FAIL FAIL

Summer fiasco topped off as Celts blow it big time against minnows

- MICHAEL GANNON IN ALMATY

NEVER mind the horse steaks in the Almaty restaurants. Those were tasty treats compared to what was served up at Central Stadium.

And far easier to swallow for the Celtic fans who made the monster trek to the middle of nowhere to watch their side fall at the first Champions League hurdle in miserable fashion.

The Hoops suffered more penalty agony after three and a half hours of torture against Kairat's clobbers and jobbers.

Daizen Maeda blew a chance to win it in normal time then missed from the spot along with Adam Idah and Luke McCowan on a nightmare night.

More than £80million in the bank and Brendan Rodgers was left with the kind of lineup he would usually send out in the early rounds of the Premier Sports Cup.

Failing to tool up the manager properly came back to bite Celts big time - and now it's the under-fire board who will get flogged.

Celts struggled from the off against rugged Kairat’s pressing and the clash was a carbon copy of last week's slog in Scotland.

James Forrest's header tipped over by stand-in keeper Temirlan Anarbekov was the only sight at goal - by either side in another stodgy first period.

The Hoops got off the hook early in the second half when Callum McGregor's backpass forced Kasper Schmeichel to punch clear.

There was another let-off in the mayhem with the home crowd howling for a penalty but Maeda’s arms were tucked in when he blocked the ball.

The attacker blew a huge chance to grab a later winner when he was sent through on goal by McGregor, only to balloon over the bar.