Celtic 1
Dundee 0
League (Premier Division)

Match Report

Newspaper extract from The Courier .

It puzzles manager Jocky Scott that Dundee can go to Ibrox with confidence and get results yet travel to Parkhead not believing in their ability.

"The majority of our players have been in the game a long time," he said after Celtic's 1-0 home win on Saturday.

"They aren't exactly kids and should be used to the Parkhead scene.

"Unfortunately, it doesn't work out that way, although, this time, we did miss John Brown, one member of the squad who revels in the big occasion and is always liable to get a goal."

Saturday's game was decided with only four minutes on the clock.

Brian McClair was sent away on the right by Willie McStay who cut the ball back to Mo Johnston inside the box.

Bobby Geddes, in Dundee's goal, wisely advanced to cut the angle of the shot but in an instant Johnston changed his approach and chipped the ball over the keeper.

"A great goal by a great striker," was the Scott comment at the end.

That was the start of a traumatic first half for Dundee, sluggish in defence and far too slow in their attacking build-up.

In fairness, Graeme Harvey might have equalised with a diving header from a low Bobby Connor corner or a lob when Bonner left his line to rush at him, but the pressure was very much on Dundee.

We got the McClair-Johnston problem sorted out at the interval," said the Dundee manager.

And it showed! Immediately. it was a smoother looking Dark Blues, the defence tight, attacking build-up much crisper.

Then, in the 70th minute, replacing Albert Kidd, came Iain Ferguson, on loan from Rangers until the end of the season and Celtic felt the pressure.

Within a minute he had given Roy Aitken a few more grey hairs when he nearly intercepted a pass-back to Bonner. A minute later he cut the ball back for Stewart Forsyth to go close with a diving header.

When he teamed up with Harvey and Ross Jack (on for Forsyth) up front, they looked a menacing trio, not least when Jack jetted from the back in a 40-yard sprint which set up a Ferguson shot, just intercepted by Aitken.

In the midst of all this, Alan McInally wasted a chance by blazing over the bar, but an equaliser looked more likely than a second Celtic goal.

"So why didn't we see Ferguson earlier?" I queried at the end.

"The lad hasn't trained with us, doesn't know how we are operating this season and I felt it would be unfair to put him in too early," was manager Scott's reply.

Manager Davie Hay was in good fettle at the end. "Two points, but we'll still have to improve on that display," he said.

The crowd was reported as 35,443, although I confess it looked much bigger.

McInally for Archdeacon was Celtic's substitution; Dundee's, Ferguson for Kidd ("Albert was doing his defensive duties well, but we weren't threatening their goal enough," said the manager at the end) and Jack for Stewart Forsyth. There were n? bookings.

P.S. Further to Dundee's Celtic Park problems the exact opposite applies to Dun- dee United.

They do well at Celtic Park. badly at Ibrox. Mysterious, isn't it? Now if the Ibrox and Parkhead success secrets were to be swapped!