1972-09-23: Dundee 2-0 Celtic, League Division 1

Match Pictures | Matches: 19721973 | 1972-73 Pictures

Trivia

  • Despite the result a great advert for the Scottish game. Ballboys warned for time wasting.
  • Back in came Evan Williams in goal and Pat Quinn was back fit again at left back. Jimmy Johnstone started even though he looked less than Stein's appraisal of what constituted match fit. Pat McCluskey listed at No. 8 played in midfield and Tommy Callaghan was also back.
  • On the same day Celtic defeated Dundee 3-2 in a Reserve League match at Celtic Park. The Celtic team was Connaghan, McNamara, Watt, McLaughlin, McDonald, Welsh, Davidson, Hood, Franchetti, Lennox, O'Hara. Sub Hancock. The Celtic scorers were Davidson, Hood and Lennox.

Review

Dundee outplayed Celtic. They had an early goal disallowed and then scored two good goals and never looked back. Celtic tied themselves in knots and quite a few players were under par.


Teams

Celtic:
Williams, McGrain, Quinn, Murdoch, McNeill, Connelly, Johnstone, McCluskey (Deans), Dalglish, Macari, Callaghan.
Goals:

Dundee:
Hewitt, R Wilson, Houston, Robinson, Phillip, Stewart, J Wilson, Gray, Wallace (Pringle), J Scott, I Scott
Goals: I Scott (8), Gray (13)

Referee: E Thomson (Edinburgh)
Attendance: 18,300

Articles

  • Match Report (see below)

Pictures

Articles

Glasgow Herald Monday 25 September 1972

DUNDEE STAY AIRBORNE AFTER FLYING START AGAINST CELTIC
By William Hunter

Dundee 2, Celtic 0
Despite the many deep worries about it and the cries of woe, Scottish football was alive and well and living at Dens Park on Saturday. It was a match that made obsolete shopping with the wife, dozing by the fire, or whatever may be the wild alternative mischief that the missing fans think they have found.
Dundee asserted their claim to be considered a second force in Scotland; Celtic took their beating well. They were always skilful, exciting, always mature, and sometimes magnificent. Unluckily for Celtic Dundee were more so.
Here was a rousing meeting of equals—a rare experience for Celtic. Dundee though, were that bit more equal in every aspect of the game.
After only four minutes they had lit a flarepath to goal with an offside shot into the net by Wallace. After 12 minutes they had two that counted through an Ian Scott header and a cracking shot by Gray. In a further 10 minutes Murdoch was desperately stopping a Houston drive on the line.
Fuelled by so powerful a start Dundee stayed serenely airborne. They never looked like being brought down. Jocky Scott was the most magnificent man on their flying machine. But all the crew stayed high and handsome. They worked both wings hard.

DOGGED
Celtic tried doggedly to mend their fences. They kept playing their own game. While they never panicked they grew inhibited and ragged in patches. At times they seemed short of men. At other moments they overpopulated parts of the field.
Often they got knotted up worst in front of goal. Their finishing became fussy. Johnstone perhaps caused most of the traffic jams. He dribbled brilliantly yet still seems not quite in touch. While he is back with his mates he is still not quite with them.
At the back Celtic looked porous as Dundee turned on their style. McNeill was less than commanding. He appeared to be playing with half an eye on his goalkeeper much of the game.
In Dundee’s goal Hewitt was invincibly capable and cool. He started many of the sweeping attacks from the edge of his penalty box. His courage matched his strategy.
Inside Dundee’s big win was a little moral victory. Halfway through the second half the situation they had created got Jock Stein out of his seat in the stand and into the Celtic dug-out. Looking for a quickie he put on Deans for McCluskey at No 8.
Dundee took this obvious ploy in their stride. Easily, without rushing they warmed up their substitute Pringle to patrol at the back and rested Wallace, who had been striking along with Gray, for other days. They promise to be bright ones.

Dundee—Hewitt; R. Wilson and Houston; Robinson, Phillip and Stewart; J. Wilson and Gray; Wallace, J. Scott and I. Scott. Substitute—Pringle.
Celtic—Williams; McGrain and Quinn; Murdoch, McNeill and Connelly; Johnstone and McCluskey; Dalglish, Macari and Callaghan. Substitute—Deans.

Referee—E. Thomson (Edinburgh).

1972 Dundee 2-0 Celtic