By Dundeefc.net
April 24 2002

SAT 15TH APRIL

Celtic 2(Mahe 30, Burchill 45
DUNDEE 2 (Luna 1, Bayne 54)

Attendance - 47,163

Douglas Smith, Maddison, Wilkie, Ireland, Rae, McSkimming, Artero, Billio, Annand, Luna

Subs:Bayne (for McSkimming), Boyack (for Artero), Miller ( for Rae), Langfield, Tweed

Celtic goalkeeper Jonathan Gould made a sensational blunder to hand Dundee a share of the spoils at Parkhead.

Luna punished Celts' lacklustre start in the first minute of the match.

Gavin Rae surged down the right wing before hooking a dangerous cross into the box. Johan Mjallby and Olivier Tebily were found wanting and Luna rose six yards out to power a header beyond Gould.

It was a dream start for the visitors and you would have expected it to kick Celtic into action. But their lack of passion for what remains of their season looked all too evident as Dundee pressed forward again.

Celtic looked rattled and Luna again found space in the area and only a desperate challenge from Vidar Riseth prevented the little Spaniard from hitting the target.

Then from the following corner Stilian Petrov had to clear a Craig Ireland header off the line.

It took nine minutes for the home side to trouble Dundee goalkeeper Robert Douglas when Mahe picked out Jackie McNamara in the box, but his shot was comfortably saved by Douglas.

Celtic's frustrations increased in the 19th minute when Mahe was booked for a foul on Javier Artero as the home defence was struggling to keep tabs on Annand and the lively Luna.

Stilian Petrov then orchestrated a chance for himself in the 25th minute when he twisted and turned in the box to make himself room to shoot, but his effort whistled just past the post.

But this lifted Celtic and in the 27th minute, Mark Burchill had a tremendous opportunity to equalise when he was put through by Eyal Berkovic, but his effort was blocked by the feet of Douglas.

Celtic were on level terms in the 31st minute when Viduka got to the by-line and his cross was headed home at the far post by Mahe.

Lee Wilkie then went into the referee's book when he brought down Burchill who was threatening to bare down on goal after Berkovic's through ball.

From the resulting free kick Viduka hit a curling effort around the Dundee wall but Douglas got down low to his left to deny him.

However, Celtic did take the lead on the stroke of half time when Berkovic again played Burchill through and he made no mistake this time to shoot past Douglas.

The Parkhead faithful were left stunned again in the 54th minute when Dundee were gifted an equaliser following an incredible blunder from Scotland international goalkeeper Gould.

Artero crossed from the left and Gould appeared to comfortably collect a poor header from substitute Graham Bayne and had it firmly in his grasp but inexplicably let it slip out and into his goal.

This amazing reprieve spurred the Dee's on and Annand headed over from Lee Maddison's centre and they could sense that they could walk away with the full points.

Gould was again called into action in the 70th minute and did a much better job of it this time, blocking a powerful long-range effort from Patrizio Billio after Johan Mjallby's poor clearance.

But Celtic retaliated and Berkovic fired inches past the upright in the 72nd minute after McNamara had picked him out in acres of room on the edge of the box.

Sloppy play at the back almost handed the Dens men the lead when Jackie McNamara's poor clearance fell to Patrizio Billio on the edge of the box. But Gould went some way to making up for his clanger, beating away the midfielder's rasping drive.

Luna squandered another effort before Burchill passed up a great chance to regain the lead for Celts, when he ran down on goal and had just Douglas to beat but he appeared to get caught in two minds whether to chip or fire low but instead his effort sailed into the arms of the grateful keeper.

Celtic sub Stephen Crainey then went close with a fantastic 22-yard free-kick that Douglas pushed over under his post but the referee amazingly gave the goal kick - much to the annoyance of the fans.

Burchill went for glory in the 83rd minute when he was one-on-one with Douglas and had substitute Fernando de Ornelas to his left but he chose to go it alone and aimed aimlessly wide of the target.

Jocky Scott said after the game: "To come to Parkhead and get a result is first class for us. You have to show belief, composure and get the players forward and attack them.

"Far too often we've allowed Celtic to run over the top of us but we worked hard, scored a good early goal and then got a bit of luck with our second. I didn't even see it because I'd turned away as I thought the keeper had saved it!"