Post by Taxigirl on Feb 27, 2004 12:59:55 GMT
Manager Martin O'Neill blamed himself for Celtic's failure to record a more convincing first-leg win over Teplice in the Uefa Cup on Thursday.
The Scottish giants had to wait until the dying seconds for Henrik Larsson to add to early goals from himself and strike partner Chris Sutton.
"It is a terrific win but we got stodgy in the second half," said O'Neill.
"I was concerned about conceding a goal after the break, so maybe it was down to me."
Celtic reached the final last season, but O'Neill was not yet ready to accept that progress to the fourth round was inevitable.
"I am delighted at the win, but we have got to be on our guard," he said.
"We did not concede a goal and, with the third goal, we have given ourselves a chance for the second leg.
"Overall, I think we deserved it as they had one chance seven minutes from the end.
"The boys are a bit disappointed in the dressing-room, but that stems from doing so well in the first half.
"You can play so well, as we did in the first half, then the break comes and suddenly they are back in it.
"The one thing we have to learn from last season's Uefa Cup is giving away silly goals that give us an uphill task. But I would have taken 3-0 before kick-off."
Teplice have had to rebuild after selling five players in the wake of victories over Kaiserslautern and Feyenoord in the earlier rounds.
The Czechs looked like a side in transition against Celtic - and coach Frantisek Straka ha Straka believes that Larsson's late strike had put the tie beyond them.
"The third goal was a shame," he said.
"We could have scored to make it 2-1. But we didn't and, in the 90th minute, they scored a third goal."