AT the end of an evening when the silence around Parkhead was often deafening, Celtic had belatedly done just enough to merit the muted applause which acknowledged their progression to the next round of the cup in the most dramatic of circumstances.
At the end of an evening when the silence around Parkhead was often deafening, Celtic had belatedly done just enough to merit the muted applause which acknowledged their progression to the next round of the cup in the most dramatic of circumstances.
While the proposed boycott of this match from the Celtic Collective was never going to be supported unanimously, the level of dissatisfaction with the way the club is being run was illustrated in the vast swathes of empty seats around the arena.
A point was certainly made. As chairman Brian Wilson prepares to clear his diary for talks with various supporters’ groups in the coming weeks, he’ll know that action from the hierarchy, and not just words, will be required if days such as these are not to become commonplace.
As chairman Brian Wilson prepares to clear his diary for talks with various supporters’ groups in the coming weeks, he’ll know that action from the hierarchy, and not just words, will be required if days such as these are not to become commonplace.
For the longest time, the shambles which Celtic have been for so long off the park was manifest on it.
Adamu’s backheel in stoppage-time rescued Celtic’s Scottish Cup bid
Tounekti struck quickly in extra-time to floor Dundee and pave the way to the quarters
Skipper Callum McGregor will be relieved to see Celtic dodge a shock Scottish Cup upset
A rudderless display by Martin O’Neill’s men had them heading for an early exit in the Scottish Cup until the most extraordinary of finales.
Trailing to a magnificent goal by Ethan Hamilton as stoppage time came and went, Junior Adamu made himself an instant hero with the home support by cheekily flicking home the goal which ensured we were going the distance.
Before Dundee’s players had cleared their minds, Seb Tounekti struck with the first meaningful action of extra-time to condemn them to an agonising Scottish Cup exit.
Quite how O’Neill managed to avoid falling to his first domestic defeat second time around, even he may struggle to explain.
His side were second best for so long here and apparently running out of ideas. You cannot, though, question the spirit the veteran has instilled within them again. It may yet take them a long way this season.
This was cruel on Dundee. They were richly deserving of the lead which Hamilton so spectacularly gave them and will feel short-changed that Adamu scored 58 seconds after referee Ryan Lee was supposed to have called time.
On the long road home last night, Steven Pressley and his players will have felt like they were victims of a mugging. The search for a first Scottish Cup since 1910 goes on.
Confirmed in the afternoon, the signing of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain brought to six the number of arrivals at Celtic since the start of the year.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was unveiled to the Celtic supporters
Three of those were in from the start against the Dark Blues with Joel Mvuku, the former Lorient winger, making his debut alongside Tomas Cvancara and Julian Araujo. Adamu began on the bench.
Last January, with the club seemingly in a good place, there were 40,916 tickets sold for Celtic’s opening Scottish Cup tie against Kilmarnock. You’d have been lucky if there were 30,000 inside the old place yesterday.
Celtic’s performance was entirely in keeping with the flat feeling around their spiritual home.
It might have been a different story has Mvuku connected with Yang Hyun-jun’s whipped cross early on, but the Norwegian just couldn’t extend his leg as he slid in at the far post.
Dundee started brightly. They took the ball under pressure and committed bodies in the final third. Cameron Congreve thought he’d succeeded in surprising Viljami Sinisalo from a tight angle only for the ball to bounce back off the post.
At the other end, Reo Hatate worked Jon McCracken with a curling effort, while Kieran Tierney also asked a question of the visiting keeper with a fierce low strike.
Mvuku had a mixed afternoon. Some moments of promise in the 45 minutes he was afforded were pockmarked by some lapses in concentration.
Pressley’s side were not without their moments of encouragement. Skipper Simon Murray headed narrowly wide after running onto a cross when he ought to have done better.
Tounekti strikes the killer blow for Celtic very early in extra-time
Just after the half hour mark, having forced a corner, Luke Graham’s side-footer looked bound for the back of the net until Araujo cleared on the goal-line.
With neither Yang or Mvuku winning their individual battles on the flanks, Cvancara struggled for service.
A deft chip over the top by Paulo Bernardo briefly stretched the Dundee defence. Hatate took it first time on the volley and lashed the ball into the side netting.
At the interval, O’Neill would have told his players that a marked improvement was required. There was no surprise that Bernardo and Mvuka made way for top scorer Benjamin Nygren and James Forrest.
Before either man had got up to the pace of the game, though, their side was trailing.
A contest which didn’t offer much by way of quality was illuminated by a quite brilliant goal by Hamilton.
With Yang chasing back to dispossess Congreve, Celtic looked set to spring an attack. Hamilton just motored onto the loose ball, though, and took two delightful touches to take him away from three green jerseys.
His third touch from 25 yards was a majestic left foot ping which arrowed into the top corner with Sinisalo a mere bystander. The visiting section exploded with joy.
Celtic tried to strike back quickly. Tierney’s cut-back looked perfect for Hatate. Another effort ended up in the side-netting.
Celtic players celebrate the winner in what was a very tense Scottish Cup fifth-round tie
Yang then found Tierney lurking with intent. McCracken beat away his stabbed attempted finish.
Dundee might have spared their supporters a nervy ending. Tony Yogane’s deflected strike beat Sinisalo only for Tierney to gather calmly on the line.
The night would end badly for the Scotland man as hobbled off after being taken out by Congreve.
As the five allotted minutes of injury time expired, Celtic looked done for. Yet there was just enough time for a plot twist.
Tounekti bombed and weaved down the left. For the first time since he entered the field, his cross reached the danger zone. The fresh legs of Adamu reacted with an audacious back-heel flick taking the game into extra-time.
Dundee, understandably, questioned where referee Ryan Lee had found the extra seconds.
Incredibly, having huffed and puffed for so much of the match, Celtic edged ahead just two minutes into the first period.
It was a piece of sheer brilliance by Tounekti. He played the ball to Luke McCowan then got on his toes to receive the cut back. His finish was ferocious, catching McCracken by surprise as to flashed home at the near post.
Celtic were now like a different team. Tounekti had another effort tipped over. Benjamin Nygren was denied by the keeper’s outstretched leg.
Adamu came close to settling the issue with a rising strike in the second period, but Celtic didn’t need it in the end. By the skin of their teeth, O’Neill’s men got there.
