WITH apologies to Rabbie Burns, a win's a win for a' that.

But surely no-one reflecting on Celtic's 2-1 defeat of Astra Giurgiu will attempt to describe this performance as poetry in motion.

It was a fraught affair, just like the 1-0 win at the same venue against Dinamo Zagreb on match day two.

Goals in 73 and 79 minutes from Stefan Scepovic then Stefan Johansen got the Hoops over the line, despite a counter nine minutes from time by Gabriel Enache after slack defending by Ronny Deila's shaky side.

The Norwegian knows huge improvement must be made if Celtic are to reach the target he has set of 10 points from this group. At least last night's victory means they are still on course to hit that figure, and could even get there when they play Astra again in Romania in a fortnight.

But it is the results against the other two protagonists, Salzburg and Dinamo Zagreb, which will almost certainly determine qualification.

The Austrians destroyed the Croatians when they played the first of their double header and are still tied at the top of the group with Celtic.

So far, the Hoops have taken four points from a possible six against the big two after their trip to Austria and the visit of the Croatians. It's a good start, but the defining fixtures could still lie ahead on match day five and six.

A win before then in Giurgiu - in what will be Celtic's 300th European tie - would at least mean Celtic's fate remains in their own hands. And, after a couple of scares, that is as much as Deila could ask for.

Not even the injection of millions from oligarch Iona Niculae can turn Astra into a star team in European terms.

Based on the form they have shown so far in the Europa League, quite how they got past Lyon to make it to this level is anyone's guess.

However, despite the fact they are now three-for-nought in Group D, no one at Celtic will be heading to the Marin Anastasovici Stadium believing the points are just awaiting collection. Not after last night's misfiring match-up.

Anything they get will have to be earned because the simple fact is that Celtic are still inconsistent.

To slip up in Giurgiu would undo all the good work which has put them in the shake-up for one of the two places in the knock-out rounds, which kick off in February.

By then, the wheat will be separated from the chaff, while the quality of the competition will be seriously enhanced by the arrival of third place-sides from the Champions League.

That should ensure there is more interest from the fans. Last night the upper tiers of three stands at Celtic Park were once again closed. Those who did turn up on a foul night were at least rewarded, albeit eventually, with the sight of three more points being posted by their heroes.

With injury again denying the Hoops the creativity of Kris Commons, the question was, who could unlock what was expected to be a deep-lying Astra defence?

AT first the answer looked like being Mikael Lustig, the Swedish right-back finding space and time to send a series of curling crosses into the Astra box, inviting team-mates to rise to the occasion.

However, more often than not, they went abegging. When Scepovic did manage to take in one cross, then turn and lay the ball off to Anthony Stokes seven minutes before the end of a stodgy first half, the Irishman's shot was blocked by defender Cristian Oros.

A couple of miscued headers from Charlie Mulgrew and one from Scepovic, plus a mis-judged clearance from Vassilas Pliataksikas, which all cleared the bar, were all the Hoops had to show for their efforts in the first 45 minutes.

The fact they'd not troubled keeper Silviu Lung was the reason they left the field to some low-level booing from a support which expected far more from the men in green and white.

They'd promised to deliver with a whirlwind start which made the game appear like an Attackers v Defenders routine on the training field. During this spell Astra could not get out of their own half.

However, like a light switch flicking on, the visitors found some confidence and got sight of Craig Gordon at the other end of the pitch.

In the space of just a couple of minutes the keeper had to chest away a fierce drive from Seidu Yahaya, then use his left foot to deflect away a shot from Constantin Budsucu before watching a shot by Takayuki Seto whistle just wide.

They were clear warnings to Celtic that they needed to rediscover their composure and control. They also had to find the tempo required to unsettle Astra and get their men, including Stokes and Callum McGregor, more involved.

SCEPOVIC was another whose contribution had left a lot to be desired. When he headed well wide when picked out by another Lustig cross just after the break, the supporters' disappointment was audible.

Johansen had appeared to put him off when stretching to convert a Stokes cross minutes before. But the £2.3million man really had to give more bang for Celtic's buck.

The belated introduction of Aleksandar Tonev for the marginalised McGregor and Mubarak Wakaso for an out-of-sorts Mulgrew underlined Deila's growing frustration at what he was watching.

He was not alone. The sight of Gordon having to make an important block when Enache was inches away from connecting with a cross three yards from goal did nothing to ease the tension.

Likewise, the news from Austria that Salzburg were cruising against Zagreb added to the angst permeating the cold night air.

Enter Scepovic to ease the nerves with his first goal for the club.

Wakaso was fortunate to win a free kick near the goal-line on the left of the area. But Stokes was not complaining as he swung the ball to the back post where Scepovic rose highest of all to power his header off the bar and into the net.

That lifted a heavy load from Celtic's shoulders. And it was no surprise when, with 11 minutes remaining, Johansen pounced on a Tonev cross spilled by the keeper to ram the ball home off the underside of the crossbar.

It was a second goal which proved vital as, within a couple of minutes, Enache had nipped in to make it 2-1 after Emilio Izaguirre failed to clear.

That got the nerves jangling again for the fans before this crucial win was confirmed.