Saturday 22 August 2015 14:49, UK
Celtic warmed up for the second leg of their crucial Champions League qualifier next week with a hard-fought 3-1 win over Dundee United at Tannadice on Saturday.
Ronny Deila decided to make nine changes with Tuesday's trip to Malmo in the Champions Leage in mind, but Leigh Griffiths' strike, Mark Durnan's own goal and a deflected effort from substitute Callum McGregor were enough to secure all three points.
United were overrun in the first half but did threaten to get back into the game with Chris Erskine's penalty on the stroke of half time.
Craig Gordon, Dedryck Boyata and Scott Brown were among those left out of the match-day squad with new signing Scott Allan making his Celtic debut from the bench against his old club.
Despite the changes, Celtic started at a great tempo and took the game to the home side.
Anthony Stokes inadvertently set up Kris Commons after four minutes, with the Hoops forward turning well in the box before firing low but his effort was blocked by Durnan on the line.
The away supporters thought they had taken the lead after 10 minutes but Charlie Mulgrew's curling free-kick from 30 yards was just a little too high.
Celtic did take the lead six minutes later, however, with Emilio Izaguirre playing a ball over the top to release Griffiths, who got away from the United defence to round Luis Zwick and slide the ball into the net from a tight angle.
Zwick was then called into action to deny Commons twice in the space of a few minutes, first after the Celtic man was allowed time and space in the box to get a shot away and then to stop another effort at the near post after Commons had cut inside from the right.
Stand-in Celtic goalkeeper Logan Bailly then got himself into all sorts of trouble as he tried to take one touch too many under pressure from Robbie Muirhead, as he lost the ball and eventually had to go through the back of the striker to win it back.
Dundee United appealed for a penalty but the contact was minimal.
Commons was denied by Zwick again on the half-hour mark after he brought a long ball down delightfully and then beat two United men with two quick touches but his curling effort was turned behind by the goalkeeper.
The United stopper was then on hand to deny Griffiths as he continued to thwart Celtic.
The home side finally registered a bit of pressure themselves and Ryan McGowan should have scored an unlikely equaliser after being set up by Blair Spittal, but the Australian could only fire wide.
And United were punished for the miss a few minutes later, with Celtic scoring after a quick Commons breakaway.
The forward's through ball was weak but was intercepted by Durnan who looked to play it back to Zwick, but the goalkeeper had already made a move off his line anticipating the delivery and the ball rolled into the empty net.
United did not let that deflate them, however, and hit back straight away. Scott Fraser's excellent run into the box was halted by Efe Ambrose who scythed the United player down.
Erskine stepped up to send Bailly the wrong way and get his side back into the game with the last kick of the half.
Celtic could not match their opening intensity in the second half as United went close first. Erskine did well to hold the ball up and release Paul Dixon down the left-hand side but he could only smash his effort into the side-netting.
There were cheers from the away end after 67 minutes when Allan made his debut from the bench, but it was another substitute who made the game safe for Celtic.
The visitors broke away quickly again, with Gary Mackay-Steven picking out McGregor whose effort from the edge of the box was deflected off Coll Donaldson, leaving Zwick helpless in the United goal.
United substitute Aidan Connolly was then denied twice by Bailly from free-kicks in similar positions about 25 yards out with rather over-dramatic saves.
Celtic went forward looking to add a fourth with Stokes involved in a couple of breaks into the United box but the forward could not hit the target.
