Dundee 1 Celtic 2
10th December 2000
match report
Hail Hail Gang
What a night! I
manage to get a ticket for last night's game and head off to cold Dundee
knowing that I had demons to exorcise. My first ever Celtic away game was
at Dens Park and we got gubbed 4-1. The scars were still felt on the bus
trip into the darkness. All scars were well and truly healed by the time
the return journey came.
As one supporter
commented amidst the triumphal chaos that swept us from the ground,
"it's on nights like this that leagues are won". With the forces
of darkness taking all 3 points earlier at Castle Greyskull to Motherwell,
there was some pressure on the bhoys to perform in an expected hard tussle
against flowing football Dundee. And they didn't disappoint. The Bonnetti
brothers ensured that Celtic were given a game that they had rarely had in
the past encounters at this ground. Quick movement, great passing,
defence-cutting chips - all were on show as Cannigia & Co. came at the
hooped hordes. We survived early scares and then managed to put some nice
moves together ourselves. New signing Neil Lennon put in a great first
half performance. Brilliantly timed tackles, slick passing and some
wonderful linking with the front line all pointed to a rosy future. His
marathon on/off signing, trips to Glasgow and sudden arrival into his
first game meant that he was knackered by the half time whistle.
In only 4 mins,
Lubomir Moravcik contrived to knock the ball back into the box for Stilian
Petrov to easily run onto and knock high into the net. What a start!
Dundee never let the heads go down and Senior Cannigia caused us all sorts
of problems. Keeper Rab Douglas has still to repeat the form he showed as
a Dundee keeper and showed some nervy signs throughout the match, while
still pulling off a few excellent stops. It was a relieved feeling hearing
the half time whistle.
An injury to
Moravcik led to Tommy Johnson coming on to partner the lonely Larsson up
front. Our wingers Petta and Agathe had a torrid time of it and were being
stretched all over the place as Dundee quickly and easily exploited the
space left behind the wingbacks on their attacks. Dundee eventually got
their equaliser but for all their skill and attacks, it came from an own
goal. Tommy Boyd with an impressive diving header, trying to cut out a
wicked Cannigia cross.
Heartened, Dundee
pushed on and it wasn't until McNamara was sent on for the ineffectual
Petta, that Celtic's midfield got back into the game and sent the bhoys
forward. The last 10 minutes were eternal. Push after push, corner after
corner, the weight of expectation and frustration was crippling. Every
single supporter was willing the ball over the line, by any means
necessary. The young Dundee keeper, another fine import to Tayside, was
outstanding and saved from close range from a stinging Thompson shot and a
Larsson curl. With the rickety mainstand creaking under the incessant
pressure of the away support, the whole edifice almost gave way as the
ball was squeezed over the line in injury time. A crowded box rebounded
the ball every which way from a Petrov corner until finally Agathe nodded
the ball six inches over the line. Instant delirium ensued as the emerald
followers erupted. The 90minute Celtic team of old had been resurrected.
The dedicated, optimistic league chasers were in evidence again as they
cruelly put a talented Dundee side to the sword.
With
another crucial win, another 3 points collected, the ravenous hooped
centurions trooped off under the roaring praise of their fans. Clenched
fists from Lennon and a tireless Larsson blatantly singing along to
"we shall not be moved" was the farewell sight that was burned
in our minds as we headed back out into the Dundee night.............
Yours in Celtic,
Ricky Swan
carlukeshamrock.com
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