Rampant Celtic show no mercy as goals rain down
Celtic delivered a menacing statement of intent to blow poor – in every sense of the word — Dundee away, scoring six goals in a storming opening half.
It doesn’t mean they mark leap day having changed places with Rangers at the top but it certainly helped address the goal difference gap between them and their rivals as the run in picks up intensity.
It was seven-one going on ten – at least. The hosts hit the bar twice. Dundee goalkeeper Trevor carson also pulled off at leasttwofinegoal-savingstops.
The away team had Finlay Robertson sent off with 12 minutes left but they had something to cheer shortly afterwards,substitute michael mellon acrobatically finishing with a shot hit into the ground past Joe Hart.
It made it 1-1 in the second half. small crumbs and all that. More significantly, it meant Celtic did not quite manage to completely wipe out Rangers’ superior goal difference. But that’s a minor frustration.
The champions were pitiless in their dismantling of a side who had limited hope in any case given their wretched record against Celtic. And that was before their bus broke down on London Road. The Celtic team coach was sent to pick up the stranded opposition players as the rain lashed down in the east end of Glasgow.
The night went from bad to worse for the visitors. Talk about a night to dispel the negativity detected at times during Celtic's late win over Motherwell on Sunday.
No one was booing manager Brendan Rodgers’ substitutes on this occasion. With most people aware of the halftime score at Rugby Park, the home players were roared off at half time. A larger number had scored — six — than those who hadn’t.
The first three goals, all scored within the opening 24 minutes, were unopposed headers: cameron carter- vickers, pictured left, Adam Idah and Matt O’riley.
And then things really began to go downhill for the beleaguered visitors. Daizen Maeda turned jo es ha ugh nessy inside out for the fourth and greg taylor hit in number five at the back post from Alistair Johnston’s cross. History appeared in the making on at least two counts.
It genuinely felt as if we might witness Celtic emulating or even bettering their biggestever victory, 11-0, which came against the same team in 1895. Dundee’s biggest defeat? That same afternoon, though at least then technology was not in place to mock them.
A very decent Curtis Main shot after the striker outmuscled Carter-vickers just before half time made it 5-1. Dundee might well have reasoned that this was at least a marker before the interval, something to cling onto. they were not reckoning on VAR. Goal chopped off for offside.
Celtic scored a sixth through Callum Mcgregor following a slick multi-pass move.
With the game won, Rodgers withdrew Mcgregor at half time for Daniel Kelly, 18, for his league debut. Just 18 minutes later he had his first goal, curling in from around 16 yards after Hyunjun Yang’s cutback.
No one was booing manager Brendan Rodgers’ substitutes on this occasion