Dundee Utd 0
Celtic 2
League Cup (Semi Final)

Match Report

We came to Hampden undefeated and certainly opened in commanding fashion, dictating the early stages.

The first threat on either goal came after nine minutes when Allan Preston's free-kick was headed goalwards by Darren Jackson, but Bonner saved. Creaney saw a snap-shot whistle past the post and then had a goal chalked off as Celtic began to make their presence felt. In between our claims for a penalty after Billy McKinlay went tumbling in the box went unheeded. Five minutes from half-time Paul McStay swept the ball out to Joe Miller who sent over a measured cross and Gerry Creaney rose above Maurice Malpas to head powerfully past Billy Thomson.

Only five minutes of the second half had elapsed when Celtic got a killer second goal. Paul McStay picked up Allan Preston's acrobatic clearance drove into the box before thumping an angular drive into the far corner. Gradually we began to regain the initiative and created our best chance of the game midway through the second half. Darren Jackson worked his way into the box before releasing an angled cross to Ray McKinnon, but his header was too close to Bonner. A goal at that stage might just have changed the course of the match. Shortly afterwards skipper Maurice Malpas shot past and in the last ten minutes, as we kept plugging away, Jim McInally just failed to get a touch to a flick from Darren Jackson and then the United midfielder sent in a header which Bonner saved, but only at the second attempt. But by then the tie was lost and with it our undefeated record this season.