O’Neill wary of dropped points as games run out

O’Neill wary of dropped points as games run out

Quick Reads

• Dundee United defeated Celtic 2-0 at Tannadice in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday, March 22.
• Will Ferry opened the scoring in the 51st minute, with Emmanuel Agyei adding a second in the 66th minute.
• Celtic now sit third in the table, five points behind leaders Hearts and two behind Rangers, with seven games remaining.
• It was Dundee United’s second consecutive home win over Celtic in the league, a feat last achieved in 1991.
• Manager Martin O’Neill acknowledged the result as a “setback” but insists Celtic are not out of the title race.

Celtic’s Title Bid Takes Major Hit in Tannadice Defeat

Celtic’s grip on the Scottish Premiership loosened dramatically on Sunday as Dundee United handed them a 2-0 defeat at Tannadice, leaving Martin O’Neill’s side five points adrift of leaders Hearts with seven matches to play. Will Ferry and Emmanuel Agyei scored the second-half goals that condemned the reigning champions to their eighth league defeat of the season and handed Hearts and Rangers a crucial advantage at the top.

The match turned on the first goal. Celtic had created the better chances in a goalless first half, Kieran Tierney fired over from a corner and Kelechi Iheanacho tested goalkeeper Ashley Maynard-Brewer, but they could not find the breakthrough. Six minutes after the restart, Dundee United did. Luca Stephenson drove down the right and picked out Ferry at the back post, and the Irish midfielder bounced his finish off the turf and into the net for his first goal in almost two years.

Celtic briefly threatened a response. Reo Hatate’s effort was fumbled by Maynard-Brewer against the post in the 63rd minute, but the ball stayed out. From that let-off, Dundee United made the game safe. Agyei collected a blocked shot from Max Watters on the edge of the area and drove a composed first-time effort into the bottom corner, the 21-year-old Ghanaian’s first goal for the club and one of the goals of the season.

For O’Neill, the numbers tell a difficult story. Celtic have now lost more league games than Hearts and Rangers combined, yet they remain mathematically in the race with games still to play against the sides above them. Captain Callum McGregor called for calm heads with the run-in approaching, while pundits were less charitable. Sky Sports analyst James McFadden pointed to the club’s failure to adequately replace key departures in the summer as the root cause of the regression. Chris Sutton, the former Celtic striker, described his old club as an “embarrassment” this season, calling Sunday a defining day in the title race. Former Rangers striker Kris Boyd added that winning games had been masking deeper structural problems, and that those problems have now been fully exposed.

By the Numbers

Result: Dundee United 2-0 Celtic Goals: Will Ferry 51′, Emmanuel Agyei 66′ Venue: Tannadice Park, Dundee Celtic’s league losses this season: 8 Scottish Premiership standings (after the match): Hearts, 1st Rangers, 2nd (2 points behind Hearts) Celtic, 3rd (5 points behind Hearts) Games remaining for Celtic: 7 Historic note: Dundee United’s second successive home league win over Celtic, first time that has happened since 1991 Next fixture: Celtic vs Dundee at Dens Park, Sunday April 5 (4:30pm, Sky Sports Football)