Strachan takes positives from narrow Cup win

Celtic came from behind to clinch a narrow 2-1 victory over First Division strugglers Dundee in their Scottish Cup fourth round match on Saturday.

Just over 23,000 hardy souls braved heavy rain and strong winds to make it to Parkhead and they watched as a howler from Celtic keeper Artur Boruc gifted Colin McMenamin the chance to put Dundee ahead early in the game.

But two superb individual goals from Scott Brown and Aiden McGeady, making his first appearance in three games following a bust-up with manager Gordon Strachan, gave Celtic the win.

Hoops gaffer Strachan said he took lots of positives from the match.

“We are through to the next round, made chances and I got four players who have been out injured on the field,” Strachan said.

“The game was half decent despite the weather. We got into a lot of good shooting positions but I thought we were poor in our finishing today.”

Dundee manager Jocky Scott said he was pleased with his side’s performance.

“I thought we handled it well and worked extremely hard,” Scott said.

“We certainly didn’t disgrace ourselves and came out of it with credit. At the death their keeper dropped the ball and if he had dropped it the other way it would have been in the net.”

The first chance of the match came in the fifth minute from Shunsuke Nakamura. The ball landed at his feet after the Dundee defence failed to clear a McGeady cross but the Japanese international’s shot was easily saved by former Celtic keeper Rab Douglas.

Celtic dominated possession and continued to press but it was Dundee who took the lead in an extraordinary fashion following a horrendous blunder from Boruc in the 14th minute.

Glenn Loovens headed wide from a Nakamura corner but Dundee winger O’Brien kept the ball in play on the by-line before knocking it round Jan Veenegoor of Hesselink and playing a long ball forward for McMenamin to chase.

Boruc looked favourite to get to it first as he raced out of his box but the Pole completely missed his attempted left-foot volley clearance leaving the Dundee striker free to roll the ball into the empty net.

The home fans thought Brown had fired Celtic level in the 27th minute but his header from a Nakamura free-kick hit the side netting. But the midfield dynamo had his name on the score-sheet ten minutes later.

He raced down the left-wing before cutting in and finding Scott McDonald with a pass. The Australian’s shot was weak but the ball broke back to Brown who calmly slotted it past Douglas.

Celtic took the lead in the 44th minute through a tremendous McGeady strike. A flowing move involving Lee Naylor culminated in the Irish international cutting inside from the left and firing an angled stinging drive into the top corner of the net.

McMenamin had a chance to get his second of the match in the 51st minute but his audacious back-flick from a cross from the left went straight to Boruc.

A minute later McGeady tried his luck with a chip from the edge of the box which Douglas did well to tip over the bar.

McDonald created an opportunity for himself in the 74th minute when he lost his marker in the box but Douglas did well to hold on to his low angled drive in the slippery conditions.

Another Boruc mistake nearly gifted Dundee an equaliser in the final minute. The Polish keeper let a cross from the right slip through his fingers on the line and Loovens was forced to volley clear.

SPL strugglers Inverness Caledonian Thistle made light work of First Division Partick Thistle with a 3-0 victory.

A late Alex Williams equaliser means Kilmarnock and Ayr will have to replay the Ayrshire derby at Rugby Park following a 2-2 draw. Aberdeen were forced to work hard for a 2-1 win over Alloa.

Falkirk sent last year’s beaten finalists Queen of the South crashing out of the Cup with a 4-2 win.