McManus: This was the worst blow

The Celts should have been two goals up within the first ten minutes but when Barry Robson did put the Scottish champions 1-0 up after 53 minutes against a very poor Danish side then that elusive away win in the group stages of the Champions League looked to have finally arrived. Then the world came crashing down upon them in the final twenty minutes.

Aalborg, a team who would rank alongside our own mid-table SPL sides, equalised 20 minutes later through a speculative 25-yard shot from Caca which deflected off Stephen McManus. Then with just two minutes to play in the Energi Nord Stadium disaster struck when a Glenn Loovens clearance ricoched off Gary Caldwell and hit the back of the net.

"We will not say that Aalborg were lucky." said Gordon Strachan "We had it in our own hands to win and we are not going to look anywhere else. I couldn't fault any of the players, I really couldn't. It was there for us but our inability to keep a clean sheet has been the downfall in our run away from home and until we get that sorted things like tonight are possible.

"We were only one goal up but I thought it would be enough. I didn't see any real threat to us, so it's disappointing." he added "It was there to be won but our inability to keep a clean sheet has been our downfall.  I really can't explain it but it's happened again. It's unbelievable as tonight was one of our better performances."

Stephen McManus admitted the players were stunned after losing the game to probably the poorest side Celtic have ever faced in the group stages of the Champions League. "It was horrendous in the dressing room, the boys are devastated." he said "It is probably the worst blow we've had to take over the years. It is doubly disappointing because we were in control of the game. If you get beat by the better side with two top-quality goals then you can hold your hands up but when you are on top, and give two goals away like that then it is horrendous."

The Aalborg coach Allan Kuhn praised his side and his opposite number Strachan "Celtic had some good moments and we had some good moments. It wasn't the greatest football match in the world but that's life," said Kuhn. "When you have brave hearts you always have a chance to win football games and I think the boys were 100 per cent brave hearts today The Celtic coach was great afterwards. He came over and congratulated me. He gave me a smile which is fantastic."