Gary Hooper completed a brace a minute from time in a 2-1 win for Celtic over Dundee United on Sunday.
Striker nets late on as Bhoys maintain perfect start
Gary Hooper completed a brace a minute from time to ensure Celtic maintain their 100 per cent record with a 2-1 win over Dundee United in the Scottish Premier League.
The former Scunthorpe striker opened the scoring on 13 minutes as he tapped in Mark Wilson's low cross but David Goodwillie equalised for the hosts shortly before half-time.
Tempers flared after the restart and controversy ensued as referee Dougie McDonald awarded Celtic a 70th minute penalty, only to overturn his decision after speaking with his assistant Steven Craven.
Bhoys boss Neil Lennon was visibly furious, as he thought United goalkeeper Dusan Pernis had clearly brought down Hooper, who appeared to get a touch on the ball.
The decision didn't stop Celtic snatching all three points, however, as Hooper stabbed in again from close range in the 89th minute and Celtic remain second in the table to Rangers only through goal difference.
It was typically enthralling fixture between these two teams at Tannadice.
Early chances
Celtic, skippered by Shaun Maloney in the absence of the injured Scott Brown, carved open the first chance in the fifth minute when Hooper split United's defence to send Georgios Samaras clear.
However, the Greece striker declined to drive on at goal, instead sending an all-too casual volley from distance wide of the target.
Moments later, with the match still settling down, Anthony Stokes sent a right-footed effort past the post from the edge of the box.
The Hoops clearly had the edge and got themselves in front in rather easy fashion in the 13th minute when right-back Wilson's cross from the right was scooped in to the roof of the net by Hooper from inside the six yard box.
Stokes sent Samaras racing down the right and the former Manchester City striker confidently rounded Pernis but his angled-shot was cleared by United stopper Garry Kenneth before it sneaked in at the near post.
The home side hit back, forcing several corners and twice Samaras blocked attempts by Scott Severin getting through to Fraser Forster.
At the other end, Pernis spilled a Stokes drive after good work by Wilson again, and he was happy to see the ball cleared to safety.
In the 28th minute Craig Conway got down the left and delivered a terrific cross to the back post but David Robertson just cleared the bar with his header.
The Celtic defence looked vulnerable at times and United midfielder Prince Buaben missed the target from 16 yards with a poor attempt at a volley.
In the 38th minute United were level. Joe Ledley was robbed in midfield by Buaben, allowing Goodwillie to drive from the edge of the box with the ball taking a deflection off Loovens to beat the wrong-footed Forster.
Jeers
The game turned in United's favour but just before the break Pernis tipped a long-distance effort from Ledley over the bar and the frustrated travelling support which jeered the half time whistle.
United started the second half on the ascendancy, pushing the visitors back towards their own box and forcing a series of corners.
The Hoops emerged unscathed but only after Forster had produced a fine save in the 52nd minute from Buaben's 30-yard drive.
That let-off sparked life in the Parkhead side and in the 55th minute, after Conway had been penalised for a foul on Ledley 30 yards from goal, Maloney curled a free-kick just wide of the post.
The new Celtic skipper then had a decent shot saved by Pernis, after he had created a yard of space for himself inside the United box by skipping past Sean Dillon.
The visiting fans were about to acclaim another Hooper goal when his shot from 14 yards beat Pernis but the ball skimmed the bar.
In the 70th minute Celtic appeared to have been awarded a penalty when referee McDonald pointed to the spot after Pernis dived at Hooper's feet to rob him of the ball.
However, after consulting his assistant Craven, McDonald gave a drop-ball in the box.
McDonald then had words with angry Celtic boss Lennon before his stand-side assistant Charlie Smith alerted the referee to missiles that had been thrown on the pitch.
As Celtic piled forward for the winner, Pernis brilliantly parried Stokes' shot from 12 yards before Ledley crashed the rebound off the post.
But with two minutes remaining, the United defence failed to clear a cross from substitute Paddy McCourt, who came on for Maloney seconds earlier.
Hooper seized advantage and pounced, stabbing the ball in from close range for the dramatic winner ahead of a mouth-watering Old Firm fixture next week, with both sides having won their first eight SPL games.
