Celtic 2 Sturm Graz 1: Brendan Rodgers' men find the right gear to grind out a much-needed victory

It was never going to be a thing of beauty. The days when Celtic garlanded European victories with football to quicken the pulse are fast becoming a distant memory in these parts.

When circumstances demanded a gritty no-frills win, though, Brendan Rodgers’ side rolled their sleeves up and belatedly delivered. They are due no little credit for doing so.

While this result alone won’t blow away the storm clouds which have been gathering over Glasgow’s East End for weeks, it will screw down the volume on the rancour for a few days at least.

A win over the Austrian champions and current Bundesliga leaders would not be sniffed at under any circumstances. Given Celtic’s current plight, it was a highly commendable triumph.

Four points from three Europa League matches keeps Rodgers’ side firmly in the running for the knock-out rounds. They’ve given themselves something to hang onto.

You had to doff your cap to Northern Irishman and his team here. Deservedly a goal down at the break and with their form so poor, they might well have accepted that things just aren’t going their way and rolled over.

Yet, they showed heart, endeavour and character in no small measure to turn the game on its head. A prized win was earned the hard way. They defended manfully when the depleted Austrians threw the kitchen sink at them in the latter stages.

While there will inevitably remain an air of disquiet around the club, this was quite the way to start a defining period of the season. They will travel to Tynecastle on Sunday with renewed confidence.

For long enough, Rodgers’ 63rd European match - a mark that took him second on the all-time list behind Jock Stein - looked like being another occasion he’d rather forget.

While his side were certainly not helped by the early withdrawals of Kelechi Iheanacho and Alistair Johnston, it was no hard luck story that they trailed at the break.

For a few minutes after Tomi Horvat netted a screamer to go with his goal against Rangers a few weeks back, it felt like being one of those nights.

Celtic had created chances but looked incapable of taking them. They missed more opportunities in the second period but, significantly, took two through Liam Scales and Benjamin Nygren in a four-minute burst. It might just prove to be the start of something.

You could take issue with the timing of Rodgers’ spiky Honda Civic remark at Dens Park, but his point about a lack of pace in the current team was inarguable.

In that regard, the return after injury of Johnston for Tony Ralston was initially welcome. Unsurprisingly, Yang Hyun-jun dropped out with Arne Engels drafted in.

There were no tennis balls thrown on the park at the outset of this affair. Instead, the protest was etched in black and white: ‘Sack the board,’ read the message in the standing section above the familiar faces in suits.

For all the current disharmony, the crowd was healthy. Speculation that Celtic would require to close part of the top tier was off the mark.

With the Austrians having found form, Celtic were up against it here before a ball was kicked. When Iheanacho went down clutching his hamstring after a few minutes, Rodgers must have wondered if this season is cursed. Johnny Kenny was sprung from the bench.

There were morsels of encouragement for Rodgers before his side fell behind. There were more forward passes and a greater degree of urgency.

Elementary errors are never too far away, though. This time it belonged to Seb Tounekti, a needless turnover of play on the left after gathering Kieran Tierney’s pass putting his side on the back foot.

Graz accepted the gift, sharply exchanging three passes. Horvat worked the ball onto his left foot and found the top corner with a sumptuous left-foot strike. There was no blaming Kasper Schmeichel on this occasion.

Again, Celtic had plenty of the ball. Again, they lacked a cutting edge. A wayward header by Nygren and a deflected Arne Engels shot was as good as it got.

It must be said that Celtic were luckless. Johnston hadn’t been seen since the home game with Kairat Almaty, but his return didn’t even last half an hour before his troublesome hamstring flared up again. Colby Donovan was thrown on.

The teenager was immediately beaten by Emir Karic. His cut back was rattled off the outside of the post by Otar Kiteishvili.

Graz defended impressively. Tierney hung up a cross to the far post. Engels’ header back across goal looked in all the way until Emanuel Aiwu stretched his leg to clear on the line.

Such openings were still too rare. Celtic struggled to connect the game from middle to front. Kenny ran about to no avail. The first period was typified by Tounekti leaving two black shirts for dead then firing in an aimless cross which went out for a throw-in.

Reo Hatate showed him how to do it, a drop of the shoulder allowing the midfielder to pick out Nygren at the far post. The Swede’s failure to even hit the target with his header was simply unfathomable.

The pattern didn’t change much immediately after the turnaround. Hatate’s half-volley flashed over the bar. Horvat hit the target with a clear free-kick which Schmeichel scrambled to save.

Celtic’s attempts to exert pressure were invariable undone by a lack of care on the ball. Nygren was particularly culpable.

The Swede’s evening to that point was summed up by a poor attempt to find the net with a free header after Scales had skilfully scooped the ball over his marker.

Nygren did redeem himself in some style. First, he won the corner with a shot on target that led to the equaliser just after the hour mark.

Engels played it in low allowing Donovan to help it on. Scales guided the ball into the far corner.

Remarkably, within three minutes, Celtic were in front. Another Engels’ corner from the opposite side was played more directly. Nygren simply wanted it more than anyone else. A flashing header from five yards gave the keeper no chance.

Celtic’s hopes of recording a first win in the group were boosted when Tochi Chukwuani was sent off with 20 minutes remaining for a dreadful challenge on Callum McGregor.

Kenny twice went close to settling the issue but couldn’t steer crosses from Engels and Tierney on target. Nygren thought he’s claimed his second from another Engels’ corner until visiting keeper Matteo Bignetti produced a fabulous reflex stop.