Dundee 0
Celtic 2
League (Premier Division)

Match Report

Newspaper extract from The Courier.

Celtic, deprived of the league leadership by Dundee at Dens Park a week past regained it at Dundee's expense last night.

They achieved what they wanted by putting the pressure back on Aberdeen who, despite being a point behind, still have a game in hand over their Parkhead rivals and a superior goal difference. But this was not a good advert for summer football. A bumpy pitch and a lively ball turned the first half into a bit of a farce with mistakes the rule rather than the exception.

It was only in the second half that the game really came to life with Celtic finally breaking the deadlock in 65 minutes through Mike Conroy.

Dom Sullivan added a second just on the final whistle to clinch a hard-earned two points against a Dundee team who fought all the way and had little luck around goal.

Overall, some pretty desperate stuff with linesman Doug Petrie, of Aberdeen, having to retire from the game with a twisted groin and play being held up for four minutes to allow Dundee referee Ray Ballantyne to replace him for most of the second half.

Both teams were unchanged from Saturday and the first incident of note came after six minutes when Dundee's Ian Fleming was booked for a silly foul on Burns.

These early moments promised little for the fans and neither side could claim any sort of advantage.

But on the twenty minute mark we saw the first really cohesive move of the match when Aitken came out of defence, found McGrain, who passed to Burns and the sequence ended with Conroy shooting over the top. The visitors, in fact, were beginning to get on top and Burns wasn't all that far away with a 22-yard shot which whistled past the near post.

But no one could claim that it was a good game. The lively ball on the hard surface was playing tricks with the players of both teams and although Celtic could get the ball down to the Dundee 18-yard line easily enough, that was as far as it went.

Most of the action of this half was reserved for the five minutes before the interval when Celtic scorned three good chances to put themselves in front. Conroy was the first culprit when after a one-two in the box with McCluskey, he shot tamely past from 10 yards.

This was followed seconds later by McCluskey putting the ball over from approximately the same distance and before half time McCluskey was at fault again when, only six yards from goal, he overran the ball for a goal kick with only Donaldson to beat.

Dundee had a chance to go in front within two minutes of the restart when a long throw-in by Schaedler dropped near Millar's feet but the former Motherwell man was off balance and hit his shot past the post.

Seconds later Mackie had an even better chance when a Sinclair flick sent him clean through on Latchford and it required a desperate run out by the keeper to clear the danger. Donaldson had a good save from Sullivan as Celtic fought back as the game came to life.

In 53 minutes, play was held up for Dundee physiotherapist Eric Ferguson to render first aid to the linesman on the far side, who looked as though he had pulled a muscle.

After a brief attempt to carry on, the linesman, hopping painfully, was forced to retire.

The game was up for four minutes to allow Dundee referee Ray Ballantyne to take over on the line.

McGarvey missed a chance for Celtic right away and Conroy failed by inches to make contact with a Sullivan cross.

Fleming, having an outstanding game for Dundee, almost scored before Conroy broke the deadlock by putting Celtic in front after 65 minutes.

He worked a clever one-two with McCluskey on the edge of the box before running on to poke a low shot wide of Donaldson.

If anything, the tempo of the game became even faster. McGarvey was too slow to take advantage of a Burns offering and as the game swung from end to end Dundee forced series of corners and from the last of these Fleming's header from a Shirra cross was just over.

It was real desperation stuff now from both teams as they scorned defence and launched into attack at every opportunity.

On the 90-minute mark Sullivan finally clinched things for Celtic when he was right on the spot to touch home the rebound after Donaldson had made a brilliant one-handed save from a McCluskey shot.