FEYENOORD 1 CELTIC 3: THREE CHEERS FOR O’NEILL

FEYENOORD 1  CELTIC 3

MARTIN O’NEILL’S parting gift to Celtic in the European battlefield was a long-awaited triumph over Feyenoord in Rotterdam that emphasised what he has brought to the club in such a short space of time.

The Hoops went into the encounter knowing their last away win at this level was FOUR years ago when Ange Postecoglou was the manager in a 3-2 victory over Ferencváros in Hungary.

O’Neill, taking over from Brendan Rodgers in an interim capacity, filled that gap with a superb comeback triumph that was laced with endeavour, energy, effort and no little skill.

Yang Hyun-jun, Reo Hatate and Benjamin Nygren were the goalscorers, but every Celt in the De Kuip was a hero from veteran Kasper Schmeichel with two tremendous saves at crucial moments through to youngster Colby Donovan who put in a breathtaking performance.

A WORD IN YOUR EAR…Martin O’Neill and Callum McGregor.

Showing some welcome true grit qualities, the Hoops fought back from a goal down to lead 2-1 at the interval of an absorbing first-half played in wet and windy conditions.

O’Neill’s men were hit by a classic suckerpunch in the 11th minute when the hosts took the lead through Japanese frontman Ayase Ueda.

Luke McCowan had an astonishing miss only four minutes beforehand when he clipped the crossbar from two yards out after an Arne Engels right-wing corner-kick had dropped to his feet in the packed penalty box.

The midfielder was totally unmarked with the keeper exposed, but he somehow contrived to mishit from almost under the bar and hit the woodwork when it looked impossible not to score.

The linesman flagged him offside to save his blushes somewhat, but VAR pictures would have proved he was in a legitimate position after the ball had deflected to him off a Dutch defender.

Only moments later, a raking left-wing crossfield pass saw Kieran Tierney play an opponent onside. The Feyenoord player squared it to the alert Ueda and Schmeichel was helpless as the hitman rolled the ball into the far corner.

However, there was an excellent response from the Hoops and Yang set up McCowan with a superb pass inside in the 20th minute, but, once again, the midfield man’s touch was off and he surrendered possession in a great position for a shot.

A goal had to come and it arrived in the 31st minute and McCowan atoned for his earlier errors with a clever ball to Hatate running free in the box on the right.

The playmaker whipped over a cross to the back post and Yang arrived smack on the money to first time a drive high into the net much to the delight of the 2,500 travelling fans, including veteran rock star Rod Stewart.

CHEERS…Yang Hyun-jun in goal celebrations.

And it got better in the 43rd minute when Celtic took the lead thanks to the perseverance of Daizen Maeda who chased down a passback to keeper Timon Wellenreuther who panicked with his clearance.

He made a bad connection and his deflected pass went straight to the lurking Hatate 20 yards out and he simply first-timed a delightful right-foot effort into the vacant net.

Nygren came on for McCowan in the 63rd minute during a period where Celtic were in control and dictating the flow of the game.

But it took a combination of Schmeichel and Liam Scales to deny Sam Steijn six minutes later to deny the Dutch danger man.

O’Neill then threw on Dane Murray and Sebastian Tounekti for Tierney and Yang in the 71st minute and only moments later the Hoops survived when a header from Gao Diarra clipped the crossbar following a melee in the aftermath of a corner-kick.

Tounekti had the chance to hit a third when he was picked out by a laserbeam pass from Engels, but he dwelled on the ball and the chance was lost.

EAR WE GO…third goalscorer Benjamin Nygren.

In the 82nd minute, Nygren did manage to claim the killer strike after some fabulous work on the right from Donovan with a low ball to the near post.

Maeda, menacing as ever, got in first to touch the ball back to the Swede and he fairly thumped a shot into the via the underside of the crossbar to seal the victory.

Two minutes later, O’Neill sent on Paulo Bernardo and Anthony Ralston for Hatate and Donovan as the Hoops ran down the clock.

This is likely to be O’Neill last-ever European adventure and, as ever, the 73-year-old Irishman brought down the curtain in style.

Now he can have his final hurrah in the capital when the champions take on Hibs at Easter Road on Sunday.

TEAM: Schmeichel; Donovan (sub: Ralston 84), Trusty, Scales, Tierney (sub: Murray 71); Engels, McCowan (sub: Nygren 63), McGregor, Hatate (sub: Bernardo 84); Yang (sub: Tounekti 71), Maeda