Celtic make major dent in Rangers’ goal difference advantage with Dundee demolition

Six first half goals scored as Brendan Rodgers’ side look back to their best in 7-1 win

Celtic's Callum McGregor celebrates with teammates after scoring to make it 6-0 over Dundee in first-half stoppage time. (Photo by Craig Foy / SNS Group)

Celtic will write their own story stressed Brendan Rodgers earlier this week and they almost wrote themselves into history here, blowing Dundee away with a six goal first-half salvo.

They won’t mark leap day having changed places with Rangers at the top but this victory certainly helped address the goal difference gap between them and their rivals with ten games to go in the title run-in. It was seven-one going on ten – at least. Celtic’s record 11-0 win – ironically over Dundee in 1895 – could have been threatened. The hosts hit the bar twice. Dundee goalkeeper Trevor Carson also pulled off at least two fine goal-saving stops.

The away team had Finlay Robertson sent off with 12 minutes left but they had something to cheer shortly afterwards, substitute Michael Mellon acrobatically finishing with a shot hit into the ground past Joe Hart.

It made it 1-1 in the second half. Small crumbs and all that. More significantly, it meant Celtic did not quite manage to completely wipe out Rangers’ superior goal difference. But that’s a minor frustration.

The champions were pitiless in their dismantling of a side who had limited hope in any case given their wretched record against Celtic. And that was before their bus broke down on London Road. The Celtic team coach was sent to pick up the stranded opposition players as the rain lashed down in the east end of Glasgow.

The night went from bad to worse for the visitors. Talk about a night to dispel the negativity detected at times during Celtic's late win over Motherwell on Sunday.

No one was booing manager Brendan Rodgers’ substitutes on this occasion. With most people aware of the half-time score at Rugby Park, the home players were roared off at half time. A larger number had scored - six - than those who hadn't.

The first three goals, all scored within the opening 24 minutes, were unopposed headers: Cameron Carter-Vickers, Adam Idah and Matt O’Riley.

And then things really began to do downhill for the beleaguered visitors. Daizen Maeda turned Joe Shaughnessy inside out for the fourth and Greg Taylor hit in number five at the back post from Alistair Johnston’s cross. History appeared in the making on at least two counts.

It genuinely felt as if we might witness Celtic emulating or even bettering their biggest-ever victory, which came against the same team in 1895. Dundee’s biggest defeat? That same afternoon, though at least then technology was not in place to mock them.

A very decent Curtis Main strike after the striker outmuscled Carter-Vickers just before half time made it 5-1. Dundee might well have reasoned that this was at least a marker before the interval, something to cling on to. They were not reckoning on VAR. Goal chopped off for offside.

Celtic scored a sixth in the sliver of time that remained before referee Matthew MacDermid finally brought an end to one of the longest halves in the Dens Park club’s history. It was the pick of the lot, McGregor finishing off a move after a multi-pass move that left the 10 Dundee outfield players – yes, they still had the full complement at this point - looking like a team of training cones. The skipper played a one-two with Taylor in the box before curling home.

With the game won, Rodgers withdrew McGregor at half time. Sadly for Dundee he unsportingly sent on a replacement. Daniel Kelly, 18, arrived for his league debut. Just 18 minutes later he had his first goal, curling in from around 16 yards after Hyunjun Yang’s cutback. Dundee lost a player but gained a goal in the time left. Robertson was red carded for a second bookable offence following a late challenge on Johnston.