Celtic 3
Dundee 0
League (Premier Division)

Match Report

With a quarter of the season gone, Celtic are beating out the drums that they can retain the league championship they won so dramatically last term. They have played everyone in the Premier League, are unbeaten and have dropped only three points.

Unlike last time, when they surged from behind with a late run, Billy McNeill's men are the side everyone has to try to catch. And that will take some doing!

This was far from a champagne showing, but once Celtic scored there was never any danger of an upset.

They had an enormous share of play, but careless finishing and excellent goalkeeping by Ally Donaldson keptbthe score line respectable. Mind you, it took a piece of good fortune and bad refereeing to turn the game Celtic's way.

At 0-0 McGrain blatantly shoved Fletcher off the end of Murphy's cross for a dead-cert penalty. However, Mr Delaney would concede only a corner and MacLaren was booked for protesting. A costly one for the Dundee midfielder, as it eventually led to an early bath.

Celtic celebrated this let-off by winning a penalty themselves. In a clash of the skippers, Glennie brought down McGrain with no imminent danger. Murdo MacLeod thundered the spot kick high into the net.

The second half was only eight minutes old when any remaining chance Dundee had disappeared.

MacLaren committed a bad foul on Sneddon and didn't even wait for the ref's red card. As they say in cricketing circles, he walked. After that it was just a question of how many. Unfortunately for the big home following, Celtic's finishing didn't match their leading-up.

So it was left to central defender Tom McAdam to show he still remembers the route to goal from his days as a striker.

First he headed in a Provan left-wing free, then followed up with another powerful header from a Provan right-wing corner. In between Donaldson had a string of fine saves as the second half turned into one long Celtic attack.

Celtic lost Johnny Doyle in the sixth minute when he pulled up sharply with a torn muscle. He was playing through the middle instead of down the wing, but didn't have long enough to indicate if the move would be a success. MacLaren apart, three other players were yellow carded-Provan for retaliation after a MacLaren foul, Fletcher for a foul on McGrain and McGeachie for a wild tackle on Burns.

Sneddon. MacDonald, McAdam and Burns were Celtic's most accomplished.

Dundee played well in flashes and were unlucky not to score at least once. However, the ball didn't run kindly for them in front of Latchford. In the last minute McAdam cleared off the line from Sinclair Donaldson, McGeachle and Redford were Tommy Gemmell's best. Dundee face a long uphill fight, but showed, if they get a break at all, they could still remain in the Premier League.

Match report written by The Sporting Post