2003-08-06: Celtic 1-0 Kaunas, Champions League

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Review

Comedian Billy Connolly presented a cheque from Celtic to the family of Audrius Slekys, the Kaunas striker who died only three days before the first leg.
Martin O'Neill was in Finland as MTK Hungaria lost 1-0 to HJK Helsinki but survived 3-2 on aggregate to make sure of hosting Celtic in Budapest next week.
Strikers John Hartson and Henrik Larsson were missing through injury, so youngsters Liam Miller, Shaun Maloney and Jamie Smith were all handed starting places by assistant John Robertson.Celtic hardly broke out of second gear, but Chris Sutton, Miller and Alan Thompson still forced saves from goalkeeper Padimanskas before the breakthrough finally came.
Smith's cross was headed high into the net by Gvildys after 21 minutes with Sutton ready to pounce. Papeckys should have equalised for Kaunas after 62 minutes, when he found himself one-on-one with Douglas. But the Scotland goalkeeper did well to save the forward's low drive from 12 yards and the match petered out thereafter despite the introduction of young prospects Ross Wallace and Craig Beattie.

Teams

Celtic:- (3-5-2)
Douglas, Balde, Mjallby, Valgaeren, Sylla (Lennon 60), Lambert, Miller, Thompson (Wallace 80), Smith, Maloney (Beattie 75), Sutton.
Subs:- Hedman, McNamara, Crainey, Kennedy.
Goal:- Gvildys og.

Kaunas:-
Padimanskas, Gvildys, Kancelskis, Petrenka, Beniusis, Opic, Regelskis, Papeckys, Gedgaudas, Barevicius, Miklinevicius.
Subs:- Stonys, Sanajevas, Karalius, Kunevicius, Juodeikis, Puotkalis, Sirmelis.

Att: 40,284
Ref:- Jacek Granat (Poland)

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Articles

Celtic progress in second gear

BBC
Celtic 1-0 FBK Kaunas (Agg: 5-0)

Celtic's youngsters failed to take their chance to impress as the Glasgow side bored their way into the third qualifying round of the Champions League.

Celebrity fan Billy Connolly produced more entertainment with a cameo half-time performance than the players who had to rely on an own goal from Darius Gvildys to win the second leg at Celtic Park.

Comedian Connolly was presenting a cheque from the Scottish club to the family of Audrius Slekys, the Kaunas striker who died only three days before the first leg.

Celtic were just as charitable on the park, having done all the hard work with a 4-0 victory in Lithuania.

Strikers John Hartson and Henrik Larsson were missing through injury, so youngsters Liam Miller, Shaun Maloney and Jamie Smith were all handed starting places by assistant John Robertson.

Manager Martin O'Neill was in Finland as MTK Hungaria lost 1-0 to HJK Helsinki but survived 3-2 on aggregate to make sure of hosting Celtic in Budapest next week.

O'Neill will not be too pleased when he watches on tape what turned into a virtual training exercise against Kaunas.

Celtic hardly broke out of second gear, but Chris Sutton, Miller and Alan Thompson still forced saves from goalkeeper Padimanskas before the breakthrough finally came.

Smith's cross was headed high into the net by Gvildys after 21 minutes with Sutton ready to pounce.

Padimanskas was determined there would be no repeat of the 8-1 defeat he suffered while playing for another Lithuanian side, Suduva, at Celtic Park this time last season.

He produced superb stops to deny Sutton and Momo Sylla then, when he was finally beaten by a curling effort from Smith, the ball slipped the wrong side of the post.

Tomas Kancelskis holds off Celtic's Jamie Smith
Jamie Smith (right) provided the cross that led to Celtic's goal
Opic broke clear and stung the hands of Celtic goalkeeper Rab Douglas with a drive from the edge of the Celtic box just to remind the Glasgow outfit that they were in a game.

But there was little more urgency after the break, although a Smith drive from an acute angle forced another fine block from Padimanskas.

Papeckys should have equalised for Kaunas after 62 minutes, when he found himself one-on-one with Douglas.

But the Scotland goalkeeper did well to save the forward's low drive from 12 yards and the match petered out thereafter despite the introduction of young prospects Ross Wallace and Craig Beattie.

Petrenka thought he had equalised in the dying seconds only to be ruled offside.

Celtic: Douglas, Balde, Mjallby, Valgaeren, Sylla, Lambert, Miller, Thompson, Smith, Maloney, Sutton.
Subs: Hedman, McNamara, Lennon, Wallace, Beattie, Crainey, Kennedy.

FBK Kaunas: Padimanskas, Gvildys, Kancelskis, Petrenka, Beniusis, Opic, Regelskis, Papeckys, Gedgaudas, Barevicius, Miklinevicius.
Subs: Stonys, Sanajevas, Karalius, Kunevicius, Juodeikis, Puotkalis, Sirmelis.

Referee: J Granat