Celtic 'best in league'

Celtic striker Gary Hooper has stoked the fires ahead of next week's clash with Rangers at Celtic Park by claiming the Hoops have the best team in the league.

The former Scunthorpe man snatched a double in a 2-1 win over Dundee United at Tannadice yesterday to make it eight Clydesdale Bank Premier League wins in succession for the visitors which took them within a goal of the equally relentless Ibrox men at the top of the table.

Hooper, who notched his second and third goals in the SPL, believes Neil Lennon has the players at his disposal to take first blood this season against their Old Firm rivals.

"I haven't seen all the teams yet but we are the best in the league in my opinion," he said.

"We have a good team, all different nationalities bonding together and it showed at Tannadice. We must have made about 50 chances and we only took two of them but the main thing is we got three points.

"I am looking forward to next week. If the whole team plays like that, we will have a good chance of making it nine unbeaten."

Hooper's confidence led him to also claim that he has Rangers striker Kenny Miller in his sights.

The former Scunthorpe striker is eight league goals behind his Old Firm rival but proclaimed: "The target for me is to beat him."

An enthralling match would have been dominated totally by a controversial penalty incident had Hooper not popped up with the late winner.

With the match at 1-1 in the second half, after David Goodwillie had cancelled out Hooper's opener before the break, Celtic appeared to have been awarded a penalty when referee Dougie McDonald pointed to the spot after United keeper Dusan Pernis clashed with Hooper.

However, after consulting his assistant, Steven Craven, McDonald gave a bounce ball in the box.

Afterwards Lennon fumed: "He's given the penalty and for me he can't change his mind.

"I didn't get an explanation until the referee came over and spoke to me.

"His explanation was that his linesman had a better view of it and the keeper had played the ball. I find that unacceptable. He looked pretty adamant to me when he gave the penalty. He got a really good look at it.

"Looking at the replay Pernis has got a touch on the ball but he has taken Garry as well."

United boss Peter Houston was unhappy with McDonald's overall performance.

"I don't think it was a penalty at all," he said. "I think the referee was quick to give it but great credit to the assistant, he saw it clearly wasn't a penalty.

"But Dougie was very inconsistent.

"He is quite quick to give penalties against us. We've had it in the past and no doubt we will have it in the future."