WANDERERS’ FA Cup draw at Liverpool did not quite rank as highly as slaying Barcelona for Neil Lennon – but it comes a close second.

There was no hiding Lennon’s delight after his side’s valiant stalemate at Anfield as he walked fists clenched towards the massed travelling support on Saturday night.

The Northern Irishman had enjoyed nights like this before, memorably masterminding a Champions League victory at Celtic in 2012 against the all-conquering, Lionel Messi-led Catalans on the Scottish club’s 125th anniversary.

Back then he was flanked by cheers on all sides at Parkhead – and you could make a case that to take a patched-up Bolton - bought at a total cost of just over £3million - and boasting a strike-force that in the manager’s estimation has “a combined age of 268” is an even bigger achievement.

But Lennon’s feet had returned to the ground by the time he crammed into a corner of Anfield’s press room late on Saturday evening to begin an umpteenth discussion on the 90 minutes just gone.

“It doesn’t quite measure up,” he reasoned, when asked if this was a bigger moment than the Barcelona win.

“Celtic were a higher level than Bolton, and Barca were better than Liverpool right now, though they're working on it.”

It was hard not to make comparisons and Lennon admitted he had learned lessons from the way his Celtic team had contained Barca’s passing game just over two years ago.

“It's very similar in the way we set the team out,” he said. “Against Barca, we had to play a certain way, and we knew here Liverpool would have the lion's share of possession and chances, but we created some chances of our own which pleased me, and we get another crack at it, which is all we could have asked really.

“I watched them the other night and I thought the areas they would really hurt you were through Coutinho and where Lallana played today.

“That’s why we left David (Wheater) out because I felt we needed the pace down the sides with Dorian Dervite and Tim Ream – and the two of them were outstanding.

“Then Danns in midfield, he had bundles of energy, we had good legs in midfield with Pratley and Vela alongside him and that’s what I felt we needed.

“We tried to stop them coming at us centrally and force them wide but it doesn’t always work that way and at times we needed to react to things, and we reacted brilliantly.”

But Lennon says he did not mention the Celtic game to his players as he plotted his game-plan in the build-up to Liverpool.

“I didn't really talk about that Barca game with Celtic to be honest, they don't want to hear about me, the focus was on them. I wanted them to be mentally strong, and believe in what they could do,” he said.

Brendan Rodgers believes Daniel Sturridge could be available by the time the replay comes around – music to the ears of the Wanderers boss.

“Ah brilliant,” he laughed. “I think we'll face very similar threat to one we faced today, Daniel maybe has more goals in him that maybe likes of Sterling, Lallana, Coutinho and will bring that pace and quality, but he's not played much football with his time out.

“It just shows the strength of the squad they have they can make five changes and play as well as they did. People on the outside may go 'they were poor’ but believe me they played very well.

“They are just coming at their peak at the right time for the second half of the season, and it you put all that together is shows the incredible performance we put in.”

Lennon feels he may have to follow a similar blueprint in the replay – albeit one in which he will have the backing of a packed out Macron Stadium.

Asked whether his best chance of an upset was gone – the Whites boss insists his side can push themselves again at home.

“I think we can have a chance,” he said. “I think the game will be similar to this one, Liverpool will probably have the lion's share of possession and chances again and we just have to stay in it, and we may get more chances at home. I'd like to think we can anyway.

“I'm hoping we will have a few more bodies back. We're really short in attacking areas, hence reason why we started with Emile and Eidur. But needs must.

“The last few minutes it gets a bit hairy. You are never comfortable. Second half Liverpool were very strong, so a fantastic achievement and a good day for the club.”