Hartson sets seal on Celtic progress

Liverpool 0 Celtic 2 Celtic win 3-1 on aggregate

Three English clubs have now gone out of Europe this week, yet one Englishman left Merseyside beaming broadly last night. Alan Thompson, a Geordie midfielder rated little more than a journeyman during stints with Newcastle, Bolton and Aston Villa, scored in first-half stoppage time to set Celtic on the way to their first European semi-final since 1974 at the expense of Liverpool.

Wales' John Hartson, who had missed a potentially match-saving penalty in the last minute of Sunday's CIS final against Rangers, atoned in spectacular style with nine minutes remaining to seal Celtic's place in the last four of the Uefa Cup. On this evidence, they need fear no one in today's draw in Geneva.

To the cacophonous delight of their official following of 2,700, and that of as many more scattered around Anfield, Martin O'Neill's side thus recorded the best win for a Scottish club over English opposition since the other half of the Old Firm dumped Leeds from the European Cup 11 years earlier.

Celtic deserved their victory. Having weathered the best Liverpool could throw at them in the first half, while at the same time creating scoring opportunities of their own, they grew in conviction and composure as Gérard Houllier's team became ever more desperate and ragged following Thompson's goal.

O'Neill, who had won three times and drawn once on four visits to Liverpool while in charge of Leicester, was asked if it represented the best result of his managerial career. "No," replied the Celtic manager, contrary as ever. "I had a better one at Wycombe once."

Pressed as to whether it proved Celtic's worthiness to compete in the English Premiership, O'Neill replied: "It hasn't done us any harm. We've beaten Blackburn and now Liverpool here. Nobody watching could say that we'd disgrace this league. We were on a hiding to nothing because that was 'only' Blackburn, a team that had just won at Arsenal. But this was Liverpool."

Houllier, who is now left to concentrate on taking fourth place in the Premiership and thereby qualifying for next season's Champions' League, said: "I'm hurt, but that's football. I couldn't have asked for more effort but the first goal changed a lot of things. Celtic took their chances and showed a higher level of energy."

The tawdry episode in which El Hadji Diouf spat at spectators in Glasgow left a bad taste in the mouth, so to speak, but the atmosphere was not adversely affected. The sound of both sets of supporters belting out on a pre-match "You'll Never Walk Alone" was evidence that what Houllier had termed the clubs' "special relationship" had endured.

"At Anfield," boasted a banner on the Kop, "even the grass is professional." The way Celtic start matches can leave scorch marks on the turf – witness Henrik Larsson's goal and Hartson's shot against the bar in the opening minutes of the first leg – so it was vital Houllier's team did not let Celtic seize the initiative.

After the 1-1 draw last Thursday, Celtic knew they had to score to have any chance of advancing. Liverpool's task, thanks to Emile Heskey's equaliser at Parkhead, was less straightforward, though a record of eight clean sheets in the previous 10 Uefa Cup games suggested that a goalless draw was within their capabilities.

A deceptively uneventful first 10 minutes soon gave way to the kind of contest the crowd craved. Liverpool had marginally the better of things, Hamann firing inches wide, Steven Gerrard's booming volley forcing a fine save from Rab Douglas and the goalkeeper doing well to keep out a Heskey header. When Michael Owen nutmegged Bobo Baldé, the ensuing roar seemed to claim moral superiority.

Celtic, however, did not give the ball away as cheaply as in the first meeting, Paul Lambert's inclusion helping substantially in that respect. From one free-kick, taken by Larsson, Jerzy Dudek dived to claw the ball behind; following another, delivered by Lambert, Hartson's header flew just wide.

Seconds before the interval, Celtic went ahead. Larsson was fouled by Djimi Traoré, the German referee awarding a free-kick 25 yards from goal. Thompson stepped up to drive a low shot which Gerrard, supposedly part of the defensive wall, contrived to jump over and leave Dudek unsighted in the process.

Increasingly, Celtic's composed, almost relaxed approach was in stark contrast with Liverpool's frantic efforts. Houllier's decision to send on Milan Baros for Vladimir Smicer with barely 10 minutes of the second half played reflected the fact that the home side's strategy was not working.

Gerrard was at the heart of their efforts to restore parity, even if his passing often lacked its customary accuracy. The midfielder had a chance to equalise when Owen put him through the middle, but Douglas rushed out to intercept as Liverpool fans wished the roles of the England colleagues had been reversed.

Liverpool (4-4-2): Dudek; Carragher, Traoré, Hyypia, Riise; Murphy, Gerrard, Hamann, Smicer (Baros, 56); Owen, Heskey. Substitutes not used: Berger, Diao, Biscan, Cheyrou, Mellor, Arphexad (gk).

Celtic (3-5-2): Douglas; Mjallby, Valgaeren, Baldé; Sylla (Smith, 86), Lennon, Petrov, Lambert (McNamara, 73), Thompson; Larsson, Hartson. Substitutes not used: Laursen, Maloney, Guppy, Crainey, Marshall (gk).

Referee: M Merk (Germany).

Results, Digest, page 31