A Leigh Griffiths hat-trick piled on the Celtic agony for Dundee United as they once again lost to the Premiership champions-elect.
This wasn’t the worst performance the Tangerines have put in against the Hoops this season by any means and it could be argued that they even shaded the goalless first half.
However, three goals from former Dundee striker Griffiths meant United’s last five games against the Parkhead side have seen them lose by an aggregate of – unlucky for some – 13-1.
He was on target two minutes after the break and then again on 65 minutes before slotting home a late penalty that should not have been given as John Rankin’s foul on Gary Mackay-Steven was outside the box.
The Tangerines, as expected, handed Robbie Muirhead his first start up front in the absence of the suspended Nadir Ciftci and injured Mario Bilate. Also in the line-up was Blair Spittal, while John Rankin returned after injury.
There was no sign of Calum Butcher, with a shoulder injury ruling him out, but the good news was that John Souttar had recovered sufficiently from a virus to keep his place.
Celtic fielded one of the United old boys, Stuart Armstrong, and left Mackay-Steven on the bench.
Callum Morris sent a header just wide for the home team on seven minutes after he was picked out by a Chris Erskine freekick but referee Willie Collum blew for a foul against the United defender.
The home side were doing well going forward and a cross from Charlie Telfer missed the head of Muirhead by inches on 18 minutes, then Ryan McGowan glanced another header just wide off a Spittal corner from the left.
On 21 minutes it needed a great save from Celtic keeper Craig Gordon to push over a 25-yard strike from Muirhead after he was played in by a neat flick from Spittal.
It took 25 minutes for the Hoops to really threaten and it was a shot from Kris Commons that whizzed wide after he was challenged by Souttar.
That seemed to spring the visitors to life and a neat passing move was rounded off by a Virgil van Dijk shot from inside the box that had to be saved by United goalie Rado Cierzniak.
Up at the other end Muirhead stung Gordon’s hands with a shot from the edge of the box then there was a moment of controversy on 31 minutes when Celtic skipper Scott Brown got just a yellow card for a lunge on Rankin that could have, on another day, deserved a red.
Just seconds before half-time a heartening first-half display from United ended with Erskine and Rankin both firing over from the outside the box.
Just two minutes into the second period, though, the Tangerines were behind.
Good work from Armstrong out left saw the ball get played in to Brown then on to Stefan Johansen. He then laid it to his right for Griffiths, who blasted a low shot past Cierzniak and into the far corner of the net.
On 52 minutes, Cierzniak saved United when produced a wonderful stop to claw away a point-blank header from Commons.
Just minutes later Cierzniak dived again to hold a shot from Commons then the big Pole was at it again on 58 minutes when he saved a 20-yarder from Johansen.
Mackay-Steven came on for Armstrong before the visitors made it 2-0 on 65 minutes.
It was a scrappy goal but scorer Griffiths wasn’t bothered about that. A corner came in from the left and the ball was deflected on to his own post by United’s Morris. The rebound was hit over the line by Griffiths as Rankin tried desperately to block. Cierzniak clawed the ball back out again only for Griffiths to have another go. It was a goal the first time, though, and the game looked done and dusted.
Mackay-Steven struck the United bar then won a penalty that gifted Griffiths his hat-trick chance.
It was a wrong decision from Collum, who ruled that Rankin’s challenge on his old teammate was inside the box when it was clearly outside.
It should have been a freekick instead of a spotkick but Griffiths wasn’t bothered about that and strolled up to shoot home his 18th goal of the season.
Dundee United: Cierzniak, Dixon, Souttar, Fojut, Rankin, Muirhead, Morris, McGowan, Erskine (Anier 84), Telfer (Coote 69), Spittal (Connolly 79). Subs not used: Szromnik, Spark, Smith, Dillon.
Celtic: Gordon, Matthews (Ambrose 69), Izaguirre, Van Dijk, Bitton, Brown, Armstrong (Mackay-Steven 60), Commons, Denayer, Johansen (Forrest 71), Griffiths. Subs not used: Zaluska, Guidetti, Scepovic, Tierney.
Referee: Willie Collum.