Celtic 5
Dundee 1
League (Premier Division)

Match Report

Newspaper extract from The Sporting Post.

Dundee have Bobby Glennie back for the suspended John McCormack, with John Brown finding a place at the expense of Walker McCall, who is on the bench. Celtic are unchanged from last week.

Celtic win a free on the left of the penalty box, but MacLeod's shot is charged down by Richardson.

McClair sends Johnston away, but Glennie clears. With five minutes gone McGarvey slices a 25-yard effort wide.

Dundee have their first attack of the game in eight minutes when Rafferty finds Harris with a good corner. The striker's header flies over the top.

The best chance so far falls to Johnston in 10 minutes, after a shot-cum-cross from Burns. Johnston hits it low to Geddes' left but the keeper is equal to it. Johnston finds himself with another chance six minutes later, but a McKinlay challenge forces him to shoot past.

McKinlay finds his way into the ref's book in 24 minutes for his second rough challenge on Provan.

Dundee silence the home crowd in 26 minutes when they take the lead.

Brown fires in a curving cross from the left which CONNOR heads home under the body of fumbling Bonner.

Brown is booked, apparently for dissent

Straight from the restart, Celtic fight back through JOHNSTON. Provan takes a free-kick from the right and the striker scores with a superb header from 15 yards.

On the half hour, Richardson has a shot fumbled by Bonner, but McGrain calmly intercepts.

A marvellous defence-split- ting ball sends Burns away. Rafferty is forced to bring down the midfield man for a penalty. Geddes, however, pulls off a great diving save to keep Dundee in the game.

Celtic are pressing, with Dundee forced to make a number of desperate clearances. The home side win a corner in 39 minutes, but McStay's shot from a Provan cross goes over.

A Rafferty shot is deflected for a corner two minutes later, but the Celtic defence clears.

Rafferty heads wide. Harris just fails to connect with a Brown pass on half-time.

Half-time-Celtic 1, Dundee 1.

Reflections Celtic started strongly, but a battling Dundee side have been looking threatening.

Six minutes into the second half, Celtic win a corner on the right. Provan takes it and Glennie has to header a McAdam effort over. From the resulting corner, the ball falls to McStay, whose first time shot goes narrowly past.

The visitors break from defence in 55 minutes and Harris neatly heads into the path of Richardson, who is fouled from behind by Aitken. The Celtic defender is booked for protesting.

Celtic take the lead after 65 minutes with another superb header, this time from BURNS. After some neat work from McGarvey on the right, the ball falls to McStay who crosses for Burns to score.

Burns almost gets Celtic's third a minute later when he latches on to a McGarvey pass to fire in a low drive which Geddes does well to turn round the post.

Celtic are unlucky in 70 minutes when a McStay thunderbolt is deflected. McClair has a good chance a minute later but shoots wide.

Dundee bring on McCall for Richardson in 73 minutes.

JOHNSTON grabs Celtic's third in 74 minutes. McStay finds McGarvey in the box who in turn lays the ball off to Johnston. Mo has time to pick his spot.

The Celtic fans go wild in 79 minutes when JOHNSTON gets his hat-trick. McClair dummies the ball in the box for the striker to crash home an unstoppable shot.

Celtic add a fifth in 81 minutes. Johnston finds himself in another scoring position in the box but cuts the ball back to MCGARVEY who sidefoots the ball past Geddes.

Dundee replace Brown with Forsyth.

Only a fantastic diving save from Geddes prevents Provan from making it six with a curling shot from a free-kick. McCall squanders a chance on full-time when he heads wide off a Harris centre.

Final-Celtic 5, Dundee 1.

Summing-up - Dundee weren't doing badly until the Celtic goal machine got into full stride midway through the second half