Celtic bottom after defeat to Shaktar

Shakhtar Donetsk 3 Celtic 0

It was another hard luck story for Martin O’Neill’s demoralised Scottish champions in the Ukraine tonight as an emphatic Francelino Matuzalem double and exquisite Brandao chip in the second half left their European dreams in tatters.

Celtic’s delight at seeing Bobo Balde recover from injury was rubbed by half-time with Jackie McNamara and Chris Sutton injured.

So it was no surprise that Martin O’Neill’s men slumped to yet another away defeat in the Champions League to all but end their hopes of reaching the knock-out stages for another year.

With both sides pointless before tonight’s clash in the Central Stadium, the defeat means Celtic are now bottom of Group F and in danger of missing out on a consolation UEFA Cup spot.

The vociferous and colourful home supporters were spurring on their heroes, who looked like the great Dundee United side of the 80s in their tangerine shirts, and it was easy to see why AC Milan had struggled here in the opening Group F game.

After an all-action opening, the Ukraine outfit gave their opponents a warning of just what was to come when Ciprian Andrei Marica crashed a shot wide when he got a sight of goal in the fourth minute and Zvonimir Vukic blazed over from the edge of the box.

But Celtic weathered that early storm and they came within inches of going ahead themselves with a chance out of nothing in the eighth minute.

Chris Sutton, who was in a midfield role with the timely return of Balde from injury, found John Hartson on the right flank and he whipped in a dangerous cross which goalkeeper Jan Lastuvka allowed to bounce off the crossbar.

It was the Celtic back four who were under the most pressure in the first-half and Anatoliy Tymoshchuk flashed a low drive across the box which Didier Agathe touched away.

Mariusz Lewandowski then headed Tymoshchuk’s cross wide of the mark before Hartson blasted high over the top from inside the area.

Vladimir Flavius Stoican won his side a dangerous free-kick in the 23rd minute when he flung himself to the ground, somewhat theatrically, from Camara’s challenge.

But teenage goalkeeper David Marshall again showed his great ability when he moved to his right to push away Dinca Razvan Rat’s left-foot shot.

McNamara gave the visitors a big scare in the 28th minute when he had to have treatment for a back injury.

However, Celtic produced their best move of the game so far in his absence when Henri Camara burst infield and played the ball up to Hartson on the edge of the area and he teed the ball up for a Sutton strike which Lastuvka could only push away.

O’Neill was forced to replace McNamara with youngster Stephen McManus moments later before Stanislav Varga was booked for a reckless challenge from behind on Marica.

Celtic should have taken the lead with a simple but effective move.

Sutton headed down McManus’ long punt and Hartson swivelled and looked set to score but he was unable to stop it from flying just over the crossbar from seven yards.

Marshall did not look pretty as he punched Tymoshchuk’s strike clear but his manager would not have been bothered how he kept it out.

Sutton lay motionless on the ground as he took Tymoshchuk’s fierce volley full in the head but he returned to action gingerly after receiving treatment to his Celtic’s relief.

But the home side went agonisingly close themselves on the stroke of half-time when Andrei Vorobyey headed Stoicon’s cross just inches past the upright.

Celtic suffered another major setback at the break when Sutton failed to appear for the second half and was replaced by young winger Ross Wallace

The wounded visitors went behind in the 56th minute when Matuzalem was given too much space to unleash a low shot which Marshall could only get the slightest of touches to as the ball flew into the back of his net.

The Glasgow outfit responded well but Hartson could only head Agathe’s cross straight at Lastuvka on the hour.

But Celtic’s Champions League dream and even their hopes of a consolation place in the UEFA Cup were dealt what could be a fatal blow in the 62nd minute.

Matuzalem exchanged passes with Vukic and he emphatically fired the ball under Marshall to compound the visitors’ misery.

Celtic again had no luck in the 65th minute when Lastuvka parried Camara’s effort into the path of Hartson but he fired over the top from eight yards.

It was no surprise that O’Neill took Juninho off and brought on Aiden McGeady - the only shock was that it took him so long with the disappointing Brazilian barely touching the ball.

Celtic had Varga in the wars in the 76th minute when the Slovakian put the ball behind under pressure from Brandao after Marshall had spilled Tymoshchuk’s strike.

But the Brazilian did beat the youngster with over 12 minutes to go when he brilliantly dinked the ball over him and into the net.

Camara should have got a consolation for Celtic but he headed wide from five yards late in the game, a missed chance which summed up another luckless and miserable European experience.