Dundee were very unlucky to go out to Premier Leaugue outfit Celtic, only their goalkeeper kept them in it with three stunning saves. Everyone in a Dark Blue jersey played well, and the fans were right behind our team. So to the game:The Dark Blues changed things about up front, using Jan Zemlik there on his own backed up by a five-man midfield. Paul McHale got his first start of the season, while both Bob Davidson and Derek Lyle dropped to the bench. Celtic made three changes to the team that lost to Hibs on Sunday, with John Kennedy, Evander Sno and Derek Riordan replacing Jean-Joel Perrier-Doumbe, Paul Hartley and Aiden McGeady. The Dens men were hoping Celtic would suffer another setback following their defeats to Hibs and Shakhtar Donetsk. The early exchanges were lively enough, with the first serious effort on goal coming in the eighth minute. Riordan got his boot to a Scott Brown cross, but Craig Samson dived down to his right and saved. The roof nearly came off Dens on 20 minutes when Dundee hit the woodwork twice in quick succession. Zemlik was fouled by John Kennedy a couple of yards outside the box and up stepped Swankie to take the set-piece and test Boruc, with the blunders against Hibs still fresh in his mind. The Dens man’s execution was excellent and beat Boruc all ends up, but the ball struck the post and bounced down into the six-yard area, where Kennedy kicked it away for a corner. With the home fans still on their feet, Freddie Daquin ran over to the flag to take the kick and his cross was head-flicked on to the bar by Zemlik. There was a setback for the Dark Blues minutes later when David Worrel hobbled off injured to be replaced by Danny Griffin. Whether or not the change un- settled the hosts, they fell behind on 27 minutes. Riordan switched over to the right flank to take a free-kick and picked out Scott McDonald. The Australian might have been the smallest man on the park, but he was able to nod home from eight yards to make it 1-0 to Celtic. Zemlik picked up a caution for elbowing Lee Naylor. Dundee almost levelled as the game passed the half-hour mark, as a Kevin McDonald delivery found Gary McKenzie lurking just outside the six-yard box. His header was powerful but Boruc did brilliantly to claw the ball away. Vennegoor of Hesselink conceded another foul just outside his area and earned a booking for stopping Scott Robertson’s mazy run in its tracks. The challenge gave Swankie an opportunity to test Boruc again, and he obliged by striking another sweet shot that the Polish goalie had to tip away. Swankie tried to make it third time lucky with another free-kick a minute before the break, but this time hit the wall. However he stayed involved and when he sent a cross over from the left Zemlik jumped too early and sent his header harmlessly over. The second period caught fire on 51 minutes when Celtic were awarded a soft penalty. Dundee defender Griffin was caught on the wrong side of Riordan and as the former Hibs man edged in front of him the pair crashed to the ground. Referee Iain Brines took a second to think then pointed to the spot, but keeper Samson dived to his left and not only stopped Riordan’s kick but held on to the ball, too. The battle between Swankie and Boruc reached new heights on 58 minutes after Zemlik was fouled yet again at the edge of the box. The Dundee wide man blasted the free-kick through the wall and, while Boruc seemed to be taken by surprise, he still reacted instinctively and pushed the ball over the bar. Despite the home side’s exertions and Swankie’s efforts, it was Celtic who found the net for a second time on 60 minutes. A Gary Caldwell reverse pass picked out Scott McDonald and the striker’s cut-back was stroked in by Vennegoor of Hesselink. But Dundee were not out of it and pulled one back on 71 minutes. A Paul Dixon throw-in made its way into the box and, with Boruc not commanding his area, the ball found its way to Kevin McDonald’s feet, the midfielder cool and composed as he netted from 10 yards. That ensured Celtic had not had a shut-out on the road since last October at Falkirk. The Dens men kept pressing and made an attack-minded substitution with eight minutes left when McHale was replaced by Davidson. Sno could have eased Celtic’s nerves twice late on but fired over then had a close-in shot blocked by Samson’s body. Zemlik was sent off in the dying seconds, picking up a yellow card for sarcastically applauding Brines after being penalised for fouling Caldwell, and Celtic saw the game out.
