Champions League Group A: Celtic manager Martin O'Neill believes referee Urs Meier "must examine his own game" after his team crashed out of the Champions League last night.

The Scottish Premier League leaders lost 3-2 to Lyon in France and now drop into the UEFA Cup.

And the Hoops manager was critical of Meier, whose decision to penalise Bobo Balde for a handball resulted in an 84th-minute penalty which cost his side a place in the last 16.

O'Neill said on Sky Sports: "It's a big, big decision - it might have brushed his arm but it wasn't deliberate.

The reaction of the Lyon players was to wait for a goal-kick and the ref's pointed to the spot. It's hard to take."

O'Neill continued: "We played fantastically in the first half and showed terrific ability, resilience and character. At half-time I felt we could score another goal.

"We gave away a bad goal after half-time which knocked the stuffing out of us for 10-15 minutes - it was a poor one to give away.

"But we showed character and got level so it is disappointing to have lost a game of that magnitude to a decision so late in the game.

"If there is such a thing in a Champions League game where, with three or four minutes to go, you can look at it and think you can defend the position - well I thought this was it.

"The referee will have to examine his own game all night - that sounds like really sour grapes but it doesn't matter. The video is there for all to see.

"The boys are devastated in the dressing room."