Dundee United 2 Celtic 1
Dundee United boss Jackie McNamara masterminded his first victory over former club Celtic as a 2-1 Tannadice win fired United back into the Scottish Premiership title race.
Celtic were going for nine league wins in a row but goals from Nadir Ciftci and Stuart Armstrong moved United up to second, just four points behind the leaders.
Stefan Scepovic had a goal wrongly disallowed for the visitors late on before fellow substitute Leigh Griffiths pulled one back. The former Hibernian striker also hit the post in injury time but United held on for their first win against the Glasgow club since May 2012 as they became just the third side after Hamilton and Inverness to beat Ronny Deila's team in league action this term.
Afterwards Deila said he was more disappointed at his team’s defending than the officiating: “Today it was two things that were most disappointing. We conceded two easy goals. We can’t give them such easy goals as we did.
“Secondly, it’s the fourth match now that we have created eight to 14 chances but when you score one goal that is way too little. We have to be more effective at putting the ball into the net.
“The disallowed goal is disappointing. But over a whole season it is even-Steven.”
The standard for a frenetic encounter was set after just 30 seconds when Ciftci was booked for clattering into Scott Brown, and the hosts went ahead after four minutes. Sean Dillon was allowed to attack down the right before cutting the ball inside for Armstrong. The United playmaker tried to find Ciftci but saw Nir Bitton divert his pass into the box, while Efe Ambrose swiped at fresh air to put Celtic in trouble.
Ciftci had continued his run and made the most of the Nigerian's blunder as he turned and fired past Craig Gordon.
Celtic upped the tempo further but first they saw Callum Morris make a goal-saving interception after Stefan Johansen knocked a header down for John Guidetti, and were then denied by Rado Cierzniak as the Polish goalkeeper raced from his line to block at Johansen’s feet.
United were dangerous on the break though and Gordon denied them a second goal with a great one-handed stop from Conor Townsend’s drive.
Celtic claimed for a penalty on the half-hour mark after Dillon barged into Guidetti but referee Stevie McLean ruled it a fair challenge. Bitton then hit the crossbar just before the break – and crossbar rattled again eight minutes into the second half. Johansen showed his bravery as he won the ball in midfield before sweeping it out left to Anthony Stokes. The Irishman's cross was poor but Dillon could only watch with horror as his miscue bounced up against the frame of the goal before James Forrest put the rebound into the side-netting.
Deila hoped to gee up his attack as he replaced Stokes and Guidetti with Scepovic and Kris Commons after an hour.
But five minutes later it was United celebrating again. Emilio Izaguirre allowed Ciftci to collect Dillon’s throw down in the right corner and did nothing to prevent the Turk rolling into the box.
There did not appear to be much on but the United striker stood up a magnificent cross to the far post where Armstrong lay unmarked to squeeze home a header.
Commons hit a weak effort straight at Cierzniak while Scepovic saw his close-range strike wrongly ruled out. Izaguirre had chested the ball down for the Serbian from Johansen’s cross-field pass but television replays showed Blair Spittal was playing Scepovic onside as he turned the ball home.
United nearly had a third as Izaguirre had to block Chris Erskine’s header from underneath his own crossbar.
Griffiths, who had replaced Bitton, gave Celtic hope as he poked through Cierzniak’s legs from Scepovic’s pass before smashing a 20-yard strike against the base of the post in stoppage time as United held on.
