NONE of them could have complained if Craig Gordon had distributed his bank details to his team-mates late last night, allowing them to deposit their win bonuses in his account.

Celtic's goalkeeper earned the dough more than the rest of them combined. It was hugely pleasing for Parkhead to witness a home win and Celtic now sit on four points from two difficult opening games of Group D in the Europa League. More satisfying for them, still, was the evidence that their team can hold out for a win even when the second half of a game becomes a pummelling.

Dinamo Zagreb attacks washed towards the Celtic goal and Gordon repelled them. This was not an authoritative win by Celtic. By the end they were swiping at balls in the box and careering around with the desperation of kids in a scramble for coins. Still, for a team and a manager still trying to find a pattern and a style it was a big result. Their unbeaten run has crept up to seven games and after a draw away to Red Bull Salzburg they now rest on four points before the Romanians, Astra Giurgiu, come to Parkhead in three weeks.

Kris Commons scored a lovely and precious winner right at the start. They had chances to increase the lead but the match slowly moved away from them and became an ordeal.

Ronny Deila has tinkered with his team too often this season. Too many different players used, too many little changes. In one respect a small sign of consistency is emerging. Of the team which started in Salzburg, nine were on from kick-off again here. Only Stefan Scepovic, who has been carrying a knock, and Callum McGregor were omitted.

Before kick-off, the official Celtic Twitter feed posted a team which included John Guidetti. A chill ran up the spines of every fan who saw it. Guidetti is ineligible. In the time it took for Legia Warsaw officials to start compiling a complaint to Uefa about Celtic's rule-breaking, the error was corrected.

Deila wants partnerships in his team, little pairings on the field between players who understand and anticipate each other's play. Anthony Stokes and Commons have that and that delivered the goal. The game was only six minutes old, it hadn't settled into anything at all, when they combined to score. Emilio Izaguirre's ball was dummied by Commons to reach Stokes, and when he fed the ball back, Commons had turned and darted into space. There isn't a player on the payroll Celtic would rather have had on the end of the chance. His finish was crisp and emphatic, tucking the ball across goalkeeper Eduardo and inside the far corner of the net.

When Stokes is criticised for his poor scoring record in European games - two goals in 23 games - few will recognise the little moments like the delicious pass which gave Commons his goal. He was cursing his pal later in the first half when a glorious chance came out of nothing, and passed in a flash. Dinamo's goalkeeper had a rush of blood to the head and lost control of the ball at his feet when he tried to be too clever in front of Stokes and Commons. It was a gift but Commons's touch was heavy and the ball went across Stokes with an open goal beckoning. Other than a low shot from Aleksandar Tonev, who looked sharper than he has before, it was Celtic's only first-half chance beyond the goal.

Dinamo will wonder how they lost. In Wilson Eduardo they had the most dangerous man on the park. The wee Portuguese, on loan from Sporting Lisbon, was so lively he might have turned Efe Ambrose's hair white. From Dinamo's left side, up against the Celtic right-back, Eduardo moved in to threaten Gordon's goal time and time again. No-one picked him up when he had the space to connect with a header just over the bar. When he won a 50-50 tackle with Stefan Johansen he moved towards goal and cracked a great effort off the crossbar. Soon Ambrose's awkward clearance was dropping to him too, and he lashed a shot which Gordon parried.

This all felt uncomfortable in the stands but it made for an absorbing game, more compelling than might have been expected. Any night when Parkhead's upper tier is closed due to lack of interest is usually bad news, yet this game bubbled along and was tight enough to keep everyone gripped. The atmosphere crackled. They howled in disgust when three Celtic men went to the ball and left Wilson Eduardo unmarked in the penalty area. Inevitably the ball was squirted out to him and Gordon produced his best save of the night before instantly turning to scream angrily at Johansen and Izaguirre.

Dinamo's quick, nimble play opened Celtic up again and almost led to Scott Brown turning a cross into his own net. The Celtic defence gave Marcelo Brozovic far too much room on the edge of the box but his effort was parried away by Gordon too.

The looseness of their passing and the fact their full-backs were being caught out of position was asking for trouble. Celtic's defending was not tight enough. Van Dijk and Jason Denayer, called into the Belgium squad yesterday, made some big interceptions. In truth Dinamo's finishing often let them down. Still, those deposits should be landing in Gordon's account this morning.