kaunas set up celtic meeting published: wednesday 23 july 2003, 21.00cet fbk kaunas 4-1 hb tórshavn (agg: 5-1) lithuanians cruise through to earn tie against celtic fc.
lithuanian title-holders fbk kaunas earned a tie against 2002/03 uefa cup finalists celtic fc after cruising to victory against hb tórshavn of the faroe islands on a rainy night.
surprise equaliser already leading 1-0 courtesy of the only away win of the uefa champions league first qualifying round first-leg ties, kaunas took control of the return on five minutes when ricardas beniusis pounced on a loose clearance to shoot in from ten metres. however, the visitors were not to lie down and within four minutes they had levelled on the night when rógvi jacobsen headed home.
crucial goals kaunas were shocked by the unexpected goal, but by the half-hour mark they had reasserted control. eight minutes before half-time, home captain tomas kancelskis headed in a marius bezykornovas free-kick to restore their lead and martin opic put the game beyond the visitors not long afterwards with a finish from close range.
progress confirmed despite numerous chances, it was not until the 77th-minute mark that beniusis increased the aggregate score to 5-1 as he finished comfortably after running on to a gintas širmelis through-ball. hb then had jacobsen sent off for unsportsmanlike behaviour. the one blip on the night for kaunas was an injury to central midfield player bezykornovas, who will now miss both legs against celtic, the 1966/67 european champion clubs' cup winners.
'thinking about celtic' home coach sergei borovski admitted after the final whistle: "kaunas were simply a better side. i must admit i was thinking about celtic even before the game. but our plans were shattered a little bit by the rain in kaunas - however, we quickly found our feet and did what we had to do." his team will certainly have to be alert against celtic, especially in the second leg in glasgow - where compatriots fk suduva lost 8-1 in last season's uefa cup.
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