Dundee Utd 0 - 1 Celtic: Hooper’s lucky 13th keeps Celtic in title race

FOR the first time in eight months, Celtic have racked up a sequence of five consecutive SPL victories. They did it with as one-sided a single-goal victory as they are likely to enjoy for many a season.

From the moment Gary Hooper put them in front with his 13th goal of the season, there was little doubt Celtic would achieve the outcome they required to finish the weekend as they started it – four points behind Rangers at the top of the table.

Neil Lennon’s team were unable to sustain the vibrant start they made to the match, gradually being dragged down into an often attritional battle with little in the way of aesthetic merit. But such was the poverty of a Dundee United side who remain just five points clear of the bottom of the table, Celtic’s control of proceedings remained absolute throughout.

Lennon’s only complaint about his team’s first-half performance would be that Hooper’s excellent goal was all they had to show for their dominance of territory and possession. Celtic had United on the back foot from the off, pressing them high up the pitch with the kind of tempo and intensity which has been instrumental in the recent run of results which has closed the gap on Rangers in the title race.

The visitors could easily have been ahead inside the opening 30 seconds, as Georgios Samaras, revelling in another outing in the wide left position which seems to bring out the best in him, burst beyond United right-back Robbie Neilson into the penalty area. The Greek international’s low cross was begging for the slightest touch in the six-yard area but, with the United defence spreadeagled, it eluded everyone, including Anthony Stokes at the far post who came closest to converting it.

Stokes’ radar appeared slightly askew as he found himself involved in much of Celtic’s early pressure. The Irish forward would certainly feel he should have done better than head a fine cross from James Forrest over the top from a good position in the eighth minute.

But Celtic were justly rewarded for their vibrant start when Hooper put them ahead five minutes later. It was a typically deadly finish from the Englishman, who has recovered his optimum form in the past few weeks.

Hooper played a slick exchange with Forrest to work his way into the right-hand side of the United penalty area. He eluded the attention of defender Gavin Gunning before flashing a precise, low right foot shot across Dusan Pernis into the far corner of the net.

At that time, the stage appeared set for Celtic to put this game firmly to bed before the interval.

Their failure to do so was down to a combination of slack finishing and errant decision-making in the final third of the pitch, with Stokes unable to make the most of several promising situations.

Forrest should have doubled Celtic’s lead, however, when he sprinted through the middle of United’s defence onto one of Stokes’ better through balls. The young Scotland winger was left with only Pernis to beat but struck his shot straight into the goalkeeper’s midriff.

Celtic’s struggle to press home their general superiority would have been more of a concern to Lennon had United posed more of a threat at the other end. But even when Houston changed his formation midway through the first half, ditching his 4-5-1 set-up and moving Johnny Russell up front to partner Jon Daly, the home side carried little threat.

Fraser Forster was finally called into action when John Rankin’s cross from the left found Neilson, but his header from around eight yards was tame and left the Celtic goalkeeper to make a comfortable save. Some of the zip went out of Celtic’s play as half-time approached, although they did finish it in the ascendancy.

The closest they came to adding to their tally before the break was when Cha Du Ri surged forward from right-back and played a one-two with Hooper before blazing his shot over under pressure from Paul Dixon.

There was a marked deterioration in Celtic’s performance level in the second half which left them vulnerable to any significant improvement United might be able to find in the attacking third of the pitch. But there was precious little sign of it for the home supporters, Houston responding with a double substitution just after the hour mark in an attempt to enliven his side as he sent on Stuart Armstrong and Lauri Dalla Valle for the toiling duo of Scott Robertson and Gary Mackay-Steven.

Celtic made their first change of the afternoon shortly afterwards, captain Scott Brown joining the fray to a warm reception from the visiting fans the day after he signed a new contract with the club.

He replaced Glenn Loovens, necessitating a move back into central defence for Victor Wanyama while Brown slotted into central midfield.

The play became scrappy, Celtic unable to reprise earlier form and United simply maintaining the poor standard of passing which undermined their efforts to fashion an equaliser.

Willo Flood drove a shot well off target from the edge of the penalty area with six minutes remaining but there was seldom even the merest hint that United could prevent Lennon’s men from departing with all three points.