Champions League Qualifying Round: Wednesday August 8th

Ajax 1

Celtic 3

0:1 Petta 96); 0:2 Agathe (20); 1:2 Arvaladze (40); 1:3 Sutton (55)

Att: 48,000

ref: Llopez Nieto (Spain)

Celtic: Douglas; Valgaeren, Mjallby, Boyd; Agathe, McNamara, Lambert, Lennon, Petta (Guppy 87); Sutton, Larsson (Hartson 83)

Having dispatched AC Milan, Valencia and Liverpool in the Amsterdam tournament (a fact continually ignored by the Scottish hacks) the Dutch were their usual confident selves. As one who has had to endure living in Amsterdam and listen to the locals tell you what an insignificant team Celtic are in European terms, the sight of a crestfallen Ajax destroyed in the home of total football was more than satisfying.

Terrorised by Larsson, Sutton and Lennon, Amsterdam's finest were left looking like cloggers ( cloggies surely?) as they failed to stem the Celtic tide.

The aptly named keeper Grim was the first to pull his finger from the hole in the dyke, when an innocuous cross from Sutton was punched in a panic wide to Petta who lofted the ball over both an on rushing defender and Grim, into the roof of the net. Cue the party, as the hooped hordes, fuelled on every recreational substance known to man exploded into an orgy of joy. Celtic had just gained themselves a foot in the Champions League door and were threatening to flood through.

The House of Orange was stunned and when down on the ground kicked in the Henry's, as Larsson released Agathe to outpace Chivu and slot in number two.

Before half time the home side pulled one back courtesy of a Sieve comedy encounter (a fortunate goal really!). Up to that point Machlas and company, despite a golden boot pedigree, had looked as accurate as a hit man in Teasers bar . At this point reality set in and drug induced paranoia threatened to kill the party, as the word 'collapse' appeared in the collective Celtic mind.

No fears however, as the second half saw the Celts go for the kill, pressurising incessantly and pulling Ajax all over the park, before Sutton made it three with one of the best goals to come from any Celtic side. Starting with Douglas the Ajax players hardly got a whiff of the ball as Celtic strung out a dozen or more passes. A cross found Sutton to bullet the ball home with a header worthy of Jimmy Mc Grory, such was its power.

This was a night of Celtic legend, with a team playing to its full potential. It could have been 6 or 7 but for the bar and some great saves from Grim. All the team were magnificent. This time last season we had drawn with Bordeaux and those fuelled by the local tipple were confident of going through. I urged caution then, but not now. O'Neill has galvanised a real unit that I cannot see embarrassing itself in any arena. Just look how Petta has developed and the gallus performance he gave on home soil, or just how Agathe has come on.

Another display like this at Parkhead and a lot pundits will sit up and take real notice. I'm off to dig out the atlas, plan my holidays and send a letter of thanks to Fenerbache.