Dundee 1
Celtic 1
League (Premier Division)

Match Report

Dundee have a habit of upsetting Celtic and for a long time in a rip-roaring cup tie type league game played in a constant downpour at Dens Park last night, it looked like they were to keep up the habit through an Ian Angus goal just on half-time.

But a typical battling Celtic comeback second half saw them save the day via an Andy Walker penalty given after Stewart Forsyth had brought down Owen Archdeacon.

Dundee started working from the very first whistle and never stopped. This season I have praised their skill on occasions, wondered at their poor form on others, but here the praise is total for hard work and a considerable quota of skill, especially from John Brown in midfield, whose surging runs kept threatening to break up the Celtic defence, as did those of Keith Wright.

Not that there were any failures and, once again, Bobby Glennie, head stitched and all, was a typical Captain Courageous.

Celtic had £1.6 million worth of talent on show in the shape of Andy Walker, Mick McCarthy and Frank McAvennie alone, but, for me, their out standing player was, yet again, the inspirational Paul McStay.

The players are there at Parkhead, the Celtic fire burns as fiercely as ever, but it will take a wee while yet before everything comes together the way When it does, though, they could take some stopping!

Dundee moved into gear from the kick off. In the first 90 seconds Angus had a shot deflected for a corner off Morris, Wright hit the keeper with a power drive and Coyne was hammered to the ground by McCarthy on the edge of the box.

Celtic got out from under a couple of times via McStay, but didn't trouble Geddes. In fairness, McKnight wasn't having to perform heroics either.

Brown beat the Celtic defence to a Forsyth cross in 10 minutes and his head flick left Coyne in the clear to the left of goal. He should have done better than send his shot looping over the bar.

McAvennie sent Walker through the middle of Dun- dee's defence and only a rush from goal and a booted clearance by Geddes saved the day.

It was Wright on the right with his right foot in 26 minutes who gave Celts their next problem. His low cross, two yards out, was just too far ahead of three inrushing Dundee players.

The pace was hectic despite surface water on some parts of the pitch. Keith Wright went in hard on McKnight-for the second time and got a severe talking to from the ref.

As half-time approached, Celtic worked their way back into the game. Walker must have been a millimetre off connecting when Glennie got to the ball. Stung into action, Dundee went straight back up the field and scored.

A throw-in on the right following a lung-bursting Wright run saw Coyne work the ball into the middle of the penalty area. Angus emerged from a ruck of players to left-foot the ball wide of McKnight.

First man on the park second half was the ref. Twice he overturned Celtic throwins because the players were trying to steal a yard or two and awarded them to Dundee.

McCarthy had to head desperately over the bar when a right-wing run by Forsyth ended with a great cross into the goalmouth, then it was action of a different kind at the other end when Bobby Geddes raced out to punch clear and was flattened by Stark, who promptly had his name taken.

When Brown ran 40 yards up the middle, he parted to Coyne. The striker had a clear run in on goal, but elected to pass... straight to Roy Aitken!

In the 64th minute, Chisholm and Walker tussled after a tackle and were both booked.

Wright again went in hard on McKnight, but this time wasn't even spoken too. Then Coyne stood close in on the keeper and it was obvious the Irishman was rattled as he hoisted his kick out of the park.

Halfway through the half, Celtic took off Grant and Stark and put on Shepherd and Archdeacon. Celtic were really building up the pressure now and, as charge after charge was made on the Dundee goal, things suddenly went wrong for the Dark Blues.

As Archdeacon headed into the penalty box, Forsyth made a despairing tackle. Down went the Celt, "penalty" said the ref-and Walker hammered the ball past Geddes.

Then, after a Wright cross had just been cleared from Coyne's head for a corner, the ball swung over McKnight crashed to the round. Coyne was talked to at length by the ref.

A marvellous Geddes save on the ground from Walker and another from a Walker header kept Dundee in the game when it looked like they might crack under the Celtic pressure.

Mennie went on for Lawrence with 10 minutes to go.

It was mostly Celtic as the end neared, but when Angus swung in a cross, Wright was left lying after a clash with McKnight. Was it a penalty, a question of retaliation for all that had gone before?

"No," said the referee, but you'll never convince Tommy Coyne, loud in his appeals for a spot kick, that justice had been done.

Match report written by The Courier