The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Dogged Dundee push the league leaders all way
Adogged Dundee performance p ushed Premiership leaders Celtic all the way at Dens Park yesterday.
James Forrest’s double saw the three points head to Parkhead as the postsplit fixtures got under way.
The Dark Blues, though, fought back in an improved second-half performance with Antonio Portales’ deflected effort on 74 minutes making it a nervy ending for the visitors.
However, there would be no late equaliser to dent the Hoops’ title hopes with the 2-1 defeat seeing the Dark Blues remain in sixth spot in the top-flight table.
Dundee’s first match of the season without Joe Shaughnessy in the starting XI saw two changes, both enforced.
Shaughnessy is out for an extended period with an ACL injury while Lyall Cameron had picked up a slight hamstring injury in midweek and there was no risk taken with him.
That saw Portales take a place in the backline while
Josh Mulligan came into midfield.
A third absence was manager Tony Docherty with suspension meaning he had to take a seat in the stand rather than in the dugout.
Celtic started strongly and Dundee had to weather an early storm with Jon McCracken at his best to keep out the visitors.
He was called on four times in the opening stages as the home side held on.
Reo Hatate then put a presentable opportunity wide before Dundee started to make some in-roads at the other end.
Their best chance of the half saw Owen Dodgson swing in an enticing ball to the back post but Amadou Bakayoko could not get the power required to beat Joe
Hart.
On-loan Burnley man Dodgson put in another strong performance at left-back.
But what set him apart from his team-mates was the quality of delivery from corners, particularly from the right-hand side.
A real asset that was missed when he went off in the closing stages.
Shortly afterwards, though, it was 1-0. The ball flicked up off Kyogo Furuhashi and into the stride of Forrest 20 yards out and the winger fired an unstoppable volley beyond McCracken and into the far corner.
Dundee managed some long-range efforts from Luke McCowan and Bakayoko but went in at the break with work to do to get back into the game.
The Dark Blues set about doing just that early in the second half and had Celtic under real pressure from set-pieces.
Dodgson’s corner deliveries were proving a real menace for the Hoops, bringing encouragement from the home crowd.
The best of these saw Jordan McGhee head straight at Hart shortly before the visitors went two up. Dundee were showing confidence but that proved their downfall on 67 minutes as they were caught over-playing on the edge of their own area.
Portales gave it away, Forrest got the break of the ball and then finished with ease.
A Hatate effort struck the post before the Dee hit back from a Dodgson corner on 74 minutes.
Portales hit the ball goalwards and the shot beat Hart via a deflection off Adam Idah.
Immediately, Dundee switched to 3-5-2 with Aaron Donnelly introduced and it was nervy times for the league leaders.
Nails were being bitten in the away end every time the Dark Blues lined up a set-piece or Donnelly launched a long-throw into the area.
A stoppage-time header from sub Michael Mellon drifted wide as chances of a late equaliser faded.
The full-time whistle was met by a huge cheer from the away fans, through relief as much as anything, after being pushed all the way by Dundee.