Kiev accounts for Drogheda
30/07/2008 12:33 PM
League of Ireland champions Drogheda United conceded a late goal to crash to a 2-1 loss to Ukrainian giants Dynamo Kiev in their Champions League second qualifying round first-leg match.
Dynamo, reigning domestic champions, took an expected lead in the 23rd minute through Taris Mikhalik's tap-in after Jamie Ewings' poor punch at a corner.
Adam Hughes headed Drogheda level just after the break at Bohemians' Dalymount Park, but Oleksandr Aliev cut in from the left to fire a fine winner with five minutes to go.
Azerbaijani outfit Inter Baku came away from its first-leg match with Partizan Belgrade with a 1-1 draw at the Tofikh Bakhramov-Republic Stadium in Baku.
The visitors took the lead after just three minutes when Milos Bogunovic headed a Lamine Diarra cross into the back of the net.
However, Petar Zlatinov found reward for Inter Baku's hard work in the second half when he squared things up in the 82nd minute.
And SK Brann clinched a thrilling 1-0 victory over FK Ventspils in their first-leg clash.
Njogu Demba-Nyren sealed the victory for the Norwegian outfit with just three minutes left in the match.
Champions League Qualifiers
Inter Baku 1
(Zlatinov 5)
Partizan Belgrade 1
(Boguovic 82)
Brann Bergen 1
(Demba Nyren 87)
Ventspils 1
Drogheda United 1
(Hughes 47)
Dynamo Kyiv 2
(Mikhalik 23, Aliyev 86)