IF it had been a vaudeville stage performance then the hook would have been halfway around Stefan Scepovic's neck.
Following a display of such ineptitude as Celtic toiled woefully to find a way past an Astra Giurgiu side that were competent but hardly world-beaters, it seemed only a matter of time before the Serb's number would soon be up and he would depart as the third and final Celtic substitute of the night.
Instead, manager Ronny Deila chose to give his £2.3m summer signing a bit longer to try to put things right and his patience and loyalty were eventually rewarded. With just 17 minutes remaining of a match that Celtic had earmarked as effectively a must-win if they are to eventually progress to the last 32 of the Europa League, an Anthony Stokes free-kick found Scepovic at the back post and his header nestled into the net via the crossbar.
Celtic Park cheered in relief and also, it seemed, a touch ironically, although one suspects supporters would settle for a striker that plays terribly most weeks as long as every performance is embroidered with a goal.
This was Scepovic's first strike in his seventh appearance since his transfer from Sporting Gijon and, in truth, it never really looked like coming. He was given a rare chance to impress with John Guidetti ineligible, starting at the apex of Deila's fluid 4-3-3 formation, but failed to give an adequate demonstration of his credentials.
His movement was limited, he struggled to link up with team-mates and, crucially, in the penalty box
he was repeatedly found wanting. For a player who scored 23 goals last season - albeit in the Spanish second tier - there was little evidence that he could sniff out a goal as one cross after another from Emilio Izaguirre and Mikael Lustig drifted unimpeded across the Astra box like an Albanian drone.
Deila believes it may take six months before the Serb reaches the standards expected of him and, like a Baked Alaska taken prematurely out the freezer, this was a performance which suggested that Scepovic isn't quite ready for regular football.
His overall contribution was about as mediocre as Mario Balotelli's at Anfield the previous night. In the first half the Celtic striker had one meaningful shot that was deflected for a corner and a header that sailed over, but beyond that he was barely in the game. On this evidence, it will take more than a gym membership and a Popeye-sized portion of spinach to make Scepovic the towering, bustling centre forward Celtic hoped they had signed. "Powderpuff", was the damning half-time assessment of Chris Sutton on television, a striker who in his day made a habit of frightening the living daylights out of defenders.
It did not initially get better for Scepovic after the half-time oranges as he spurned two decent chances shortly after the re-start, heading both off target. If he perhaps saw the first one late - Stefan Johansen cut across him to try get on the end of Izaguirre's cross - then there were no such excuses minutes later when the 24-year-old skewed his attempt wide from another tempting Lustig delivery.
Just when it didn't look like being his night, he got his goal, and could have had a second had he not instead selflessly set up Biram Kayal, who blazed his effort wide, before the Serb was denied by Silviu Lung after the goalkeeper had spilled Mubarak Wakaso's cross. Celtic fans will be hoping there is much more to come from Scepovic although his goal, which eventually paved the way for a 2-1 victory, should at least buy him more time and gives him something to build on.
Stokes must have wished for a fraction of his team-mate's luck. Shunted wide left to accommodate Scepovic through the middle, the Irishman was looking to break a European drought that, remarkably, stretches back almost three years. Not since a double against Rennes in November 2011 has the Irishman scored in either the Champions League or the Europa League.
He went into last night's match with heightened confidence having scored twice against Ross County at the weekend but could not make it count in front of goal. One first-half chance, after a Scepovic lay-off ironically, was blocked and that was as good as it got for him. His wait for a European goal goes on. Scepovic is at least finally off and running.
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