MAKESHIFT centre forward James Forrest’s second-half strike gave Celtic a 1-0 win over Rosenborg and took the Hoops another step towards Champions League football.
Following the goalless draw at Parkhead last week the Glasgow side were again without their only two recognised central strikers Moussa Dembele and Leigh Griffiths – the latter started on the bench in tension-filled Trondheim after recovering from a calf injury – with winger Forrest asked to move into the middle.
The Scotland international was thwarted in the first-half in the Lerkendal Stadion dominated by Brendan Rodgers’ side but in the 69th minute, just when it looked like they were gaining the upper hand, the Scotland winger fired a shot high past keeper Andre Hansen to take the Scottish champions into tomorrow’s play-off draw on a 1-0 aggregate.
Rodgers had indicated that Forrest was in line to replace Griffiths who would have missed the first leg anyway with a calf injury had he not been suspended.
The Scotland striker could only make the bench and while fot-again Danish defender Erik Sviatchenko replaced 19-year-old Norwegian defender Kristoffer Ajer, he lasted only 25 minutes before going off with an injury with midfielder Nir Bitton taking his place.
Midfielders Callum McGregor and Jonny Hayes also came into the side with Olivier Ntcham and Tom Rogic dropping to the bench and Ajer missing altogether.
Rosenborg, with former Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner again leading the line, found Celtic as keen to press as they had done in Glasgow which gave encouragement to the 400 or so Hoops fans in the near 21,000 crowd.
When Celtic keeper Craig Gordon made an easy save from Milan Jevtovic’s low 25-yard drive in the 15th minute it was his first real involvement in the match.
Rodgers was then forced to reshuffle when Sviatchenko hobbled off with Bitton replacing him in the heart of the Hoops defence.
However, Celtic’s flow was uninterrupted and Hansen had to pull off a fine save from Forrest’ side-footed effort from six yards.
Hansen saved a Scott Brown drive and Gordon collected a Bendtner header but it was the Eliteserien leaders who would have been happier to hear the interval whistle.
However, two minutes after the restart Rosenborg attacker Yann-Erik De Lanley took a cushioned Bendtner pass and drove just wide of the target, his effort close enough to energise the home side who began attacking in number for the first time.
Griffiths came on for Hayes in the 57th minutes, seconds after Tierney had curled a 20-yard shot with his right foot just past the far post, before Rosenborg skipper Mike Jensen hit the side netting with a decent drive from the edge of the box.
There was growing anxiety but it dissipated when Forrest took a Sinclair pass and from 14 yards fired an angled-drive in off the crossbar.
Rpsenborg pressed but it was the Scots who had the better of the remaining chances.
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