Dundee United have now left Celtic Park 37 times without a win since their last victory at the home of the Hoops on Boxing Day 1992.
Having seen the majority of those games, it is safe to say that they have fallen into three categories.
There have been the hidings, when it has been wave after wave of green and white attacks and top strikers such as Henrik Larsson and Chris Sutton have run riot.
There have also been the days when United have looked superior to their hosts, deserving more than the draw they have taken down the road with them.
Then there have been the narrow defeats, with the Tangerines performing well but Celtic still having enough to win.
It was option number three on Saturday.
United were outmuscled and pinned back by the Celts in a poor first half, with the SPL leaders grabbing goals through Gary Hooper and the impressive Victor Wanyama.
All looked lost at the break, with the visiting players even denied a verbal blast from manager Peter Houston, who was banished from the dressing room as well as trackside due to his two-match suspension.
However, inspired by a brilliant individual display from midfielder John Rankin, United battled back.
Rankin scored a fantastic goal just five minutes into the second period, with his 30-yard strike sneaking inside keeper Fraser Forster’s post.
With him pulling the strings in the centre of the park, the Tangerines dominated the play until the final whistle, albeit Celtic had the odd opportunity to make the game safe.
Anxiety poured down on to the pitch from the stands, especially on 58 minutes when a superb Paul Dixon cross from the left picked out United striker Jon Daly right in front of goal.
The utter shock felt when the ball did not nestle in the back of the net was a tribute to Daly’s otherwise lethal ability in the air, even though keeper Forster must take some credit for a fine save.
”I got a good contact on it and it was a great ball in from Dicker,” said Daly. ”Fraser Forster made a good save and that is why he is one of the best keepers in the league.”
Daly was asked if, given the way the second period went and the nervousness of the home supporters, United should have had more of a go at Celtic before the interval.
”I thought we were a lot better in the second half than we were in the first,” he said. ”We pressed the game all over the park and didn’t let Celtic have the ball. I think we gave them a bit too much respect in the first half and found ourselves two goals down.
”We came out after the break, though, and started going for it. I think we were unlucky in the end not to get something.
”Celtic are top of the league and I think their crowd wants to see them steamroller teams. When we got the goal back their fans started getting on their backs and that gave us confidence. I think they helped us.
”We kept the ball well but it just wasn’t to be. I said to Gary Kirk (the assistant manager who was standing in for Houston) that had we pressed the ball in the first half then who knows what could have happened.”
Photo by Andrew Milligan/PA Wire