O'Neill remains optimistic

CHRIS ROBERTS

CELTIC manager Martin O’Neill today declared "don’t write us off" after his side’s Bank of Scotland Premier League championship hopes were severely dented after their last-gasp 2-1 defeat at against Hearts.

The Glasgow giants now remain eight points behind SPL leaders Rangers with a game in hand before they travel to Ibrox next Sunday.

But first they face a huge test of character in Portugal on Thursday in the UEFA Cup semi-final second leg against Boavista.

Celtic must score if they are to have any chance of reaching the final in Seville, but while their double hopes appear to be disappearing, O’Neill remained defiant this evening.

"We have got a huge couple of games now," said O’Neill.

"The lads are understandably disappointed in the dressing-room and I’m sure the fans feel the same.

"But we have a semi-final and we know what we have to do. We have to score for a start and win the game.

"We have done it before and I hope by the time Monday comes we will have got ourselves in the right frame of mind and be determined for the remaining games.

"After beating Stuttgart we had an exceptionally difficult game against Liverpool and we have proved that we are capable of doing it.

"It’s naturally going to be a hard game in midweek and in the league, and I wouldn’t write us off just yet."

O’Neill concedes that their arch rivals are now in the driving seat for the title - but he believes that Hearts could yet do them a favour against Rangers at Tynecastle.

"It is out of our hands," he admitted.

"But if Hearts show the same commitment, as I’m sure they will, here against Rangers then I’m sure it will be a hard game."

It turned out to be the perfect day for Rangers, the Ibrox side having earlier beaten Motherwell 4-3 to book their place in the Tennent’s Scottish Cup final.

Taken from the Scotsman