SOCCER/ Scottish Premier League: Martin O'Neill believes he will retain fond memories of the 2002-03 season - despite the heartbreaking way it ended.

After last week's extra-time defeat by FC Porto in the UEFA Cup final, Celtic suffered further agony yesterday when they were pipped to the Scottish Premier League title by Rangers.

Only a single goal separated the sides on goal difference, but that was enough to ensure O'Neill's side finished trophyless for the first time since he took over the club in 2000.

Rangers, in contrast, need to beat Dundee in Saturday's Scottish Cup final to complete a domestic treble that will be hard to bear for the Celtic faithful.

But O'Neill insisted his squad can be justifiably proud of their achievements this season and build on them in the 2003-04 campaign.

"I can't imagine we'll feel the same heartbreak again," O'Neill said. "We won the treble in my first season and the league last year, but this is the most memorable season I can imagine.

"These things don't come around that often and I want to be wrong, but it might be a few years when a Scottish club contests a European final again."

Despite the emotional and physical scars left by last week's energy-sapping defeat in Seville, Celtic finished the season in impressive style by knocking four goals past Kilmarnock at Rugby Park without reply.

But Rangers were simultaneously running up a 6-1 victory over Dunfermline at Ibrox to clinch their 50th Scottish title.

"I just know that the effort, determination and the ability was incredible again after what happened in midweek," O'Neill said.

"We have won the league twice and we got 97 points this time, but Rangers won it on goal difference. But you must give my players credit for that. It was heartbreaking, but you've got to take it.

"The team have been superb all season. We carried the SPL flag in a European final, and coming back to play in the championship games here as well to carry right through to the final day.

"The effort they put in was magnificent, especially after playing in temperatures of 110 degrees, but defeat is always hard to take.

"They showed their true character and we were a credit to Scottish football and Scotland should be proud of us."

Celtic will get the chance to put their UEFA Cup experience to the test in the Champions League next season, but they must win two qualifying matches to reach the group stage of Europe's premier competition.

Champions Rangers will go into the final qualifying round for the group stage and O'Neill acknowledged that his opposite number, Alex McLeish, deserved his success in what has been his first full season in charge at Ibrox.

Rangers looked as if they would stroll down the final straight, but defeat by Celtic at Ibrox last month threw the race wide open again.

"Rangers have been terrific, no doubt about it," O'Neill said.

"This has been the most exciting championship race in many years, but after we lost at Hearts we looked out of it. But we had to go to Ibrox and we beat them, but we took it to the wire and lost on goal difference to Rangers, which speaks volumes for the players."

Meanwhile, Rangers manager McLeish hit back at Celtic striker Chris Sutton for claiming Dunfermline were happy to hand Rangers the title.

Sutton insisted pre-match claims that Dunfermline would "lie down" had been proved true and questioned the professionalism of Jimmy Calderwood and his players.

But McLeish was having none of it and reminded everyone that similar claims had been made after a heavy win for Celtic when Dundee came to Parkhead earlier in the month.

"You can say the same about Dundee and Celtic but I don't believe that," he said. "I don't believe for one minute that Jim Duffy was not a proud manager and I'm sure Jim was hurt by that.

"Dunfermline today were dangerous. How can you say that they lay down? I know Jimmy was angry at losing the way he did.

"He will want to redress the balance next season. No chance did they lie down today, no way.

"They played five in the midfield, one up front and there was a definite plan there to stop us penetrating and scoring goals.

"If Celtic were playing at home today and we were travelling away to Kilmarnock then we would have expected Celtic, with the crowd behind them, to have scored goals.

"They have gone to Kilmarnock and won 4-0, so I have got to ask Chris - did Kilmarnock lie down?

"I would say that knowing Jim Jefferies and Billy Brown, give the teams credit, Chris. Give Rangers credit and give your own team credit. It has been a great fight and unfortunately in this great battle there had to be a loser."

Rangers had taken an early lead through Michael Mols but that was soon cancelled out by Jason Dair's strike.

However, Claudio Caniggia, Shota Arveladze, Ronald de Boer, Steven Thompson and Mikel Arteta then sealed an emphatic win for Rangers - although there had been a point when Celtic were ahead in the title race on goal difference. Indeed, the moment de Boer made it 4-1 Henrik Larsson hit a post at Rugby Park.

McLeish said: "I was aware - very aware - that Celtic were on top at one point. We did say to the players 'we need to score'.

"We started the second half and had to be patient, start again and we finally got a breakthrough."

McLeish won many a medal as a player with Aberdeen and is one of Scotland's most-capped players, but he confirmed that winning the championship as a manager beat all previous achievements.

"It feels as if it is the best."