Perhaps games like that are exactly why Martin O’Neill has been brought back to Celtic.
It didn’t all go Celtic’s way at the Falkirk stadium, in stark contrast to Saturday’s win against Dundee United.
But they found away to earn a clean sheet, making Benjamin Nygren’s first-half header enough to secure the three points.
It was a second straight clean sheet for the Hoops under O’Neill, another stark contrast given that Wilfried Nancy couldn’t manage a single one in eight games.
And though he was delighted for the result, the interim Celtic boss was brutally honest on how his team played.
Would Celtic have won that game under Wilfried Nancy?
Martin O’Neill on Celtic vs Falkirk
The win kept Celtic within six points of league leaders Hearts, who beat St Mirren despite an early red card.
If the Celts want to make up ground in this title race, wins like Wednesday’s will be essential.
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Speaking at his post-match press conference, here is what O’Neill said (outside of transfers).
He admitted: “We didn’t play well in the game. We saw it through and we can play much, much better.
“It just seems strange in a contrast where we were so good on Saturday and tentative tonight, and lost the ball in areas where we shouldn’t have been doing it.
“Overall, I think Falkirk would have found themselves really unlucky to be behind at half-time in the game. I thought we pressed a bit better in the second half, but overall, we didn’t play well in the game.
“I just thought, certainly in the first half, we were second best.
“I thought we seemed devoid of that real, real energy that is necessary. Obviously, I am delighted to have won the game because we will play better.”
“Kasper makes a great save for us, a really, really great save, which he has been doing all his life, in all honesty.
“Particularly when his dad was here tonight. Great. So, there you are, emulating the father. Can’t be bad. That is absolutely right – we will have to do that.
“Saturday was nice, to play in the manner that we did, particularly the first game back in this new spell of mine. Is it the second spell or the 43rd? I don’t know. But tonight the circumstances were totally different.
“We’re playing on an artificial surface – no problem with that, because they played well at Livingston and scored four goals. That shouldn’t be a problem.
“That’s the same for everyone. But things were different and you have to adjust and adapt. That’s the nature of the game. They have to dig and for that I’m eternally grateful.”
What would you do?
Celtic’s upcoming fixtures under Martin O’Neill
It’s another away trip next for O’Neill, in the form of the ultimate banana skin: a Scottish Cup tie against junior side Auchinleck Talbot.
Attention then turns to Europe, where Celtic likely need four points from their remaining two games to avoid elimination in the League Phase.
First, the Hoops are away to Coppa Italia holders Bologna, who haven’t won a game in a month. Then, a week later, Vasilis Barkas’ Utrecht come to Celtic Park.
Sandwiched between those two fixtures is the small matter of a top-of-the-table clash with Hearts at Tynecastle…
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