In the city of discovery, Celtic finally found three precious points which breathes new life into their title challenge.
Seeking to avoid a whitewash in Dundee, this could have been a day which saw Celtic lose all four league matches in this city for the first time in their history.
Instead, on Easter Sunday, they staged a resurrection. Having looked dead and buried only a fortnight ago when they lost 2-0 across the road at Tannadice, this win had the effect of a defibrillator.
A goal each from Yang Hyun-jun and substitute Kelechi Iheanacho, the latter a late winner, zapped Martin O’Neill’s side back to life and gives them a pulse once again in the title race.
Celtic were by no means perfect. They wobbled midway through the second half when Dundee fought back and equalised via a penalty from Simon Murray.
But there was a lot more attacking intent in this performance. For all they may be a deeply flawed outfit, suggestions of their terminal demise in the title race remain premature.
Yang Hyun-jun pokes the ball over the line to give Celtic an early lead at Dens Park
Dundee striker Simon Murray silences the Celtic fans by equalising from the penalty spot
Substitute Kelechi Iheanacho scores a late goal to secure a vital three points for Celtic
The significance of this victory could not be overstated. Not only in terms of Celtic overcoming their own demons in Dundee, after three losses in this city this season, but also with regards to the bigger picture.
With Rangers going top of the league on Saturday and Hearts labouring to a draw earlier in the day at Livingston, Celtic could not afford to fluff their lines. It was a chance they could not pass up.
Barring a 20-minute period in the second half, they never really looked like faltering. They closed the gap and, with only one game left to play prior to the split, three points now covers the top three in an enthralling title race.
Having had a fortnight to stew over the loss to Dundee United, O’Neill made three changes to his team, with Auston Trusty, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Tomas Cvancara coming in to replace Benjamin Arthur, Reo Hatate and Iheanacho.
This never looked like it would be an easy fixture. Even beyond Celtic’s dreadful record in these parts this season, the basic fact of the matter is that Steven Pressley’s Dundee are a very decent side.
Pressley was ridiculed by some when he took charge back in the summer, with a fair number of Dundee fans viewing it as a retrograde appointment.
But he has silenced the critics in impressive fashion and forged a team who play good football on their day, as Brendan Rodgers found to his cost earlier in the season.
It was after a 2-0 defeat here back in October that Rodgers uttered the infamous line about likening his team to a clapped-out Honda Civic.
Pressley made two changes to his team on the back of a narrow defeat to Hearts last time out, with Yan Dhanda and Simon Murray coming in to replace Joe Westley and Ashley Hay.
It was Celtic who started the match on the front foot. With only five minutes on the clock, Daizen Maeda flashed a dangerous ball across the face of goal but it found no takers.
By the time we had reached 10 minutes, Celtic were in front. Maeda was having a lot of joy down the left and he sent in a low cross for Cvancara.
He thumped the ball towards goal but his shot was saved. The rebound broke for Yang and he chipped it over Dundee keeper Jon McCracken before tapping home.
It looked initially like it had been Benjamin Nygren who applied the finish. But, upon closer inspection, the TV replays showed that it had been Yang who poked it in.
In the space of those opening 10 minutes, Celtic offered far more attacking threat than they had done across the entire 90 a fortnight ago against Dundee United.
Dundee were doing their best to be brave on the ball and to keep it on the deck as the wind swirled around Dens Park.
But Pressley’s side were guilty of losing it in dangerous areas at times, with McCracken also being required to deal with a couple of lively passes back from his defenders and midfielders.
Dundee’s best source of creativity looked like it might come down the right flank through Cam Congreve, albeit, behind him, right-back Brad Halliday had his hands full tracking the pace and movement of Maeda.
On the opposite wing, Tony Yogane delighted the home crowd with a couple of Maradona twirls on the ball, but Dundee couldn’t find a way of testing Viljami Sinisalo anywhere near enough.
It was Celtic who threatened a second goal on a couple of occasions. Strong play from Oxlade-Chamberlain saw him feed Nygren out wide, but the Swede’s ball across goal evaded Maeda at the back post.
Nygren then slipped a neat pass into the path of Maeda, only for McCracken to stand tall and make the save. On the balance of play, Celtic will have rued the fact they had only a one-goal lead at half-time.
Cvancara was guilty of squandering another terrific chance early in the second half when, after being played in by Nygren, a clumsy touch allowed McCracken to get out and narrow the angle as he made the save.
Celtic would rue their profligacy only moments later when Dundee came roaring back to equalise from the penalty spot.
After a Ryan Astley shot had struck the arm of Colby Donovan, a VAR check eventually saw referee Steven McLean point to the spot.
Dundee skipper Simon Murray was as cool as you like and duly sent Sinisalo the wrong way to make it 1-1. Suddenly, it was very much game on.
As much as anything, Celtic would now face a test of character over the final half-hour. A sense of anxiety had crept in. It was nervy.
But, credit where it’s due, O’Neill’s substitutes had a big impact. Two of them combined to score what proved to be the winning goal with just under 10 minutes to play.
Marcelo Saracchi sent in a cross from the left, albeit Iheanacho still had plenty to do. But his touch and finish was lethal, turning and firing the ball beyond McCracken.
Dundee were then reduced to ten men when Astley was sent off for hauling down Yang as the Celtic winger tried to scamper clear on goal.
In the end, O’Neill’s side saw it out. They were decent value for the win. There had been a theory that this could well be the weekend where their title challenge would suffer a terminal blow.
In this of all seasons, with twists and turns at every corner, such predictions are only made to look foolish and premature.
Dundee (4-2-3-1): McCracken 7; Halliday 6, Astley 7, Graham 7, D Wright 7 (Reilly 92); Robertson 6.5 (Cotterill 67), Hamilton 6.5; Yogane 7.5 (S Wright 73), Dhanda 7 (Koumetio 92), Congreve 7; Murray 7 (Hay 67).
Substitutes: O’Hara, Samuels, Westley, Jones.
Sent off: Astley.
Manager: Steven Pressley 6.5
Celtic (4-3-3): Sinisalo 7; Donovan 5 (Ralston 67), Trusty 6, Scales 6, Tierney 6.5 (Saracchi 76); McGregor 6.5, Oxlade-Chamberlain 7.5 (McCowan 67), NYGREN 8; Yang, Maeda 7 (Forrest 76), Cvancara 5 (Iheanacho 58).
Unused substitutes: Doohan, Tounekti, Hatate, Arthur.
Booked: Scales, Ralston
Manager: Martin O’Neill 7.5.
Referee: Steven McLean
Attendance: 9,007.
