further pressure when David Watson headed Killie level in the 83rd minute.
With virtually the last kick of the match, however, Iheanacho – a free-agent signing after the transfer deadline – smashed home his spot-kick after fellow substitute James Forrest’s shot was adjudged to have been handled by Lewis Mayo.
Killie, who had drawn each of their opening four league matches, made three changes to the team that started the last match at Motherwell as James Brown, Rory McKenzie and Marcus Dackers replaced Ben Brannan, Brad Lyons and Bruce Anderson.
Rodgers handed first starts to full-backs Colby Donovan and Marcelo Saracchi and a debut to winger Sebastian Tounekti while Iheanacho was named on the bench.
Killie defender Mayo glanced a header wide from a Liam Polworth cross in the eighth minute but otherwise the late-arriving Celtic fans missed little.
The visitors’ frustration was summed up when Reo Hatate shot high over from the edge of the box just after the half-hour.
Tounekti was proving the Hoops’ main threat and his threatening run down the left set up Benjamin Nygren but the Swede’s shot from 12 yards was straight down the throat of Max Stryjek.
Cameron Carter-Vickers then saw a powerful low strike from 30 yards pushed behind by Stryjek just before the break.
Tounekti gestured towards the Celtic support to try to rouse them after some disparaging songs about the board – most pointedly towards chairman Peter Lawwell – early in the second half, and they were soon celebrating in the 56th minute when Maeda dived to glance home Saracchi’s brilliant cross from eight yards out.
Nygren then saw a couple of efforts blocked by Killie defender Dom Thompson before the hosts came roaring back into the match.
After sub Bruce Anderson twice went close, Killie levelled in when Watson rose to power home a header from Greg Kiltie’s corner.
The home side looked the likelier winners thereafter as they laid siege to the Celtic goal.
But the Hoops kept their composure and Iheanacho was able to deliver in the game’s decisive moment to send his new team back above overnight leaders Hearts on goal difference after a VAR intervention led to a penalty being awarded.
