The disciplinary rules of the day meant that both Young and Chalmers could take their places in an unchanged line-up a fortnight later at Celtic Park, and this would prove significant, Steve involved in all of the game’s key moments.
Firstly, he headed a Johnstone cross home to give Celts the lead in the tie within fifteen minutes. Then, with Celts reduced to ten men in the second-half, this time due to a Gallagher injury, in these pre-substitution days, he was barged in the box to earn a penalty.
This was the cue for more Portuguese histrionics, the English referee jostled to the point of warning that the game would be abandoned. After a delay of several minutes, Murdoch’s poor spot kick was saved by our old friend, Rosas.
With seven minutes remaining, Chalmers scored a second, his shot deceiving the keeper, to create some breathing space for the Bhoys. And shortly before the end, he was again fouled in the area, this time Murdoch blasting the ball home, despite yet more Leixoes shenanigans.
There was a real step up in class in the Second Round, Celts paired with two-time winners, Barcelona, for the first of what would be many European contests over the years. Celtic headed to the Camp Nou on a poor run of domestic form, four defeats in five games, with recent signing from Hibernian, Simpson, replacing Fallon in the Celtic goals, for a baptism of fire.
Ronnie would be beaten twice within twenty minutes, as, firstly, striker Zaldua knocked a rebound home from close-range, then Peruvian Seminario headed home a cross from the same player. Hughes became the first of two former St Pats Coatbridge pupils to score against Barcelona, the second was none other than Tony Watt in November 2012. Yogi’s goal gave Celts some hope, scoring cleverly after Johnstone’s through ball had sent him clear but the depleted Hoops, with the injured Clark a virtual passenger on the wing for the entire second half, lost a vital third goal in the closing stages, heading home for the Catalan giants, to make the second-leg task so much more difficult.
