UEFA Cup Thursday February 26th

Celtic 3

Teplice 0

1:0 Larsson 3
2:0 Sutton 12
3:0 Larsson 90

Att: 48,947

MIB: Konrad Plautz (Aus)

Celtic
Douglas
McNamara Balde Varga
Agathe Lambert Petrov Pearson Thompson
Larsson Sutton
subs Sylla for Pearson 72
Valgaeren for McNamara 87

No doubt about it, there's nothing like one of those glory European nights at Celtic Park... and let's face it, this was nothing like one of those glory nights at Celtic Park.

Still, it's hard to generate any kind of atmosphere when what we really want is a big name in the Champions League instead of a journeyman squad of Central European nonentities like Teplice, a team who, at times, seemed determined to resurrect long-buried stereotypes of dour Warsaw Pact cloggers bludgeoning their way through decadent Western capitalist running dogs.

To add to the lack of atmosphere the game was effectively over as a contest after 12 minutes, by which time Larsson and Sutton had put us two ahead. Indeed, in the first twenty minutes it could have been four, since the Czechs' defending was worthy of Bob Malcolm and company. The fact that it wasn't was mainly due to some profligate chance-squandering by Stephen Pearson.

The longer the scoreline stayed at 2:0 the more Teplice looked as if they'd settle for that and once they'd hit on that decision they seemed determined to hit on anything else in a hooped jersey who came anywhere near their penalty area. A stronger ref than the Mitropean balloon in charge would have allowed at least two of the Teplice hammer-throwers an early introduction to decadent Western bubble bath.

Just when they were looking forward to leaving the pitch with a not insurmountable 2:0 defeat Larsson popped up to head home the third and leave the Teplice defence to organise one of those human tableau depicting various states of despair that Continental teams do so well when they concede late goals.

The result was markedly better than the overall performance. A big improvement will be necessary in the next round where the opponents will definitely be of a higher standard than Teplice.