Dundee Utd3–1Celtic

The undersoil heating may have ensured that underfoot conditions were perfect on one of the coldest days for several years, but the elements still played a major part in making life difficult for the players. A gale-force wind heading straight out of the Arctic was responsible for the tricky conditions for the players and freezing temperatures for the fans. Three of the youngsters in the side at Paisley - Alex Cleland, Ray McKinnon and Brian Welsh — were replaced by the more experienced trio of Gijs Steinmann, Dave Bowman and Mixu Paatelainen. The early exchanges were relatively quiet until Celtic forced a succession of corners around the quarter of an hour mark. At the diving header just past Alan Main's righthand post. Shortly afterwards Nicholas sent over a dangerous cross which Creaney couldn't quite reach. A minute later we found ourselves in front. Gijs Steinmann played a long ball out of defence, Bonner left his area to clear from Darren Jackson who blocked the Celtic keeper's clearance and then Rogan and Bonner got in an almighty tangle to allow Christian Dailly to whip the ball clear and stroke the ball into the empty net from 16 yards. Celtic were stung into action and only a tremendous save by Alan Main stopped Fulton from equalising right away. However, we then took up the running and Bonner saved a Christian Dailly header from a Mixu Paatelainen cross. Billy McKinlay then found Darren Jackson out on the left. Darren left Elliot for dead with a quick turn and whipped the ball across the face of the goal. Dave Bowman and Christian Dailly couldn't quite get the final touch which would have led to a certain goal.

We maintained our ascendancy and Bonner did well to palm away a Gijs Steinmann shot on the turn. Little has been seen of Celtic since those early stages, but they got back on level terms thanks to a piece of quick thinking by Tommy Coyne. The former United striker nipped in to intercept a pass-back from Freddy Van Der Hoorn. He rounded Alan Main and netted from an acute angle. Almost immediately we seemed to step up a gear and within three minutes were in front again, Jim McInally, out on the left, chipped the ball into Mixu Paatelainen who fired the ball goalwards, Darren Jackson chested the ball down and despite the close attentions of a Celtic defender, Darren drove the ball low past Bonner. Four minutes later Darren Jackson was the architect of our third. He ran on to a through ball from Gijs Steinmann, held the ball up until the arrival of Dave Bowman. Dave's curling shot rebounded from the bar, but Mixu Paatelainen shot into the roof of the net via the underside of the bar. Three minutes later Christian Dailly ran in to head a Mixu Paatelainen cross past the post from just inside the box. There was no way back for Celtic and apart from a Tommy Coyne effort late in the match, there was no real threat to Alan Main in the last half hour.