Celtic 2
Dundee 2
League (Premier Division)

Match Report

Celtic are still looking for their 100th goal of the season after dropping a surprise point at Parkhead yesterday.

The point may not be vital in the end, even though it angered manager Billy McNeill last night. And the 100th goal will surely come this weekend.

So the most significant happening at Celtic Park yesterday may well turn out to be the point which Dundee gained after being two goals down to the champions.

It leaves them clear of the dogfight at the bottom and was certainly a bonus for manager Donald Mackay. It could be the point which gives them survival in the Premier League and the financial lifeline they need.

For long spells in the game, particularly in the first half, there seemed no way that the men from Dens Park could get a point. Indeed, Celtic looked certainties to do the "ton."

Even Dundee boss Mackay admitted: "We could have taken the bus home at half-time we were so far behind them."

But Celtic decided that they wanted to stroke the ball around, play pretty football and score only spectacular goals much to the annoyance of McNeill.

Yet, when Tommy Burns scored a spectacular opener after just 25 minutes, you would never have bet on the result going any other way than in.

It was an even better goal than the one scored by Charlie Nicholas at Ibrox, coming as the culmination of a marvellous, flowing movement. At the end of it there was a Burns-McStay one-two, a Burns-Nicholas one-two and finally a superb Burns shot which raged past Colin Kelly.

It should have been the signal for more goals. Instead, Kelly made a clutch of saves, Celtic missed chances and their second goal didn't come until 11 minutes after half-time.

It arrived via Nicholas, but there was no glamour about his mishit shot which went under the diving Kelly's body.

Dundee were two down and, as far as the Celtic fans were concerned, out. But Mackay's men had other ideas and fought back-just as they did against the Celts at Dens Park.

While Celtic looked for their 100th goal and tried to fashion it carefully, Dundee hit them twice on the break.

In 62 minutes, Eric Sinclair fastened on to a loose clearance and prodded the ball under Pat Bonner.

Then, after Bobby Glennie had been stretchered with a shin gash requiring stitches, Dundee equalised.

A bad pass from Murdo MacLeod was cut out and Jimmy Murphy carried the ball deep into the Celtic half.

He passed to Peter Mackie and when the ex-Celt crossed to the far post, Sinclair was there again to ram a header past the despairing Bonner.

That's how it finished and, at a most unlikely time, Celtic have stumbled on their march to another title.

Match report written by The Daily Record