MARTIN O’NEILL admitted he was “breathless” after Celtic’s courageous 10 men earned a crucial Europa League point in a tension-laded 2-2 draw against Bologna in Italy last night.
The Hoops played a man short for over an hour following Reo Hatate’s red card in the first-half after the midfielder picked up two yellow cards in three dramatic minutes.
The Japanese ace had actually given the visitors the perfect start with the opening goal in the fifth minute following an interception from Daizen Maeda and pass that set up his compatriot for a simple tap-in.
Five minutes before the breaking, shortly after the dismissal of Hatate, Auston Trusty doubled Celtic’s advantage when he swooped at the back post to knock in a close-range effort following Liam Scales’ flick-on from Kieren Tierney’s left-footed right-wing corner-kick.
HAIL, HAIL…Martin O’Neill acknowledges the Celtic fans in Bologna.
The home side came back to net twice, but the valiant Hoops managed to hold out for a point that could prove so valuable in the attempts to reach the knock-out stages of the tournament.
O’Neill’s men sit on eight points and a win against Dutch outfit Utrecht, who have already been eliminated, at Parkhead on Thursday should be enough.
Reflecting on the team’s performance against the Serie A club, the Irishman said: “It was a magnificent effort by the team. They put their heart and soul into it.
“To play 60-odd minutes with 10 men and to show the sort of character that is supposedly lacking in this team – I don’t see it at all.
“I see heart and desire in big waves and it’s really welcoming.
“The sending-off changes the course of the game in many aspects. There’s a long way to go, but the spirit of the side was terrific and the crowd helped us the whole way through.
“It would have been a real shame if we had lost the game and the players were really out on their feet in the last 10 minutes, but they kept going.
“What it does for us, the point at least takes it into the final game and what we’ve done is given ourselves a bit of hope.”
NOTHING TO SNIFF AT…Martin O’Neill praises his players. Image counrtesy Celtic TV.
The interim boss also praised his “colossal” central defensive duo of Trusty and Scales as they formed a barrier in front of the equally-impressive Kasper Schmeichel.
Remarkably, the home team had THIRTY-SIX attempts on goal and had 84 per cent possession in the second period.
O’Neill, speaking to Celtic TV, added: “Auston Trusty was magnificent. He was absolutely magnificent. As he has been in my time here and I’m sure before that. I couldn’t give him any higher praise than the performance he put in. He was absolutely magnificent, as were the team.
“He and Liam Scales have been really, really great as a defensive two for me during the time that I’ve been here. Trusty epitomised the spirit of the team.
“It was colossal, really colossal.”
Next up in a series of season-defining games is the Premiership encounter against Hearts at Tynecastle on Sunday.
That won’t be an affair for the faint-hearted, either.
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