Celtic 3
Dundee 0
League (Premier Division)

Match Report

Newspaper extract from The Courier.

Dundee failed to profit from their "match in hand" at Parkhead last night and never looked like doing so. They lost an early goal presented Celts with a second, and failed to put the home side under pressure during the 90 minutes.

They can have no complaints about the result or the margin of defeat.

Of course, Dundee missed the driving force of Cammy Fraser (and a few more regulars too). But I know the Dens Parkers can do much better than this- they'll have to in their remaining four games even if they still hold that three point advantage over St Johnstone.

It was a quiet, almost unreal occasion at Parkhead last night with an attendance of only 4956, proof that the Celtic league title challenge is over.

But Dundee's fight at the other end of the table is still very much on, with St Johnstone to be faced in the last fixture of the season at Dens Park.

George McGeachie returned to skipper the Dundee side-but a string of well known names was missing from the visitor's ranks.

A sparse crowd saw Celtic attack early on the right, Melrose heading a Willie McStay cross past the post. Another dangerous cross from Paul McStay forced Geddes to punch the ball for a corner.

Still, Dundee didn't look in deep trouble until the seventh minute-then it all happened to them.

First, Mackie was booked for a foul on McClair, a decision that seemed too harsh. Worse, Celtic scored from the free kick.

MacLeod's shot from 22 yards beat Geddes, then came back off the post to give Melrose an easy tap in.

Celts were in control now, and in 15 minutes another fierce shot by MacLeod missed narrowly. Geddes then risked life and limb to dive and punch away a cross, with McClair coming in high.

The Celt injured himself in the clash. Dundee found it hard to press home a decent attack. A long run by Mackie ended with a weak shot to Bonner. Soon after Kidd lobbed into the keeper's arms from the by-line.

In 26 minutes the visitors gave away a second, and this time a daft goal. McGlashan's pass-back from well out on the right was picked up by McClair and despatched expertly into the corner of the net.

Comfortably ahead, Celts made their first substitution 10 minutes from half-time, 17-year-old Peter Grant replacing MacLeod.

A free kick produced the first real threat from Dundee. Kidd tapped the ball to McGlashan who almost made amends for his earlier slip with a fine 20-yard shot which Bonner saved at the second attempt.

McGlashan, in fact, did get the ball in the net in 42 minutes but the offside decision was correct.

Dundee had Shannon on for Kidd at the restart. McInally moved to midfield.

It took a fine Geddes save in 47 minutes to prevent a third home goal. The keeper just managed to fingertip a Colquhoun lob over the bar. Two minutes later McGeachie kicked a Burns shot from off the line.

Dundee's reply was a strong Ferguson shot which went past the post-but play was scrappy and a Dens fightback just didn't look possible.

Good work by Colquhoun on the right and Melrose almost turned the cross into a goal, the ball bulleting past the post.

Dundee kept plugging away and in 65 minutes they nearly broke through.

Ferguson started the move with a through pass to McCall who turned the ball across the goalmouth. With Bonner stranded McGlashan just failed to turn the ball in.

A couple of minutes later Ferguson was thwarted by a "professional" foul by Aitken as the Dundee striker broke clear. A free kick to the visitors and a warning for Aitken was poor reward to Dundee.

Big Colin Hendry came on for McGlashan in 70 minutes in an effort to maintain this Dundee spurt.

But the goal came at the other end in 78 minutes. McAdam chested down a corner kick from Paul McStay and slammed a great shot past Geddes from 12 yards.

Many of the meagre crowd drifted away before the end of a game that drew more polite applause than roars of acclaim at the action.