Dinamo deal Bhoys’ Euro dreams a major blow

TONY MOWBRAY was handed a harsh dose of reality in his first competitive game as Celtic boss as his side crashed 1-0 to Dinamo Moscow in the first leg of their Champions League third qualifying round clash at Parkhead.

Alexander Kokorin’s seventh-minute strike gave the Russian club a clear advantage ahead of next week’s return game in Moscow.

The Dinamo frontman was sharpest to Alexander Kerzhakov’s cross from the left to slip the ball past Hoops’ keeper Artur Boruc and, while the home side battled for the rest of the game and created several decent chances, it was to no avail. The Parkhead side, who came into the game after a successful pre-season, struggled to cope with the sheer speed of Dinamo. In the 14th minute, Moscow midfielder Dmitry Kombarov all too easily whipped a terrific ball in from the left only to see his twin brother Kirill Kombarov almost make it 2-0 but his volley slipped just inches past Boruc’s right-hand post.

Celtic’s first real effort on goal came midway through the first half but Marc-Antoine Fortune’s turn and drive from 10 yards was easily saved by Dinamo keeper Vladimir Denisov.

The Glasgow giants finished the first half on top but Massimo Donati’s hopeful long-range drive, which went yards over, was symptomatic of their threat.

Celtic came out after the break needing to score at least two to boost their chances in next week’s second leg in Moscow.

And with little more than a minute played of a whirlwind restart, Dinamo stopper Denis Kolodin had to clear McDonald’s header off the line. The Parkhead side had picked up the pace but, in throwing players forward, they left themselves open to the counter although the visitors appeared happy to sit and hold their lead.

A blue defensive wall met the Celtic players as they pushed and probed and, in Kerzhakov, Dinamo had the perfect out-ball.

Mowbray replaced McDonald and Fortune with Chris Killen and Georgios Samaras on the hour mark in a move that signalled a hint of desperation and a change of tactics, to a more robust approach.

Danny Fox then replaced Donati to make his competitive Celtic debut after signing from Coventry at the weekend but the home fans were becoming increasingly irate as the second half unfolded.

The hosts pushed with less conviction with each passing minute, typified in the 74th minute when Fox headed high over from Andreas Hinkel’s searching cross, before Killen headed wide from a Fox corner.

With five minutes remaining Boruc was called in to action to make a fine block from Dinamo substitute Fedor Smolov, on for Kokorin, seconds before Samaras headed in to the arms of Denisov.

When the final whistle sounded, it may just also have signalled the end of Celtic’s Champions League hopes this season.

CELTIC: Boruc, Hinkel, Caldwell, Loovens, Naylor, McGeady, Donati (Daniel Fox 67), N’Guemo, Maloney, McDonald (Killen 60), Fortune (Samaras 60).

DINAMO MOSCOW: Gabulov, Kowalcyzk, Kolodin, Granat, Kirill Kombarov, Wilkshire, Svezhov, Dmitri Kombarov, Fernandez, Kerzhakov, Kokorin (Smolov 74). Ref: Nicola Rizzoli (Italy)