Sam Johnstone Shines on Celtic Debut with Stunning Save
Sam Johnstone walked off McDiarmid Park with a grin as bright as the floodlights above him.
"Amazing. What a feeling."
You could hear the release in his voice. Twenty-one months since his last league appearance, the Wolves loanee finally had a stage again – and he used it to slam the door on St Johnstone and keep Celtic’s perfect start intact with a gritty 1-0 win.
A surprise name, a big response
His name on the team sheet raised eyebrows. Viljami Sinisalo, assured and consistent so far, dropped to the bench as Martin O'Neill rolled the dice and handed Johnstone his Celtic debut.
If there were any doubts in the away end, they didn’t last long.
The 33-year-old, capped four times by England, played like a man determined to make up for lost time. Three saves, all from efforts inside the box. One commanding punch. One aerial duel won. Thirty-one of 38 passes completed, five of them clipped or drilled into the final third to launch Celtic forward.
The standout moment came when the game hung in the balance. Joel Cotterill met a cutback with a crisp first-time strike that looked destined to punish Celtic. Johnstone exploded upwards, instinct taking over, fingertips turning the ball over the bar. A top-class reaction stop, the kind that instantly wins over a new support.
By the closing stages, cramp began to nag at him, a reminder of how long it had been since he’d shouldered this kind of workload. He stayed upright, stayed focused, and saw the job through.
‘Rollercoaster week’ ends with clean sheet
"It's been a rollercoaster week, coming in and getting to know the lads and staff, training and watching a couple of games," Johnstone said afterwards, still buzzing from the occasion.
"So to finally get on the pitch and get a win, clean sheet, play in front of the fans, it was an unbelievable feeling. I'm really happy."
This was more than a steady debut. It was a statement that he is ready, sharp, and eager to be more than just cover.
O’Neill’s dilemma before Ibrox
O'Neill didn’t hide his admiration for what he had just seen.
"The save was fantastic, a really, really brilliant reaction save," the Celtic manager said. "He's a fine goalkeeper and it's just a matter of him getting up to speed with things."
That’s the crux of it. Sinisalo has “done very, very well indeed,” as O’Neill stressed. The Finn has not done much wrong. Yet managers rarely ignore a performance like this from a new signing, especially in a position where trust is everything.
"While I [ideally] do not want to use games like this, I have to find out about a number of players," O’Neill added. "We'll see what happens on Sunday but we've got loads and loads of games and it is really nice to know that I have actually two really decent goalkeepers."
The League Cup quarter-final at Ibrox now looms as an immediate and fascinating test of that depth. Stick with the man in possession of the jersey after a clean sheet and a match-turning save? Or return to the keeper who has helped deliver a flawless start to the league campaign?
Two keepers, one massive call
Pat Bonner, who knows a thing or two about the scrutiny that comes with the Celtic gloves, could see the outlines of a real decision forming.
"Johnstone looked commanding and had that terrific reflex save. He did good, he'll be under more pressure in other games," the former Celtic goalkeeper told BBC Sportsound.
"It will be interesting to see what the manager does now - does he keep him in or go with Sinisalo? Celtic have two good goalkeepers at the moment."
That, in itself, is a luxury. But at Ibrox, luxuries don’t count. Decisions do.
Johnstone has kicked the door open. On Sunday, we find out if O’Neill lets him walk through it.
