2018-04-04: Celtic 0-0 Dundee, SP

Trivia

• Midweek game. Celtic clearly on top in the league; league title is alreadyeffectively over.
• Another draw, 10pts ahead of Aberdeen. Can Hibsleapfrog ahead of Sevco?
• Ex Rangers player Ray Wilkins passed away, after fighting for his life after a heart attack. Always seemed a decent bloke, with some good words on Celtic. Cracking picture of him in the San Siro museum, meeting the pope when he played in Milan (Wilkins, that is).
• Brendan Rodgers last night saluted Craig Gordon’s 100th clean sheet for Celtic which soothed his frustration at his team’s failure to break down Dundee in a goalless stalemate.
• The SPFL have announced clubs will share a record pot for prize money at the end of the 2017/18 season. £3m for title winners, £2m for runners up etc.

Review

(el paraiso of KDS)
Not great tonight, but nowhere near as bad as some are saying. Going forward we created plenty of openings, just repeatedly made bad choices when shooting or passing in the final third. I did not think any of the forward going players was dire, but none were in 9/10 or 10/10 form to make the difference (like Armstrong was at the weekend).

My biggest concern was in defence where Boyata and Hendry (in particular) conspired to gift them too many chances. I can see what Rodgers likes about Hendry as regards composure on the ball and pace, but some of his actual defending tonight was woeful. We missed Ajer and I look forward to his return at the weekend. The sooner Tierney returns the better too. Not that McGregor had a bad game, but if KT was there I think we would have seen Lustig subbed, which would have given us some more attacking options.

(weebaldy of KDS)
Last nights game was like so many of our games this season – turgid. Many fellow supporters on here have been given stick for saying similar however, surely even our most diehard fans must see that we are not firing on all cylinders. Like everyone else I am grateful that we are aiming for the double treble but I would also like my team to play good football along the way. Surely Brendan could see that we were struggling to break down the Dundee defence last night and change it at half time. The game was crying out for someone to create something different such as a Roberts or Musonda (why did we actually take him on loan?) or Griffiths, as Dembele didn't seem up for it. I am at a loss why Gamboa isn't given the chance at RB as Lustig is obviously struggling. Surely he isn't being judged on that one game against Barcelona as he wasn't the only one that had a nightmare that night

Teams

Articles

• Match Report (see end of page below)

Pictures

• Match Pictures

Forum

• Pre-match http://kerrydalestreet.co.uk/topic/11067487/
• Match http://kerrydalestreet.co.uk/topic/11068177/
• Post Match http://kerrydalestreet.co.uk/topic/11068185/

MOTM

• Voting Thread http://kerrydalestreet.co.uk/topic/11068189/
• Result Thread
• Winner –

Stats

Home Team
Celtic
Away Team
Dundee

Possession
Home66%
Away34%

Shots
Home26
Away1

Shots on Target
Home7
Away1

Corners
Home11
Away2

Fouls
Home7
Away20

Articles

Celtic 0 – 0 Dundee: Steven Caulker proves his worth
Stephen Halliday

It was also an outcome which further complicates the timing of Celtic’s coronation as Premiership winners, something the post-split SPFL fixture planners will doubtless be cursing under their breath.

It was a far from vintage night from Brendan Rodgers’ side who managed 25 attempts at goal but lacked a cutting edge.

With the finishing line in their pursuit of a seventh successive title coming into sharper focus, Celtic certainly began the match with the purpose of a side determined to breast the tape as quickly as possible.
Aberdeen’s win at Motherwell on Tuesday night ensured the champions would have to wait until the post-split fixtures to get there but it is simply a case of delaying the inevitable.
Celtic’s efforts to impose themselves on Dundee from the get-go saw visiting keeper Elliot Parish called into action as early as the third minute when he did well to keep out a shot from James Forrest after the winger had sliced his way into the area via a slick exchange of passes with Moussa Dembele.
The early tempo of Celtic’s play was dictated by captain Scott Brown who was next to threaten with a shot from 20 yards which Parish was relieved to see fly just over his crossbar with the aid of a slight deflection.

It had all the makings of a torrid night for Dundee at this stage but McCann’s men composed themselves and gradually played their way into the contest.
Craig Gordon, making his 200th appearance for Celtic as he returned from a two-month injury lay-off, showed his reflexes had not been dulled in his absence when he made a fine save in the 11th minute to touch over Simon Murray’s rising shot from just outside the area.
It sparked a more encouraging period for the visiting support who had among their number Fabian Caballero, two-goal hero of their last win at Celtic Park back in May 2001 who is back in the country for a dinner in his honour this weekend.
But Dundee’s prospects of ending that 17-year wait for another win in the east end of Glasgow almost suffered a self-inflicted wound in the 26th minute. An unforced error from Kevin Holt was pounced upon by Forrest who surged into the area to be denied by another sharp save from Parish. From the resulting corner, taken by Stuart Armstrong, Celtic came close again. Dedryck Boyata should have done better when he met it with a firm header but he sent it wide with Scott Sinclair unable to redirect it goalwards from close range.

But it was Dundee who came closest to making a breakthrough before the interval. In first-half stoppage time, Genseric Kusunga’s pass sent Roarie Deacon racing through the middle. The outstretched leg of Boyata prevented Deacon getting a shot away but the ball ricocheted towards goal. With Gordon beaten, the ball struck his post and rolled across the line before being cleared by Jack Hendry.
Celtic’s response to that moment of alarm was to increase the intensity of their work on the front foot as they reasserted control of possession and territory after the break. Dundee were resolute but increasingly under strain as openings started to come for the hosts with greater regularity. Armstrong might have done better than sidefoot a shot wide from Callum McGregor’s cutback, but he was unfortunate not to find the net with his next effort, a skidding, low strike from 22 yards which had Parish scrambling to his right to make another fine save. Tom Rogic then set up a highly presentable chance for Sinclair but the winger’s tame effort lacked the kind of conviction which came as second nature to him last season, this time presenting Parish with a simple stop.
Celtic’s increasing frustration at their failure to find a way through saw Rodgers making the rare choice of a triple substitution shortly after the hour mark. Dembele, Sinclair and Rogic all made way as Leigh Griffiths, Odsonne Edouard and Olivier Ntcham made their entrances.
Dundee were forced to defend much deeper as the minutes ticked by and were relieved to see Edouard scuff a shot narrowly wide from close range as the pressure increased. The home fans were unimpressed by the visitors’ efforts to slow the game down and waste precious seconds whenever possible but the approach was wholly understandable in the circumstances.
There was almost a cruel twist in the tale for Dundee when their former player Hendry rose highest to get on the end of a Griffiths free-kick but his header drifted agonisingly wide.

Perhaps the only Celtic player who could take any satisfaction from the evening was the returning Gordon who notched up his 100th clean sheet for the club.

BBC
By Chick Young
BBC Scotland at Celtic Park

Struggling Dundee held Scottish champions Celtic to a goalless Premiership draw in Glasgow.
Dedryck Boyata almost scored a 45th-minute own goal when he tackled Roarie Deacon, the ball striking the post.
Dundee's Simon Murray and home winger James Forrest also came close.

Odsonne Edouard and ex-Dees man Jack Hendry threatened after the break, but Celtic could not find a goal, the point extending their lead at the top-flight summit to 10 points.

The draw boosts Dundee's hopes of beating the drop, moving them level on points with ninth-placed Hamilton Academical, and five clear of Ross County in the relegation play-off spot.
It was a dogged, organised performance from Neil McCann's visitors but they merited their share of the spoils.
Steven Caulker, the subject of unsuccessful club-record bids from Rosenborg which McCann expects to be topped in the summer, was part of a defence taking heavy fire from the off.
The Dark Blues toiled to get anywhere near Craig Gordon, making his first appearance in the Celtic goal since suffering a knee injury in January, barring Murray's explosive effort the Scotland stopper touched over the bar.
The champions were monopolising possession, and goals surely had to come. Or so you would have thought.
Forrest might have netted after confusion in the Dundee defence, his effort blocked by goalkeeper Elliot Parish. Scott Sinclair couldn't adjust his footing to angle a cross goalwards with his head. Then Forrest again unleashed a curling shot over the bar.
It took until nearly half-time for Dundee to emerge as an attacking threat, but they could have snatched an unlikely lead as their long balls through the middle caused Boyata and Hendry problems.
Deacon latched on to one such delivery, and only a stunning Boyata tackle denied him finding the net. The big Belgian was left looking on in horror, though, as the ball skidded beyond Gordon, only to strike the post and bounce to safety.
You could sense the frustration growing in home ranks, and the angst was almost palpable in the sparsely-populated home stands too, but it took until the 65th minute for boss Brendan Rodgers to ring the changes.
The treble-chasing champions made a trio of substitutions. Off went ineffective striker Moussa Dembele, as did Tom Rogic and Sinclair. Edouard, Leigh Griffiths and Olivier Ntcham were introduced.
Still, however, Celtic huffed and puffed without being able to blow Dundee over. Edouard's effort was deflected wide, then Hendry nearly headed a late winner against the team he left in January.
That was as close as the home side got. A huge point then for relegation-threatened Dundee. And one they thoroughly deserved.