Celtic marked Tommy Burns' first match in charge for three years with an
emphatic victory.
Burns, dismissed as manager in 1997, took control of team affairs as
caretaker-manager Kenny Dalglish was suffering from food poisoning.
Named as first team coach until the end of the season, Burns saw his team
narrow the gap on Rangers at the top of the Premier League to eight points.
Tommy Johnson grabbed his first hat-trick for the club and in so doing plunged
Dundee into more trouble.
They have now won only once in 12 games and for the second time in a week were
hammered by the Old Firm.
Rafael was named on the bench for the first time following his £4.8million
move from Gremio at the end of last year.
His appearance had been delayed because of the need for a work permit followed
by a spell on the sidelines after suffering from appendicitis.
The Brazilian defender saw his team-mates get off to a flying start thanks to
two goals in the space of the first 31 minutes from Johnson.
Johnson should have put Celtic ahead in the first minute but shot tamely into
keeper Robert Douglas' arms after being released by Mark Viduka.
Douglas was then forced to leave the field apparently for stitches in a head
wound after being caught by Morten Weighorst as the Danish midfielder spooned
his shot over the bar.
Robert Raeside took the jersey with Dundee reduced to 10 men for nine
minutes.
They held out during that spell but Johnson made the breakthrough in the 18th
minute.
Jackie McNamara played the ball in from the right and even though Douglas got
a hand to the ball, he was unable to stop it going into the net.
Dundee, thrashed 7-1 by Rangers at the weekend, caved in with Johnson adding
his second in the 31st minute, ramming a shot high over Douglas after being set
up by Viduka.
Viduka's strength then took him into the heart of Dundee defence for Celtic's
third goal five minutes later.
It was becoming a rout and Stilian Petrov added the fourth two minutes before
the break when he got on the end of a cross from Lubomir Moravcik.
Dundee's frustration boiled over in injury time when Frank Van Eijs brought
down Stephane Mahe. Referee Stuart Dougal gave a penalty without hesitation and
Viduka knocked the spot kick beyond Douglas.
The Dundee keeper made a spectacular save from Jackie McNamara six minutes
after the break after the ball had been played in by Moravcik.
Rafael came on for the last 32 minutes of the game when he replaced Mahe and
was given a rousing reception by the home supporters.
However Dundee pulled a goal back a minute later with a spectacular 25-yard
strike from Hugh Robertson which flew beyond Dmitri Kharine.
But the visitors shot themselves in the foot in the 64th minute when Johnson
completed his hat-trick.
Frank Van Eijs was woefully short with a back pass and Johnson nipped in to
score with referee Dougal rightly ignoring his assistant's raised flag.
Dundee continued to play with no little spirit despite the deficit and scored
a second in the 77th minute when James Grady headed home a cross from Steven
Boyack.
Teams:
Celtic: Kharine, McNamara, Mahe (Rafael 56), Mjallby, Stubbs,
Boyd, Petrov, Wieghorst, Moravcik (Berkovic 62), Viduka,Johnson (Burchill 70).
Subs Not Used: Kerr, Tebily.
Booked: Stubbs, Mahe.
Goals: Johnson 18, 31, Viduka 36, Petrov 43, Viduka 45 pen,Johnson 64.
Dundee: Douglas, Tweed, Raeside, Boyack, Rae,
Annand (Bayne 60), Grady, Robertson, Sharp,Van Eijs (Maddison 85), Wilkie.
Subs Not Used: Langfield, Falconer, Mair.
Booked: Grady, Annand.
Goals: Robertson 58, Grady 77.
Att: 56,228
Ref: S Dougal (Scotland)
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