Celtic 3 Dundee 0: Celtic chose the occasion of perhaps their most famous player's 65th birthday to blow hot and cold.
Billy McNeill, captain of the club's European Cup-winning team of 1967, looked on last night as the home side atoned for a surprisingly inept first-half performance by coming to life in the second 45 minutes.
Celtic ensured they kept the pressure on Rangers in the Championship race when Stilian Petrov and Bobo Balde scored to put their side two up after an hour. Balde scored a second with a header in the 87th minute to seal a comfortable if uninspiring victory.
Dundee adopted a policy of containment which necessitated operating with five in defence whenever Celtic mounted an offensive.
As a consequence, Celtic were limited in the main to shooting from long range.
But within four minutes of the restart, Petrov stole in at the back post to throw himself at Jackie McNamara's cross and head powerfully into the net.
Exactly on the hour mark Alan Thompson's shot was deflected out of play for a corner and Petrov's delivery enabled Balde to head his side's second goal from close range.
CELTIC: Douglas, Varga, Balde, Laursen, McNamara, Petrov, Lennon, Sutton, Thompson, Hartson, Bellamy. Subs not used: Marshall, Juninho Paulista, Lambert, Wallace, Beattie, McManus, McGeady. Goals: Petrov 49, Balde 60, 87.
DUNDEE: Soutar, Smith, Mann, Wilkie, Sancho, McDonald, Fotheringham (Brady 45 mins), Barrett, Robb, Caballero, Lovell (Sutton 88 mins). Subs not used: Murray, Larsen, Kitamirike, Robertson, Clark. Booked: Smith.
Referee: D McDonald (Scotland).
