Reuters
Tuesday, October 16, 2001; 5:58 PM

_____Champions League_____ Draws/Tables/Fixtures: • First Phase _____Results_____ Matchday 4 • Group A Anderlecht 0, Real Madrid 2 Lokomotiv Moscow 0, Roma 1 • Group B Borussia Dortmund 2, Boavista 1 Dynamo Kiev 1, Liverpool 2 • Group C Arsenal 2, Panathinaikos 1 Real Mallorca 0, Schalke 4 • Group D Galatasaray 0, Nantes 0 Lazio 2, PSV Eindhoven 1

KIEV, Oct 16 – Liverpool, playing without the guidance of manager Gerard Houllier, beat Dynamo Kiev 2-1 on Tuesday, all but ending the Ukrainian side's slim chances of progress from Champions League group B.

Kiev stay rooted at the bottom of the first-phase group while Liverpool go top—a boost for Liverpool manager Houllier recovering in hospital after heart surgery.

"We hope our victory today will give him strength and put him in a good frame of mind," said Houllier's assistant Phil Thompson, who is handling first-team duties. "We hope that in the next Champions League match, Gerard Houllier will be with us."

Danny Murphy opened the scoring for the visitors in the 43rd minute, converting a neat pass from Steven Gerrard.

Tiberiu Ghioane equalised in the 59th minute, but Gerrard sealed victory eight minutes later after beating two defenders and firing home from the edge of the area.

But the visitors did not have it all their own way. The early stages of the match saw attacking play by Dynamo, putting Liverpool keeper Jerzy Dudek to the test several times.

However, the Kiev side failed to capitalise on their chances.

"For 20 minutes, we came under heavy pressure. But afterwards, we managed to get the game under our control," Thompson said.

The victory puts Liverpool top of group B on eight points from four games after Portugal's Boavista, previously group leaders, lost 2-1 to Borussia Dortmund in Germany. Dynamo have just one point from four games.

Liverpool also become the first English team to beat Dynamo at home in any competition.

Dynamo coach Valery Lobanovsky congratulated Liverpool, saying their victory showed they were truly of European class.

"Today we have lost all chance in the current campaign for the Champions League, but this is not the end," he said.

"We are building up a new team and we need time to do this."

Thompson had said on Monday his team would stick to a game plan devised by the ailing Houllier. The Frenchman is recovering in hospital from an 11-hour emergency heart operation at the weekend.

Despite the absence of injured England striker Michael Owen, Liverpool's strategy paid off.