LEIGH Griffiths had plenty to say about being dropped from the Scotland side following the Celtic game against St Mirren last week. But the best place for the striker, who was relegated to the bench for the Nations League game with Albania due to his far from convincing form at club level this season, to do his talking if he hopes to reclaim his place in the national team is on the park. And he sent a clear message to Alex McLeish here.

Griffiths was only on the park for less than 20 minutes last night. But he won the match for his side during that time. Just when it seemed as if their efforts would be in vain and they would open their Europa League campaign with a desperately disappointing draw against decidedly average opponents he intervened. His headed goal three minutes from time secured what was a narrow but deserved win.

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Scott Brown shelled the ball into the Rosenborg penalty box in the 87th minute, Dedryck Boyata rose and headed it to the edge of the six yard box and Griffiths nodded past Andre Hansen. Cue wild celebrations from the sizeable home support who had, to their credit, stayed in large numbers to the end in the hope of seeing a positive outcome.

The 27-year-old often struggles to live his life quietly on and off the park. Indeed, just hours before this game he was found guilty of speeding at court in Dundee. The three points he picked up with his late effort at Parkhead were far more to his liking. It was only his third goal of the season. He will be hoping many more are to come.

Odsonne Edouard, the record £9 million summer signing, was once again preferred to Griffiths from the start. But the Frenchman disappointed. Brendan Rodgers will struggle to ignore his match winner when his team travel to Ayrshire to take on Kilmarnock on Sunday. A few more games like this and McLeish will have a difficult decision to make when his side play Israel next month too.

The stadium breathed a collective sigh of relief after 15 minutes when Polish referee Pavel Gil opted not to award the visitors a free-kick after Issam Jebali went to ground following a challenge by Mikael Lustig. Penalties have been awarded for far less. But Gil showed Jebali a yellow card as he protested his innocence. Was the match official swayed by the crowd? It would certainly have been a difficult night for him had he awarded such an early spot kick.

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Kristoffer Ajer having a virus and Jozo Simunovic being out with a knee injury meant that Filip Benkovic retained his place in the centre of defence. The Croat, on loan from Leicester City until the end of the season, slotted back in alongside Boyata. At 6ft 4in, the 21-year-old is certainly decent in the air. He won every high ball that came near his area and posed a threat at set pieces at the other end of the park. He got on the end of a Callum McGregor corner in the 22nd minute and got a downward header on target.

Moments later Tom Rogic teed up Edouard in the Rosenborg box with a perfectly-weighted through ball. His team mate, though, fired his attempt high over the crossbar. The forward, along with a fair few others, was having an off night.

With a sense of impeccable timing, Griffiths came out of on the dugout to warm-up behind the Rosenborg goal. His emergence drew the biggest round of applause of the evening. It was clear from the early stages of the game that a large number of those in attendance would have preferred to see him, not Edouard, in attack.

Rosenborg were in some disarray on the last occasion they squared up to Celtic in Champions League qualifying back in July following the sacking of their popular and hitherto successful manager Kare Ingebrigsten. Rini Coolen, who took over on an interim basis, has certainly improved them since. They contained their hosts well without offering anything going forward.

It took Kieran Tierney, the youngest player in the home team after Edouard and Benkovic, to lift Celtic. He left Rosenborg right back Vegar Hedenstad for dead with a burst of pace and squared the ball across goal. Edouard, though, was nowhere to be seen. The left back then got a long-range effort on target.

The Scotland defender seemed to lift those around them and they should really have taken the lead three minute before half-time. Rogic forced a save from Hansen and then Edouard pounced and struck the post. It gave the sizeable home support hope that better was to come from the their side in the second-half.

Rogic should have done better after intercepting a pass from Tore Reginiussen to Marius Lundemo, who had replaced the injured Anders Konradsen in midfield just before half-time, in the middle of the Rosenborg half. He chose to go for goal himself and his shot posed Hansen no difficulties.

Rodgers made a double substitution in the 58th minute in an attempt to lift his team. He put on Scott Sinclair for Rogic and Mikey Johnston for James Forrest. As the game wore on, the calls for Griffiths to replace Eouard increased. He finally got on in the 76th minute to a deafening roar and duly justified the faith the fans showed in him.