CELTIC CAN GO top of the cinch Premiership with a win over Rangers on Wednesday night after Liel Abada’s last-gasp strike gave them a 1-0 win against Dundee United at Parkhead.
Elsewhere, Ireland U21 international Ross Tierney earned his first start for Motherwell, who were beaten 2-0 by Hearts.
Tierney made a substitute appearance for his new club last weekend, earning a penalty for Motherwell on his debut having recently joined from Bohemians. He played the full game today as Andy Halliday and Ellis Simms scored for Hearts to put them 10 points clear of their rivals on the table.
The champions Rangers had slipped up with a 3-3 draw against Ross County at Dingwall earlier in the day to go five points clear but Ange Postecoglous’s side spent most of the afternoon being frustrated by the disciplined visitors.
With seconds remaining of the 90 minutes and the Hoops down to 10 men after stand-in skipper Nir Bitton was sent off in the 81st minute by referee Euan Anderson for picking up his second yellow card, winger Abada fired in a dramatic winner.
The triumph took Celtic to within two points of Rangers ahead of the Old Firm game and a fixture which is traditionally tense and hard-fought has an extra layer of intrigue added.
For such a key match, Postecoglou had to choose from a depleted squad with captain Callum McGregor, Yosuke Ideguchi, Kyogo Furuhashi, David Turnbull and Albian Ajeti all out injured while Tom Rogic and Daizen Maeda were away on international duty.
Anthony Ralston, Liam Scales and Abada returned to the starting line-up while United boss Tam Courts rang the changes with Adrian Sporle, Nicky Clark, 19-year-old Archie Meekison, Ilmari Niskanen and 18-year-old Lewis Neilson all handed a start.
Before kick-off Postecoglou and McGregor laid a wreath on the pitch in tribute to former Celtic title-winning manager Wim Jansen, who recently died, before a minute’s applause.
United caused some early concerns and in the seventh minute Sporle came close with a drive from inside the box which Hoops keeper Joe Hart was pleased to see whizz past his far post.
Moments later, United’s Calum Butcher foiled Giorgos Giakoumakis as the 27-year-old Greece striker, who scored in each of the last two games, was too slow to get his shot away.
Soon, the well-organised defence were deep in their own half and in the 27th minute Abada weaved his way into the United box but his angled-drive from close range was knocked away by Ben Siegrist.
The keeper was then injured preventing Giakoumakis getting a clean shot on goal from Abada’s low cross to the near post but resumed after treatment.
Siegrist then parried a decent long-distance drive from Matt O’Riley, making his home debut following his move from MK Dons, before the midfielder missed a great chance, failing to hit the target from a James Forrest cross.
The Scotland winger and Scales stayed inside at the break, replaced by on-loan Portuguese winger Jota and left-back Josip Juranovic, and within moments Siegrist parried away O’Riley’s header from a Jota cross.
United replaced injured defender Scott McMann with Ross Graham and the visitors stuck to their defensive tasks under increasing pressure during which Siegrist somehow managed to keep out Giakoumakis’ strike from six yards with his foot.
In the 67th minute Postecoglou went for another double substitute with Ralston and Reo Hatate making way for defender Greg Taylor and 16-year-old debutant attacker Ben Doak.
Parkhead jangled with tension and nerves as Celtic kept up the tempo but with nine minutes remaining Bitton, booked earlier for a challenge on Tony Watt, was sent packing for a foul on United substitute Declan Glass just outside the Celtic box.
There was still a twist to come and at the death, Abada pulled Jota’s cross out of the air and fired the ball high into the net.
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Thank god for that. Not great today but again, playing with a 3rd choice striker and a makeshift midfield it’s gona be difficult playing against a team with 10 men behind the ball. Ange made a mistake playing the back up full backs to rest the starters ahead of Wednesday. We can’t be doing that when the league is so close. Best players need to start always.
Dundee Utd got exactly what they deserved today. Time wasting literally from the 46th minute. Sweet, sweet Karma.
@Ciarán Rice: win on Wednesday night and watch that lot in castlegreyskul fall apart. Momentum surely with Celtic going into Wednesday night?
@mel roberts: that it is my friend . Time to put them animals down back to where they belong !!
@Niall James Fergal McCormack: yes the absolute filth . We have gotten very lucky with them dropping 4 points a win would be great..
@mel roberts: momentum is with us but Celtic are effectively putting out a reserve side at the minute. Rangers will have pretty much a full strength side to pick from. It’s gona be tough.
@Ciarán Rice: Does bitton miss out now as well? Thought he was immense against hearts despite the handball.
@mel roberts: he will miss the game. He was one of our best players today. Took two yellow cards for the team. Although the second was very soft and Celtic should have had a blatant free kick before it.
That means playing McCarthy, who has been nothing short of awful any time he had played, which isn’t much.
@Ciarán Rice: watched the Ross watch today the Gers are very poor time to nail them with a big score. Would be very confident going into Wed’s game
@Aidan Maher: with a full team, I have no doubt we’d win and probably win comfortably. The amount of players out who are key to the system means we are struggling our way through games. Having to put square pegs in round holes and asking them to employ a playing style they aren’t suited to. It’s not good.
On the bright side, Rangers are even more defensive under GVB than they were under Gerrard. So I’m confident they won’t have us under pressure for much of the game.
Have to improve for Wednesday s game .It would be wrong tactic to invite them on to us , also they are weak at the back as seen today from the last minute corner . This will be a good indication on how far we have come , injuries are the bad luck we have , but it’s a chance to come up to the plate for others .