Forrest says Hoops played ‘really well’

James Forrest ranks his spectacular winner against Rosenborg which took Celtic into the Champions League play-off among his finest for the club.

The winger scored the only goal of the game in Trondheim on Wednesday night to secure a deserved 1-0 aggregate victory.

The Norwegian side were enjoying their best spell of the game when Forrest took a Scott Sinclair pass on the right-hand side of the penalty area in the 69th minute and lashed the ball in off the bar to put the Hoops into today’s draw in Nyon.

“It’s definitely up there,” Forrest told Celtic TV. “It was frustrating in the first leg but we went over there and I think we played really well.”

With striker Leigh Griffiths still short of match practice following his recovery from a calf injury, Forrest started the match as the central attacker in a front three, having impressed in that position during the 5-0 friendly win over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light last weekend.

When Griffiths was brought on in the second half, Forrest moved wide right from where he made his crucial contribution.

The Scotland international said: “I played centre-forward at the weekend but obviously a friendly is different than Europe.

“We knew Griff was back and if we needed a goal he was there.”

Celtic will face either Qarabag, Astana, Rijeka, Slavia Prague or Hapoel Beer-Sheva in the play-off.

Picture: SNS. James Forrest says his goal against Rosenborg is one of his best for the club.