Slipshod Celtic stumbled in this season’s compelling Scottish Premiership title race with a damaging 2-0 defeat by Dundee United at Tannadice.
The pressure was on Martin O’Neill’s side after leaders Hearts and title-challenging Rangers both won on Saturday and they meekly failed to meet the challenge.
On a poor Tannadice pitch, the Hoops were shaken by a Will Ferry goal in the 51st minute before Emmanuel Agyei drove in a second in the 63rd minute.
The result means an eighth league loss for Celtic this season to leave them in third place, five points behind the Gorgie outfit and two points behind their Old Firm rivals, with seven fixtures remaining after the international break.
United have beaten Celtic twice in a row at home in the league for the first time since April 1991 and it leaves them six points behind sixth-place Falkirk with two fixtures before the split and still with a chance of a top-half finish.
Jim Goodwin’s side, who beat Celtic 2-1 in December during Wilfried Nancy’s short tenure, was unchanged.
Skipper Callum McGregor returned to the visitors’ midfield after recovering from a calf injury, while striker Kelechi Iheanacho made his first start since December 14 where he suffered a hamstring injury.
Free-flowing football was at a premium on the heavily-sanded pitch and the ball appeared to spend a lot of time in the air.
In the 13th minute, Celtic defender Kieran Tierney fired over the crossbar following a corner before Ferry’s powerful drive from inside the Hoops penalty area forced a fine save from goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo, with the corner coming to nothing.
In the 37th minute, United stopper Ashley Maynard-Brewer made a decent save from Iheanacho’s angled-drive after the visitors had pierced the home defence, which was largely solid.
Celtic were stunned soon after the start of the second half when the hosts worked the ball down the right-hand side and when Luca Stephenson’s cross escaped a clutch of bodies in front of Sinisalo, Ferry was alone 10 yards out and bounced his shot off the ground and into the back of the net.
McGregor and Iheanacho soon made way for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Sebastian Tounekti as O’Neill reshuffled.
Celtic took control and in the 63rd minute Reo Hatate’s long-range effort was fumbled against the post by Maynard-Brewer, who was glad of the second chance to gather. And the let-off appeared more significant moments later.
After Ferry fought his way into the Celtic box again, his cut-back found Max Watters whose shot was blocked out to Agyei 20 yards from goal and he smartly returned the ball through a forest of legs and into the net.
United maintained their threat. Sinisalo tipped a free-kick from Ferry over the crossbar and Iurie Iovu headed the corner just over, while Celtic simply could not find a way back.
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