O'Neill urges referee to 'examine his game'

Celtic manager Martin O’Neill believes referee Urs Meier “must examine his own game” after his team crashed out of the Champions League tonight.

The Bank of Scotland Premier League leaders lost 3-2 to Lyon in France tonight and now drop into the UEFA Cup.

And the Hoops manager was critical of Meier, whose decision to penalise Bobo Balde for a handball resulted in an 84th-minute penalty which cost his side a place in the last 16.

O’Neill said on Sky Sports: “It’s a big, big decision – it might have brushed his arm but it wasn’t deliberate.

“The reaction of the Lyon players was to wait for a goal-kick and the ref’s pointed to the spot. It’s hard to take.”

O'Neill continued: "We played fantastically in the first half and showed terrific ability, resilience and character.

“At half-time I felt we could score another goal.

“We gave away a bad goal after half-time which knocked the stuffing out of us for 10-15 minutes – it was a poor one to give away.

“But we showed character and got level so it is disappointing to have lost a game of that magnitude to a decision so late in the game.

“If there is such a thing in a Champions League game where, with three or four minutes to go, you can look at it and think you can defend the position - well I thought this was it.

“The referee will have to examine his own game all night – that sounds like really sour grapes but it doesn’t matter. The video is there for all to see.

“We are out of the competition and in two weeks the decision will be forgotten.

“The boys are devastated in the dressing room.”

Defender Johan Mjallby, asked for his thoughts on the crucial spot-kick, continued: “I couldn’t see – the ball was flicked over my head so it happened behind me. And no-one’s talking in the dressing room right now.

“It’s a big disappointment and it’s happened too many times now.

“When we had to we were quite confident we could hold out – but we panicked a wee bit.

“All the goals we conceded were a bit soft from our point of view.”

The Swede pinpointed the Bhoys’ continued failure to pick up points away from home as costly again.

Celtic lost all three group matches in their Champions League qualifying campaign two seasons ago and it was the same story this time round.

And Mjallby explained: “It proved that if you don’t take points from your away games you won’t get through – it happened two years ago and now it’s happened again.

“We are stronger now than two years ago in a way.

“Games have been much closer away from home for us this time – but obviously we have missed out.”