Celtic 2, Fenerbahce 2: A night when the overriding feeling was that two points were given away

With 90 seconds to go of the first-half of this entertaining, intriguing and eventually frustrating Europa League match with Fenerbahce, Celtic were close, if you ever can be in such games, to be described as cruising to victory.

They had played well, very well in patches, and scored two fine goals against a side, on the evidence thus far, long on talent but short of commitment.

It was looking so good for Ronny Deila and his men who had performed with maturity and no little skill to manufacture such an advantage over the men from Turkey.

And then a nothing ball forward into the Celtic area, which should have dealt with by Efe Ambrose in his sleep, saw the far too calamitous defender attempt to head the ball back to the safety of Craig Gordon only to fall a good five yards short of his target.

Fenerbahce scored, got a foothold they never looked as if they would ever find, and from that found a bit of life and left Glasgow with a point that should never have been theirs to take.

It is almost cruel to mention that the hapless Ambrose was beaten for a header at the equaliser.

What a disappointment and yet there were so many positives for Celtic and they are very much alive in this group, as all our four teams after the first two rounds of fixtures.

Six Scots were in the starting line-up, I am including Kris Commons, one of them a teenager from the academy in Kieran Tierney who made his European debut and impressed.

Scott Brown was outstanding, indeed this was one of his best ever games for Celtic, Leigh Griffiths and Commons scored, while James Forrest enjoyed one of those night which makes you think there is a superstar in there.

It was terrific entertainment from the start of the first-half and that was mostly down to Celtic. There were times when you could not help but think that Fenerbahce were not that bothered. Not that they weren’t trying, and Celtic played well, but they looked second best by some way.

It was an odd night.

Without doing a huge amount, Celtic were dominant from early on in a sense they always looked the most likely to actually do something. The stadium wasn’t quick packed to the gunnels, however, the crowd was healthy and hearty, and they almost had something to cheer a little over two minutes into the game.

Mikael Lustig wandered forward and with several team-mates to aim for inside the box he did just that, but the ball was deflected out to Forrest who was quite right to take on a shot which was just the wrong side of the post

There was a lot of good passing, clever movement and plenty of energy from those wearing hoops. But that alone does not break down a team who, we must remember, are more than decent.

And when that cutting edge was found, a goal always looked likely.

Some 23 minutes had gone when Brown’s quick free-kick put sent Forrest scampering down the right, his cross found Lustig whose shot was deflected wide. From that corner, with the ball bouncing incredibly kindly, Johansen put his half volley over when a better shot should not have been beyond him.

The five minutes later, for the first time all night, Griffiths got the wrong side of the Fenerbahce defence and forced a corner.

Commons sent in a reliably good cross and while Lustig’s header was so wrong and yet landed right at the feet of Griffiths whose first effort was remarkably saved by Fabiano, the ball popped up perfectly for the striker who was not going to miss a second chance. Cue bedlam.

It got a tad more excited four minutes later.

Nir Bitton shoved the ball wide to Forrest and he cut his cross back to Commons who, as the ball just bounced a touch off the surface, produced one of those shots in the unstoppable category into the roof of the net.

It was all going so well. Celtic were comfortable. Fenerbahce looking like a group of individuals, talented as they are, but struggling – but you are only as strong as your weakest link.

With few minutes to go until the interval, Ambrose had a simple task of heading the ball back to Gordon. It was wretched effort that fell well short of the goalkeeper.

Fernandao, who had just come on, is too good a player to pass up such gifts and he did not, placing his shot past the Celtic keeper.

It would have been wrong to say the match was over at half-time had Ambrose not had his moment of ridiculousness, which he is always capable of, but you would have got long odds on the visitors getting back into it.

However, it’s funny what a present such as that one can do to any team. Within three minutes of the re-start, Fenerbahce were level.

It was simple enough. Nani swung a corner into the near post and Fernandao with a brilliant header sent the ball like a bullet past Gordon. Amborse, of course, who was picking up the striker.

What a change to the night. Momentum truly is a funny thing. On 53 minutes, Gordon did well to shove push a shot from left-back Hasan Ali Kaldrum past his near post. Then Nani tried to beat the keeper from 30 yards out at the same post, and again Gordon was alive to the threat.

Then Diego, another replacement, made Gordon save with his legs, just about, on the hour mark as he produced a superb low shot from distance. Celtic were in a shell and it took them a while to fight their way out.

The first time Celtic looked like the first-half version of themselves was when Tierney and Forrest combined down the left on 67 minutes, the latter’s curling effort forcing a smart save from Fabiano.

Then after more applied pressure, Commons turned and his hit shot was bettered by the Fenerbahce goalkeeper.

From about 75 minutes on, Celtic were the only team that looked like winning, but a draw it was to be. It’s never boring.