Not so AZ but Dutch side have little extra
It was a real springboard – all of a moment genuine sudden a about realisation their own capability
signing and a really excellent partner for Henrik but he got us off to a flier and it just went from there.
“It was a remarkable afternoon. So many of these players who had lost so much confidence were just revitalised.
“You had Stan Petrov and Bobby Petta just flying and that result, that game, just fed into the feeling this was a new time.
“You cannot possibly overplay what that result did for them.”
But it could have gone the opposite way when Rangers gave O’Neill’s side a taste of their own medicine at Ibrox the following November.
A 5-1 defeat and then a scoreless midweek draw at Easter Road was the first real hiccup for O’Neill’s team.
And he acknowledged there was a fear about the impact the results would have on the mentality of a team who were trying to assert themselves.
O’Neill said: “That was when you sensed the fragility of what we were doing.
“A lot of the players had been through the very difficult times at Celtic and had watched Rangers win everything.
“We then followed that up with a 0-0 draw at Easter Road and you would have thought the sky was falling in judging by some of the reaction that followed.
“I always remember in the aftermath of that game against Hibs saying I thought it could prove to be an important point in the course of the season and, of course, there was a fair bit of scoffing at that.
“But when I said it, I meant it. I still think that was an important point because we didn’t lose the game.
“The players who had just been brought back to earth with the defeat at Ibrox didn’t go out and lose another game which, given how delicate it still seemed given how early it was in the season, was huge. “We then did not lose another domestic game that season until the league had been won. “We went on a run of 25 games unbeaten. It wasn’t too shabby at all.”
ROUND-UP AZ ALKMAAR needed an equaliser in the fifth minute of stoppage time to stay alive against Czech side Plzen before winning 3-1 after extra time.
Plzen led through David Limbersky’s 78th-minute goal but Teun Koopmeiners levelled from the penalty spot at the death.
Albert Gudmundsson put the hosts in front eight minutes into extra time before the Icelander sealed victory for the Dutch side.
Romanians Cluj lost 6-5 on penalties to visiting Dinamo Zagreb after the teams were locked 2-2 after extra time.
Gabriel Debeljuh’s stoppage-time goal for Cluj had taken it into the additional period.
Cluj also missed a penalty while Zagreb played for more than an hour with 10 men after Kevin Theophile-Catherine was sent off for conceding the spot-kick.
Norwegian champions Molde came from a goal down to beat Slovenia’s Celje 2-1 while Young Boys of Switzerland eased through 3-1 against Faroe Island champions Ki.
Uefa Champions League 2nd Qualifying rd –
AZ 3, Plzen 1 (aet); Lokomotiva Zagreb 0, Rapid Vienna 1; Karabakh 2, Sheriff 1; Dinamo Brest 2, Sarajevo 1; Legia Warsaw 0, Omonia Nicosia 2 (aet); Celtic 1, Ferencvaros 2; CM Celje 1, Molde 2; Ludogorets 0, FC Midtjylland 1; CFR Cluj 2, Dinamo Zagreb 2 (aet; 90mins: 2-2; Dinamo win 6-5 on penalties); FK Suduva 0, Maccabi Tel-Aviv 3; Young Boys 3, KI Klaksvik 1.
MARTIN O’NEILL
UEFA Europa League 1st Qualifying rd –
Progres Niederkorn 3, Zeta 0. (7.45 unless stated)
UEFA Europa League 1st Qualifying rd –
AGF Aarhus v FC Honka (6.0), Alashkert FC v Renova (5.0), Apollon Limassol v Saburtalo Tbilisi (5.0), Bodo/ Glimt v FK Kauno Zalgiris (5.0), Borac v Sutjeska (3.30), Budapest Honved v Inter Turku (8.0), CSKA Sofia v Sirens (6.0), Dinamo Minsk v Piast Gliwice (4.0), FCSB v Shirak (7.30), FH Hafnarfjordur v Dunajska Streda (6.15), FK Kukesi v Slavia Sofia (7.0), FK Zalgiris Vilnius v Paide Linnameeskond (6.0), Hammarby v Puskas FC (6.0), Hapoel Beer Sheva v Dinamo Batumi (6.45), Kairat Almaty v Noah (3.0), Kesla v Laci (6.0), Lech Poznan v Valmiera (8.0), Lokomotiv Tbilisi v Universitatea Craiova (6.0), MOL Fehervar FC v Bohemians (5.30), Maccabi Haifa v Zeljeznicar (6.0), Malmo FF v Cracovia (6.0), Neftchi v Shkupi (5.0), Nomme Kalju v Mura (3.30), Olimpija Ljubljana v Vikingur Reykjavik (5.30), Ordabasy v Botosani (3.0), Partizan Belgrade v FK Rigas FS (8.0), Petrocub v Backa Topola (7.0), Rosenborg v Breidablik (6.0), Servette v Ruzomberok (7.15), Shakhtyor v Sfintul Gheorghe (6.30), Shamrock Rovers v Ilves (8.0), Sumgayit v Shkendija (5.0), Teuta v Beitar Jerusalem (3.30), The New Saints FC v MSK Zilina (6.30), Vaduz v Hibernians (6.0), Valletta v Bala Town (7.0), Ventspils v Dinamo-Auto Tiraspol (3.0), Zrinjski Mostar v FC 03 Differdange (7.0), Motherwell v Glentoran, Aberdeen v NSI Runavik, Maribor v Coleraine, B36 Torshavn v Levadia (7.0), Iskra v Lokomotiv Plovdiv (7.0), Gjilani v Apoel Nicosia (6.0), Lincoln Red Imps v Union Titus Petange (4.30).