Alistair Johnston scores again as Celtic eventually break down stubborn Dundee

Posted Thursday, October 31, 2024 by PA

Celtic full-back Alistair Johnston came off the bench to break Dundee’s resistance with his second goal in four days.

Johnston netted the opener from close range on the hour mark, three minutes after being called into action, and Arne Engels scored from the spot seven minutes afterwards to keep the champions top of the William Hill Premiership with a 2-0 win.

Dundee goalkeeper Jon McCracken, who was back in for the injured Trevor Carson, made impressive saves at the start of each half but the visitors generally limited Celtic’s clear-cut chances.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers made six changes but two of the players coming in were established defenders Greg Taylor and Cameron Carter-Vickers, who partnered Auston Trusty, while record signing Arne Engels returned amid the ongoing absence of Callum McGregor.

The most significant changes were on the wings as Luis Palma and Yang Hyun-jun were both handed their first league starts of the season.

Most of the first-half goalmouth action came in the opening five minutes.

Kasper Schmeichel made an excellent one-handed stop from Antonio Portales’ volley before Kyogo Furuhashi missed two excellent chances at the other end. The Japan striker was denied by McCracken from close range after a superb ball from Anthony Ralston, before pulling a shot well wide from eight yards when he looked certain to score.

Celtic were generally restricted to long-range efforts before the break and efforts from Engels, Palma, Luke McCowan and Paulo Bernardo failed to test McCracken.

Portales produced brilliant sliding blocks to deny Engels and Kyogo when Celtic managed to get shooting chances inside the box and Yang could not steer Palma’s cross on target from close range.

Celtic stepped it up immediately after the break. McCracken made a diving save from Palma’s 20-yard curler before producing a wonderful reflex stop to deny Furuhashi. The danger was still very much alive but Ryan Astley blocked from Palma on the line.

Johnston was part of a triple substitution alongside Reo Hatate and Daizen Maeda and he quickly made his mark.

The Canada international, who headed his second goal of the season on Sunday at Motherwell, ran into the box after feeding Yang, and reacted well to stab the South Korean’s deflected cross inside the near post.

Dundee were aggrieved over the penalty award after Mohamad Sylla claimed he had been pulled back by Engels before the Belgian midfielder broke forward and tried to play in Furuhashi.

Portales looked favourite to get the ball but he clipped the Japan striker’s leg and Ross Hardie’s penalty award stood following a VAR check.

Engels stroked his penalty down the middle of McCracken’s goal and Celtic saw out the win without any further drama.