Gordon’s clean-sheet century
● Rodgers pays tribute as keeper reaches landmark on 200th appearance for Celtic
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.
Gordon chalked up the landmark moment while making his 200th appearance for the Scottish champions, the 35-year-old goalkeeper back in the side after two months on the sidelines with a knee injury.
“It’s a great statistic for him, considering a few years ago he thought he was maybe done,” said Rodgers as he reflected on Gordon’s previous battle to save his career amid a more serious injury.
“It was great to have him back. He’s back early from this injury and looked like he’d never been away.
“He was very composed and it’s great for him. He has worked very hard in his rehabilitation.
“He is a fit guy, he really looks after his body and has a good eye on the game. There were no nerves, he picked his passes in the right moments. What he had to do, he did very well.”
The draw put Celtic ten points clear of Aberdeen at the top of the Premiership table with six games of the campaign remaining.
“My whole reflection on the game is frustration that we didn’t have that cutting edge,” said Rodgers.
“It was a mix of us not having that final bit of quality in the final third to make the breakthrough and some good defending by Dundee.
“We’ve seen it a lot of times here, teams hang in there if we don’t make that breakthrough.” Dundee manager Neil Mccann was hugely gratified by his team’s resolve in securing a valuable result which keeps them five points ahead of both Ross County and Partick Thistle in the battle to avoid relegation.
“I’m very proud of my players,” said Mccann. “Celtic are the best team in the country by a stretch and I couldn’t be happier. To a man, my players were brilliant.”
Steven Caulker was a standout in defence for Dundee, vindicating their decision to reject a reputed record bid from Norwegian side Rosenborg for him within the past week.
“He is an immense talent,” added Mccann. “He told me he wasn’t interested in going to Norway, he has a job to do here and that’s fantastic news for the club.”
Time will tell just how valuable this hard-earned point Dundee gained at the home of the champions-elect will prove to be but the wisdom of their decision to hold onto the services of Steven Caulker was clear to see.
The former England defender, subject of a bid from Rosenborg last week, was immense at the heart of a gutsy display from Neil Mccann’s side, earning them a result which leaves them five points ahead of relegation rivals Ross County and Partick Thistle.
Itwasalsoanoutcomewhich 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 twomonth 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 Roariedeaconracingthrough 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. CELTIC: Gordon, Lustig, Hendry, Boyata, Mcgregor, Brown, Armstrong, Forrest, Rogic (Ntcham 66), Sinclair (Edouard 66), Dembele (Griffiths 65). Subs not used: Musonda, Roberts, De Vries Ajer. DUNDEE: Parish, Caulker, Kusunga, Meekings, O’hara, Kamara, Mcgowan (Wighton 87), Spence, Holt, Deacon (Moussa 66), Murray (Leitch-smith 77). Subs not used: Ferie, Kerr, Aurtenetxe, Wolters.