Martin O’Neill hails Celtic’s winning mentality as super-sub fires Hoops to priceless Europa League triumph

Martin O’Neill believes Celtic’s dramatic late 3-2 victory over Besiktas could provide the springboard for a revival in their Europa League campaign as he hailed a memorable night at Parkhead.

The Hoops boss was full of praise for substitute Camilo Duran, whose second-half double secured a thrilling win and finally got the Hoops off the mark in Europe’s second-tier competition at the fourth attempt this season.

The 74-year-old admitted the atmosphere and spirit on display took him back to his first spell in Glasgow, describing the comeback as a reminder of some of the club’s memorable European nights.

“That was a special European night. It reminded me of the olden days,” O’Neill reflected. “The substitutes re-energised us and played a big part in the win. Duran has been fabulous for us all season. He has played a lot of games and looked a bit tired in the last couple, but he’s a class player and he was always going to come on.

“I’m delighted with the performance. It was fantastic. I told the players afterwards that they are a credit to the club. You can’t get a bigger accolade than that, but we put our heart and soul into the game.

“We played really good stuff, particularly in the second half. At 2-2, it looked like we would drop two points, but we came roaring back to win the game. There was so much spirit and desire to get the three points. The character shone through big time. The winners came to the fore, as did the new boys.”

O’Neill: ‘We have given ourselves a chance’

The result moves Celtic up to 32nd in the league phase standings, leaving them just one point adrift of the top 24 and the qualification places.

With Portuguese second-tier outfit Torreense next on the schedule later this month, O’Neill knows there is still plenty of work to do, but believes his side have given themselves a fighting chance of advancing to the knockout stages.

He admitted: “We have had tough matches in Europe. You look at Besiktas – they are a fine side. We rose to the occasion and we have given ourselves a chance. We are off the mark now. We have points on the board and we can park it for a few weeks.

“There is still a thought about qualifying, but that is a long way off. Hopefully it gives us a platform to charge on, but it’s not going to be easy.”

Osmand: ‘We have it in us’ to maintain this performance-level

There was also a special moment for fellow replacement Callum Osmand, who marked his introduction by finding the net with virtually his first touch, just 43 seconds after coming on.

The youngster's equaliser proved the catalyst for Celtic's second half revival, and the 20-year-old was delighted to play his part in a result that could finally kickstart their continental campaign.

Osmand said: “That was a great team we were playing against. Camilo did amazing. He’s such a poacher. He scores all types of goals, so credit to him. The team dug in really well at the start, stayed strong and then we got our rewards finally.

“I just wanted to come on and do something. That’s what I try to do and I was so happy to do that tonight. The place was rocking here at the end. We need to push on and keep bringing these sort of performances. We have it in us, we just need to keep doing it.”