An experimental Hoops side found themselves three goals behind
after only 19 minutes in the Group C deadrubber as Nikica Jelavic
grabbed a double before strike partner Hamdi Salihi's goal
threatened a rout.
However, before the interval, Celtic striker Marc-Antoine
Fortune scored to stem the tide. It still looked a long way back
for Tony Mowbray's side but the former Nancy frontman doubled his
tally in the 67th minute to set up a tense finale and, in stoppage
time, Paul McGowan, making his first start of the season, fired in
the leveller from close range to keep Celtic in third place.
A Group C campaign which began with a defeat in the heat of
Israel against Tel Aviv concluded in freezing conditions in Vienna
but, if nothing else, Mowbray will be warmed by the fighting spirit
if his players.
Aside from McGowan's inclusion, the Hoops boss had given rare
starts to Willo Flood, Mark Wilson, Paul Caddis and Niall McGinn.
However, on a freezing cold Austrian night, the ploy to keep
players fresh for Sunday's Clydesdale Bank Premier League game at
Hearts backfired spectacularly as the visitors founds themselves a
goal down before a minute had lapsed. McManus surrendered
possession at the back to Rapid captain Steffen Hofmann and the
ball was moved on to Jelavic who drilled a low shot from the edge
of the box past Artur Boruc, with just 33 seconds on the clock.
Celtic and their small band of supporters were stunned and
were visited by more woe in the eighth minute after their offside
trap was cut wide open. Salihi cut the ball across the six-yard box
for Jelavic, who had scored in the 1-1 draw at Parkhead, to knock
the ball over the line from a yard out despite the attentions of
Hoops defender Glenn Loovens.
It became even more embarrassing for the Glasgow side in the
19th minute when Jelavic returned the favour for his strike
partner, turning Loovens inside out before setting up Salihi who
slid the ball in from eight yards for number three.
The Parkhead side were handed a lifeline in the 23rd minute
when Wilson's cross into the box from the left broke kindly for
Fortune who turned and slammed a shot from 10 yards high into the
net. Moments later, with Celtic having at last found some belief,
McGinn forced a decent save from Rapid's stand-in goalkeeper
Raimund Hedl with an angled shot.
The game had settled down and it was the Hoops, inspired by
Fortune's strong running, who were edging possession. Seven minutes
from the break, though, Celtic midfielder Landry N'Guemo gave
possession away to Veli Kavlak in the middle of the park and, after
brushing past Caddis, his shot was deflected past for a corner
which the visitors survived, albeit unconvincingly.
But it was Celtic who ended the half stronger and a minute
before the break Hedl had to dive high to his left to push McGinn's
long-distance drive away from the top corner, with the visitors
failing to take advantage of the corner.
Celtic began the second half brightly and within minutes of
the restart Hedl made yet another fine save from McGinn, who had
been set up inside the box by McManus, by tipping a low drive past
the post. The Parkhead side were back on the ascendancy but it
began to look as if it was not McGinn's night as Hedl blocked
another angled drive from the Northern Ireland international, this
time with his foot, before making a more comfortable save from his
left-footed drive moments later.
Rapid had lost their early momentum, perhaps understandably,
and as Celtic chased, harried and probed, they struggled to make
any inroads towards Boruc.
Celtic got their just rewards in the 67th minute when quick
thinking by Flood at a free-kick sent McGinn racing down the right
channel and when his cross came in to the middle Fortune had the
simplest of tasks to score from barely a yard out. Graham Carey
replaced McGinn to make his Celtic debut with around 13 minutes
left and still the Parkhead side pushed for the leveller as the
hosts continued to deteriorate.
And in the first minute of stoppage time McGowan drove in
from close range after Marc Crosas had chipped into the box to end
a disappointing campaign on a positive note.
Hoops fight back to earn Vienna draw
An experimental Hoops side found themselves three goals behind
after only 19 minutes in the Group C deadrubber as Nikica Jelavic
grabbed a double before strike partner Hamdi Salihi's goal
threatened a rout.
However, before the interval, Celtic striker Marc-Antoine
Fortune scored to stem the tide. It still looked a long way back
for Tony Mowbray's side but the former Nancy frontman doubled his
tally in the 67th minute to set up a tense finale and, in stoppage
time, Paul McGowan, making his first start of the season, fired in
the leveller from close range to keep Celtic in third place.
A Group C campaign which began with a defeat in the heat of
Israel against Tel Aviv concluded in freezing conditions in Vienna
but, if nothing else, Mowbray will be warmed by the fighting spirit
if his players.
Aside from McGowan's inclusion, the Hoops boss had given rare
starts to Willo Flood, Mark Wilson, Paul Caddis and Niall McGinn.
However, on a freezing cold Austrian night, the ploy to keep
players fresh for Sunday's Clydesdale Bank Premier League game at
Hearts backfired spectacularly as the visitors founds themselves a
goal down before a minute had lapsed. McManus surrendered
possession at the back to Rapid captain Steffen Hofmann and the
ball was moved on to Jelavic who drilled a low shot from the edge
of the box past Artur Boruc, with just 33 seconds on the clock.
Celtic and their small band of supporters were stunned and
were visited by more woe in the eighth minute after their offside
trap was cut wide open. Salihi cut the ball across the six-yard box
for Jelavic, who had scored in the 1-1 draw at Parkhead, to knock
the ball over the line from a yard out despite the attentions of
Hoops defender Glenn Loovens.
It became even more embarrassing for the Glasgow side in the
19th minute when Jelavic returned the favour for his strike
partner, turning Loovens inside out before setting up Salihi who
slid the ball in from eight yards for number three.
The Parkhead side were handed a lifeline in the 23rd minute
when Wilson's cross into the box from the left broke kindly for
Fortune who turned and slammed a shot from 10 yards high into the
net. Moments later, with Celtic having at last found some belief,
McGinn forced a decent save from Rapid's stand-in goalkeeper
Raimund Hedl with an angled shot.
The game had settled down and it was the Hoops, inspired by
Fortune's strong running, who were edging possession. Seven minutes
from the break, though, Celtic midfielder Landry N'Guemo gave
possession away to Veli Kavlak in the middle of the park and, after
brushing past Caddis, his shot was deflected past for a corner
which the visitors survived, albeit unconvincingly.
But it was Celtic who ended the half stronger and a minute
before the break Hedl had to dive high to his left to push McGinn's
long-distance drive away from the top corner, with the visitors
failing to take advantage of the corner.
Celtic began the second half brightly and within minutes of
the restart Hedl made yet another fine save from McGinn, who had
been set up inside the box by McManus, by tipping a low drive past
the post. The Parkhead side were back on the ascendancy but it
began to look as if it was not McGinn's night as Hedl blocked
another angled drive from the Northern Ireland international, this
time with his foot, before making a more comfortable save from his
left-footed drive moments later.
Rapid had lost their early momentum, perhaps understandably,
and as Celtic chased, harried and probed, they struggled to make
any inroads towards Boruc.
Celtic got their just rewards in the 67th minute when quick
thinking by Flood at a free-kick sent McGinn racing down the right
channel and when his cross came in to the middle Fortune had the
simplest of tasks to score from barely a yard out. Graham Carey
replaced McGinn to make his Celtic debut with around 13 minutes
left and still the Parkhead side pushed for the leveller as the
hosts continued to deteriorate.
And in the first minute of stoppage time McGowan drove in
from close range after Marc Crosas had chipped into the box to end
a disappointing campaign on a positive note.