BLACKBURN ROVERS0

CELTIC 2

Aggregate: 0-3

Scorers: Larsson (15), Sutton (68)

The phrase ''men against boys'' doesn't exactly spring to mind but, in the business of one football manager out-witting and mildly ridiculing another, Martin O'Neill offered Graeme Souness the proverbial knee in the crotch at Ewood Park last night. Deservedly, and with no little panache, Celtic went through to the third round of the UEFA Cup after this alleged Battle of Britain in a noisy corner of Lancashire.

In the end it proved no battle, and nor were there any grudges. Nor, ultimately, was there much bravado afterwards from Souness, a man who had disparaged Celtic's play in the first leg in Glasgow two weeks ago, but who last night was suddenly doing a decent impression of a peacock whose strut and feathers had been brutally hacked. A chastened Souness at least got one thing right: Blackburn can now concentrate on the Premiership.

For his opposite number in the dugout, this was a just triumph. O'Neill is a man of understated behaviour, but deep down, especially after the debacle of Celtic's poor play in Glasgow, you had the impression that he strongly desired to rub Souness' features in something unpleasant and even odorous. In the end, a dogged, hard, though boisterous Celtic simply choked Blackburn.

The match was a triumph for O'Neill's tactical choices. With Paul Lambert out, Chris Sutton and John Hartson both in,

and Steve Guppy and Didier Agathe tearing up and down each flank, Celtic appeared to have men and angled passes available all over the pitch. Sutton, in particular, wasn't just an aerial threat, but a biting, snapping, inventive footballer. All this brought strain upon Blackburn's clever but over-worked midfield, where Tugay and David Dunn regularly found their options blocked.

Following his pejorative language in Glasgow, a bawdy Celtic support goaded Souness mercilessly at the end. Among the more printable ditties was a lusty ''Souness for Rangers!'' cry, a chant that became ever louder following Larsson's wicked opening goal for Celtic after 14 minutes and Sutton's second goal 20 minutes into the second half. Poor Souness, if such an expression is even tenable, was the victim of some shockingly inhumane stick.

But be fair to Blackburn's manager. For those who were hoping for a bitter Souness outburst later, it was all a wretched anti-climax. In fact, Souness was graciousness itself, complimenting Celtic on their adventurous play, if not yet ready to concede that they were superior to his own team over 180 minutes. ''I'll take it on the chin,'' said the man who has landed the odd bunch of fives on the chins of others. ''We'll move on. Football for me is all about tomorrows.''

The match was breathlessly contested amid a rousing atmosphere. The usual apocryphal tales had gathered pace about 12,000, 15,000 or even 20,000 Celtic supporters descending on east Lancashire, though, as it was, 8000 of them inside Ewood meant the game endured a raucous backdrop.

With news of trouble outside the ground, of police on horseback, and of ticket forgeries resulting in some Celtic supporters being unable to gain entry, the match was shrouded in controversy before a ball had been kicked. Ninety minutes later, though, after a gripping contest, few were complaining, and certainly none from north of the border.

In this rivalry-fuelled environment, the focus fell upon Souness and O'Neill, who eyed one another warily. Souness is in the middle of a Premiership ban from sitting track-side, but last night he was back urging his team to his cardiovascular limit. His spirit, though, was dampened by a heroic Celtic.

The visiting support hardly had time to digest the dropping of Lambert before Larsson had fired them ahead. It was the sort of goal he has made commonplace, an effort converted from close range but with skill and nerve written all over it.

Celtic hadn't exactly been coasting - Rab Douglas had already had to fling himself to the feet of Andy Cole - yet nothing prepared Blackburn for what hit them. Sutton's pass evaded the slipping Hartson but wound its way to a sleuthing Larsson, in behind the twin pillars of Blackburn's defence. Head down, the Swede took possession and seemed to run the ball too close to Brad Friedel before wedging his shot over the advancing goalkeeper into the net.

The prospect of Celtic's night being ruined became a distinct possibility when a moronic group of visiting supporters, unable to comprehend the damage they might do, charged to the corner of their stand to goad the Blackburn support. For a full minute trouble brewed menacingly before stewards and police restored order.

The match wasn't exactly a reverse of events at Parkhead, but Celtic had far more possession and Blackburn looked a team bereft of ideas. Following Larsson's goal, David Thompson slammed a free kick which grazed Douglas' bar on its way over, yet it was as close as the home team would come all night. In fact, the better chances fell to Celtic, with one miss in particular a dreadful eye-sore, Sutton then Hartson sclaffing in front of goal.

Sutton, though, made amends in the 68th minute, sweeping his header from Petrov's corner past the helpess Friedel. It was at this point, let it be recorded, that the visiting support voiced some ill-considered lyrics about Souness.