Weakened Celtic rout Dundee United

By Sean Saranczuk
August 18 2002

Celtic were without five first-team players, but beat Dundee United 5-0

Celtic were without five first-team players, but beat Dundee United 5-0.

Even without Robert Douglas, Bobby Petta, Bobo Balde, Paul Lambert and Didier Agathe, they had enough in reserve to secure the points by half-time, after goals from Jackie McNamara, Chris Sutton and Stilian Petrov.

Late second-half goals for substitute John Hartson and Henrik Larsson completed the rout.

Petrov almost opened his account twice in the first two minutes of the game and after 11 minutes he played Larsson into a good position, but he blazed over the bar.

But in the 24th minute the home side were in front from an unlikely source. Steve Guppy spotted McNamara unmarked and he drove an unstoppable right-footed shot into the corner.

But any chance of a Dundee United all but evaporated all thanks to the hapless Jim Lauchlan. The defender controlled a Guppy cross, but failed to clear it and Sutton happily stepped in to fire under Gallacher to the disbelief of his team-mates and his manager.

Larsson wasted another chance to increase Celtic's lead further more after 28 minutes, but he screwed his effort wide of the mark. But the pair combined four minutes later to kill off their visitors well before the break. Gallacher made a good save to deny the Swede, but the Bulgarian reacted quicker than the United defence to fire the rebound home.

United were in shock and the situation could have got even worse just four minutes before the break, but McNamara's right-footed effort looped just over the crossbar.

After the break an eery silence descended over Parkhead with the result assured, but O'Neill wanted more goals and made a treble substitution with John Hartson, David Fernandez and Stephen Crainey all coming on for Sutton, Lennon and Johan Mjallby.

Petrov deserved to double his tally in the 73rd minute, but watched his lob hit the top of the crossbar.

United finally came to life moments later when the ineffective Steven Thompson found space in the box, but his tame shot was saved by Hedman for his first test of the afternoon.

At the other end Gallacher needed to be brave to save at the feet of Hartson, but the Welshman hit the net in the 78th minute when he headed Guppy's corner home from close range.

And an emphatic Celtic win would not be complete without Larsson scoring and he was on hand to head Fernandez's cross into the net from close range with just 10 minutes remaining.