Dundee United suffered last-gasp agony against Celtic as a Gary Hooper goal in the 89th minute earned the Hoops their eighth successive SPL win of the season.
The Tangerines had been like a boxer on the ropes taking punches in the closing stages of this Tannadice clash, and, sadly for them, Hooper supplied the knockout blow.
When the ball hit the net, Celts manager Neil Lennon ran down the touchline in wild celebration and at full-time raced on to the park to embrace his players.
The visitors dominated the first half and United were lucky to be level at the break, David Goodwillie’s deflected shot on 38 minutes cancelling out Hooper’s opener on 13. However, the hosts upped their performance in the second period until falling further and further back towards their own goal as the match neared its end.
Hooper’s strike took some of the heat off referee Dougie McDonald, who had awarded a penalty to Celtic after the Englishman had been challenged by United goalie Dusan Pernis.
Pernis, who made a string of outstanding saves for his side, made a clean contact with the ball on the ground but McDonald pointed to the spot. Luckily, his farside assistant Steven Craven was brave enough to raise his flag and, after hearing Pernis was innocent, the referee changed his mind and ordered a drop-ball.
Unsurprisingly, there were different takes on the incident.
“The linesman was very good because I got a touch on the ball,” said Pernis. “It was a surprise, though. “I have not seen it happen before, the referee changing his mind like that.”
Double scorer Hooper said, “He got me first and then got the ball, so I think it was a bad decision.”
The late counter took away some of the impact from McDonald’s muddle, but United boss Houston was still unhappy with the official’s performance.Penalty gripe”I have seen it on the monitor and it wasn’t a penalty,” said Houston. “I say great credit to the farside assistant because he clearly saw it wasn’t a penalty. He (McDonald) is quite quick to give penalties against us. We have had it in the past and no doubt we will have it again in future.
“I thought he was very inconsistent and it’s easy for me to say that as the losing manager, but I don’t think we got much from him today. Barry Douglas won a challenge in the middle of the park, (Georgios) Samaras got up and pushed him and Barry got booked alongside him. Why? I thought he (McDonald) lost the place a wee bit after the penalty decision.”
Houston admitted his team took a while to get going. “In the first half I don’t think we played particularly well but in the second we came out with all guns blazing,” he said.
“We were on the front foot, but the Old Firm are always going to create chances against you and that’s what happened. Losing a last-minute goal is frustrating but we have to pick ourselves up now.”
Houston promised to change his dugout routine after watching Lennon in action.
“Celtic celebrated as if they had won the league,” he said. “You know, I am going to start running 30 yards down the track when we score a goal. Every time I go out of my dugout I get the fourth official calling me back but watch me from now on.”
Lennon, meanwhile, labelled the decision to rescind the penalty award as “unacceptable.”
“He has given the penalty and for me he can’t change his mind,” said the Parkhead boss. “I didn’t get an explanation until the referee came over and spoke to me.
“His explanation was that his linesman had a better view of it and the keeper had played the ball. I find that unacceptable. He looked pretty adamant to me when he gave the penalty. He got a really good look at it.
“Looking at the replay, Pernis has got a touch on the ball, but he has taken Gary as well. There was a long, long delay between him awarding the penalty and him allowing the bounce ball. It was a very strange decision and we could have got a couple of other penalties as well.
“I suppose you have to put it down to another honest mistake by the referee.”
United welcomed back Craig Conway from injury but were otherwise unchanged from the side that won down at Kilmarnock last time out.
The Hoops, who were skippered by Shaun Maloney, made the brighter start, and when Prince Buaben slipped in midfield on five minutes an opportunity opened up for Samaras, but his shot flew wide.
Anthony Stokes was then given bags of room on the right, but he was also way off target with his attempt. It looked only a matter of time before Celtic scored, and they made the breakthrough on 13 minutes.
Former United man Mark Wilson raced up the right before squaring the ball into the goalmouth, and rushing in came number 88 Hooper to blast into the net from a couple of yards out.
The home side were being too sloppy, and Scott Severin lost possession 25 yards from goal only for Stokes to fail to capitalise, again shooting past. Samaras then broke forward and took the ball around the diving Pernis, but defender Garry Kenneth was at the near post and booted the angled strike away.
United had still to have a shot on goal and when it came, from David Robertson on 21 minutes, it was followed quickly by efforts from Severin and Buaben.
Home striker Jon Daly and Celtic defender Daniel Majstorovic squared up to each other after the former had challenged Hoops goalie Fraser Forster both men were booked.Good luckThe home side had been largely outplayed but a huge stroke of luck brought them the equaliser on 38 minutes, with fortune favouring Goodwillie.
Joe Ledley was knocked off the ball by Buaben, with it breaking to Goodwillie, who raced towards the Celtic box.
He let fly with a shot that struck Glenn Loovens and sent keeper Forster the wrong way. United could count themselves lucky to be level, but having hardly got into their stride, they could surely only play better in the second period.
They did start well, forcing a series of corners, and keeper Forster produced a great save from Buaben’s long-range drive. On 55 minutes, after Conway had been penalised for a foul on Ledley, Maloney curled his free-kick just wide of the post.
Maloney then had a decent shot saved by Pernis, who could only look on as Hooper’s strike skimmed the bar. The penalty that never was arrived in 69 minutes, with McDonald having words with Lennon before his stand-side assistant Charlie Smith alerted the referee to missiles including a lighter that had been thrown on the pitch.
As Celtic piled forward, Pernis parried Stokes’ shot from 12 yards before Ledley crashed the rebound off the post. With two minutes remaining, after the home defence had failed to clear a cross from substitute Paddy McCourt, Hooper stabbed the ball in from close range, with the help of a deflection off Dillon, to break United hearts.
As well as the Douglas booking that riled Houston so much, there were yellow cards for United’s Kenneth, Paul Dixon and Daly, while Celtic had Majstorovic, Loovens, Samaras and Stokes cautioned.
Attendance 11,790.Dundee United Pernis, Dillon, Dixon, Severin, Conway (Cadamarteri 74), Daly (Russell 90), D Robertson (Douglas 86), Buaben, Gomis, Kenneth, Goodwillie. Subs not used Banks, Watson, S Robertson, Shala.Celtic Forster, Izaguirre, Majstorovic, Samaras, Stokes, Wilson, Maloney (McCourt 88), Ledley, Sung-Yueng, Loovens, Hooper. Subs not used Zaluska, Twardzik, Towell, McGinn, Efrain, Du-Ri.Referee Dougie McDonald.