O'Neill pulls off another coup

UEFA Cup quarter-final: Liverpool - 0 Celtic - 2 The Kop emptied quickly last night. Anfield will be subdued for the rest of the season. This was the season when Liverpool were supposed to step up and achieve.

Instead, the final hurt came last night when they found themselves dumped out of Europe on an evening which had been set up to their liking.

At the end of 90 passionate minutes Gerard Houllier's reputation lay in shreds. Martin O'Neill had done it again.

It was a night of extraordinary achievement for the Kilrea man. He fielded a side which cost a fraction of Liverpool's, a side playing its fourth key game in 12 days. He outsmarted his counterpart in almost every department however.

Celtic's adventure rumbles on. They go into today's hat for their first European semi-final since 1974.

Ah, a strange old night in this sentimental old city. In central Liverpool yesterday a couple of hundred earnest kids protested the distant war while battallions of yellow-jacketed police watched them sternly.

And, up the street, football supporters of red and hooped affiliations mixed and drank merrily like kids suddenly free of adult supervision.

That slightly surreal atmosphere persisted within Anfield where the monitors showed live war until the live football began.

Those who make their living watching Martin O'Neill and interpreting his gnomic utterances decided that he had been more uptight than usual this week and his team reflected that.

In the absence of Sutton, O'Neill recalled Paul Lambert to the centre of midfield. Young Jamie Smith made way for Momo Sylla on the right.

Alan Thompson and Mjallby were given the wide spots. For Liverpool, Smicer came in for Diouf, who was beginning punishment for last week's spit spat.

Celtic's game-plan required a rather precise mix of caution and adventure, a sort of self-control which seemed to be in defiance of the passionate atmosphere.

They absorbed pressure, allowed Liverpool the better chances, but created enough to keep themselves believing.

Liverpool had promised to resist the temptation offered by stalemate, but the breakthrough came just when you sensed that Liverpool were beginning to like the flavour of nil all.

Right on the threshold of halftime, Traore, finding Larsson as easy to hold as a handful of mercury, resorted to firmly embracing the Swede.

The free was mulled over by Larsson, but Thompson finally stepped up and swept a daisycutter past the dissolving Liverpool wall. Dudek glanced balefully as the ball sped past.

For Celtic, the goal was adequate reward, but, of course, there were moments. Liverpool allowed Heskey and Owen pull out wide stretching the three-man defence of the visitors.

Smicer moved with some ease through the Celtic defence and, on one occasion, Owen turned Mjallby with a frightening turn of speed and set up Heskey for a good chance. None of it was enough, however.

Celtic's goal simplified matters for the half-time talks.

Liverpool's need for a goal was suddenly overwhelming. They re-emerged seething with passion and playing into the Kop End with thousands of scouser breaths sucking the ball upfield.

The first two decent chances of the second half fell to Larsson, easily the more potent of Celtic's two attacking options.

Even Hartson's best moment, a header late in the first half, was eclipsed by Larsson's volleyed cross which set the move up.

Houllier threw on the criminally underutilised Milan Baros early in the second half. His nimble touch gave Liverpool another option, but, as the half developed, it became an examination of Liverpool's defects rather than a showcase for their slender attacking portfolio.

Houllier, who has absorbed much criticism for his failure to buy Damien Duff or a player like Damien Duff, suffered the consequences last night.

Liverpool had nobody to get to the endlines and cause mischief behind the Celtic defence.

Nine minutes from time, with Liverpool sending more and more attacks into the stifling middle corridor, the dam broke.

Hartson picked up just outside the area, surveyed one option and declining it was permitted to push the ball onwards till he found an opening he liked.

His finish was stunning, curling the ball high into the net to Dudek's left. The small but boisterous bank of Celtic fans sang about how easy it all was.

Their hosts on the Kop, drained now of all conviviality, watched sullenly. Gerard Houllier beetled away from the scene, outwitted and out of time.

LIVERPOOL: (4-4-2) Dudek; Carragher, Traore. Hypia (c), Riise: Murphy Hamann, Gerrard, Smicer (Baros, 54); Heskey, Owen. Subs not used: Arphexad, Berger, Diao, Biscan, Cheyrou, Mellor.

CELTIC: (3-5-2) Douglas; Mjallby, Valgaeren, Balde; Sylia (Smith 86), Thompson, Lambert (McNamara, 73), Lennon, Petrov; Larsson Hartson. Subs not used: Marshall. Laursen, Maloney, Guppy, Crainey.

Referee: M Merk (Germany).