Football: Donnelly inspires Celtic's goal glut
Celtic 6 Tirol Innsbruck 3 Celtic win 7-5 on aggregate
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Your support makes all the difference.Celtic Park reverberated in the atmosphere of European ties of old as the home side demonstrated to Wim Jansen, their coach, as well as to the supporters that they have the character and determination to be winners.
Three times they came back in a scintillating tie to the delight of a capacity crowd, although the coach will not be too easily carried away. This win merely takes Celtic into the first round of the Uefa Cup and the gaps at the back were large enough to temper undue optimism. For the moment, the supporters can revel in an entertaining cup tie and look ahead to the first Old Firm match of the season on Monday.
Celtic, trailing 2-1 from the first leg, scored first with a superb Simon Donnelly volley in the 33rd minute, but within five minutes the Austrians had replied through Christian Mayrleb.
Back came Celtic with a well worked set piece after Heinz Weber, the substitute goalkeeper, was penalised for holding the ball too long. Henrik Larsson played the ball square for Andreas Thom, whose low shot went into the net off a post. Again Celtic's lead was short-lived as Francis Severeyns struck just before half-time to level the score on the night at 2-2.
Celtic missed several second-half chances before Larsson was tripped inside the penalty area in the 69th minute to allow Donnelly the chance to sweep his spot kick high into the net and Celtic into the lead.
Within a minute Larsson gave an indication of his special skills with a scintillating run from the half-way line to the edge of the penalty area and, when he was tackled, Craig Burley, who was impressive in the midfield, saw his deflected shot soar over the goalkeeper to give his side a 4-2 lead.
There was no breathing space for the celebrating supporters as the Austrians once again turned the tie on its head in the 81st minute. Gernot Krinner headed their third goal with his first touch after coming on as a substitute to put the visitors in pole position at 5-5 but with an away-goal advantage.
Perhaps, in the recent past, Celtic might have succumbed to defeat but in a rousing finale this team showed their steel with two goals to send the fans into delirium and the club into Friday's draw.
Morten Wieghorst split the home defence to score a superb fifth goal for Celtic and on the stroke of time Burley added his second with a powerful shot to wrap up a tremendous evening of football.
Celtic (4-4-2): Gould; Hannah, Boyd, Mac-Kay, Mahe; Thom (Stubbs, 90), Burley, Wieghorst, O'Donnell (McNamara, 55); Larsson, Donnelly. Substitutes not used: Marshall, Annoni, Gray, McKinlay, McLaughlin.
Tirol Innsbruck (4-1-3-2): Cherchesov (Weber, 17); Knavs (Jochum, 76), Tangen, Prudlo, Marasek; El-Dahab; Baur (Krinner, 80), Brzeczek, Kirchler; Severeyns, Mayrleb. Substitutes not used: Yilmaz, Aichner, Wazinger, Barisic.
Referee: K E Fisker (Den).
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