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SPL: Dundee United 2 Celtic 4 |
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Tuesday, 01 November 2005 |
 The Tims went to the top of the Bank of Scotland Premier League for the first time this season after a 4-2 win over United at Tannadice.
Chris Sutton's fourth minute own goal from a Barry Robson corner gave the home side an early lead but John Hartson equalised in the 17th minute with a fine strike.
However, in a crazy four-minute spell around the half hour mark, the former Chelsea striker put the the tims ahead, Arabs striker Collin Samuel equalised almost immediately before United defender Alan Archibald then deflected a Bobo Balde header into his own net to restore the visitors' lead.
Unsurprisingly, there was less excitement after the interval but substitute Stephen Pearson, on for Craig Beattie who had come on as a substitute for Hartson, scored the fourth with two minutes to go take the visitors above Hearts with a superior goal difference.
United's opening goal flagged up what was to be one of the most incredible first 45 minutes of the season.
Hoops `keeper Artur Boruc had to scramble to control a loose Balde pass back but only succeeded in allowing United midfielder Peter Canero to slam the loose ball off him for a corner.
When Robson's terrific in-swinger came in from the right, Sutton could only deflect the ball into the net.
The goal stunned the visitors and in the 10th minute there was some desperation about Shaun Maloney's attempt to win a penalty in a challenge with Garry Kenneth in the penalty area.
However, in the 17th minute the visitors were back level. Full-back Paul Telfer knocked the ball to Sutton at the edge of the United box but his clever dummy allowed the ball to go through to Hartson whose turn and shot from 16 yards beat Arabs goalkeeper Derek Stillie.
In the 28th minute Sutton made amends for his earlier mistake when he put the visitors into the lead with a goal that sparked a barely credible four minutes of play.
Maloney cut in from the left and unleashed a shot from 25 yards which was cleverly and delicately deflected by the Celtic striker past the helpless Stillie.
But United were soon back level at 2-2.
There seemed little danger when Canero played the ball to Collin Samuel just inside the Celtic penalty area but the Trinidadian quickly turned the rather static Hoops defender Stephen McManus and exploded a shot past a static Boruc.
The astonishing game took yet another turn in the 32nd minute when the Parkhead side again went into the lead.
A Maloney corner from the left was helped on by the head of Balde and United defender Archibald's back deflected the ball into his own net.
Celtic threatened to put some more daylight between them and the home side but Stillie blocked Sutton's shot from 16 yards. Sutton complained of being fouled by Garry Kenneth.
It was inconceivable that the second half would offer up the same excitement as the first 45 minutes but the Taysiders had two decent chances to equalise within the first minute of the restart.
The unmarked Kenneth should have done better with his back post header from a Mark Wilson free-kick than head high into the air and then seconds later, as the visitors struggled to clear their lines, Samuel's spectacular volley from 10 yards out went just wide of Boruc's right hand post.
In the 55th minute United striker Jim McIntyre, relatively quiet up to that point, forced Boruc into conceding a corner with an angled shot from close range but United failed to capitalise on their set-piece.
The visitors almost extended their lead when Hartson met an inswinging Shunsuke Nakamura free-kick from wide on the right with his head, only a tremendous close range save from Stillie preventing a goal.
Celtic substitute Beattie squandered a great chance when sent clear by Nakamura. However, the Hoops youngster blasted high over the bar under pressure from United skipper Paul Ritchie, to the disgust of Stilian Petrov who had followed up in support.
Petrov swung a low cross in from the right in the 88th minute, Maloney touched the ball on at the front post and Pearson slid the ball in at the back post. |
