GOAL: Celtic’s Anthony Stokes (right) celebrates his goal against Dundee United with teammate Efe Ambrose during their Scottish Premier League game yesterday. (Reuters)
Celtic left it late as Anthony Stokes scored three minutes from time as they were made to work hard for a 1-0 win over Dundee United at Tannadice yesterday.
Celtic, who had shown all the signs of suffering from a European hangover following their midweek exertions against Shakhter Karagandy, looked to be heading for their second consecutive draw in the Scottish Premiership before Stokes sent an 87th-minute free-kick in off the post.
The Hoops, on a high after their midweek qualification for the lucrative group stages of the Champions League, had started well with Mikel Lustig, Virgil van Dijk and Stokes himself all coming close early in the first half.
But they faded in a lacklustre second half and looked destined to have to settle for a point before Stokes fired in his 50th Celtic goal late on to secure the win.
Celtic had made just three changes from the team that saw off Shakhter Karagandy, with summer signings Virgil van Dijk and Derk Boerrigter coming into the starting line-up along with Emilio Izaguirre.
Their midweek European exertions didn’t appear to affect Celtic early on and they nearly made a dream start in the second minute when Lustig found himself in the box but his shot on the turn was blocked by Keith Watson.
A minute later Dutchman van Dijk went on a rampaging run from the halfway line to cut through the Dundee United defence before scooping an angled shot just over the bar.
Radoslaw Cierzniak was the busier of the two keepers and he was relieved to see a volley from Stokes go just wide of his post before a loose ball fell to van Dijk 25 yards out and his sizzling strike flew just inches wide.
Dundee United began to find their feet midway through the half and on-loan David Goodwillie should have done better when he connected with Stuart Armstrong’s cross but he directed his header straight to Fraser Forster.
The big Celtic ‘keeper then showed why Roy Hodgson has included him in the England squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers when he palmed away Nadir Cifti’s curling free-kick which looked to be sneaking in.
United’s Gavin Gunning, just back from a two-match suspension, was lucky to escape punishment after referee Crawford Allan missed his kick out at van Dijk when the pair clashed in the box.
At the start of the second half Kris Commons, one of Celtic’s goal-scoring heroes from Wednesday night, drifted away from an opponent with a dip of the shoulder and fired off a raking shot that United keeper Radoslaw Cierzniak was equal to.
The Scotland international then jinked past a number of United defenders to break in to the box but his poked pass for Stokes was cut out by Gunning.
The Hoops were dealt a blow on the hour mark when Lustig was stretchered off to be replaced by Amido Balde after falling awkwardly on his ankle following an aerial challenge with Gunning.