Dundee stun Celtic with first-half double as champions fail to close gap on Hearts

Dundee stunned Celtic at Dens Park with a first-half double, as the champions failed to close the gap on Hearts at the top of the table.

Play was stopped in the opening five minutes after balls were thrown onto the pitch from the away supporters, with players and staff forced to remove them from the field.

It came amid a wave of action by Celtic fans against the club’s board in recent months, with keeper Kasper Schmeichel pleading with supporters to stop.

Clark Robertson was the man on hand for the home side after 17 minutes, with a darting run across the box to guide a header into the far corner from a set-piece delivery.

Moments later, Kieran Tierney squandered a golden chance to level the game outside the six-yard box after a dinked pass from Reo Hatate, blasting wide of the Dundee goal.

Both sides had chances as the first half progressed, before Dundee stung the visitors again with a whipped ball across the face of goal for Joe Westley to guide home into the corner, taking a nick off Hoops defender Carter-Vickers on the way in.

The strike left Celtic looking rattled heading into the interval as the home crowd erupted upon the half-time whistle.

Brendan Rodgers brought on experienced James Forrest and youngster Johnny Kenny for Yang and Anthony Ralston as the champions searched for a way back in.

The away side probed with attacks, with Hatate going close, before Dundee nearly made it a trifecta on the hour mark from a header. Heroic defending inside the area then stopped a sure-fire goal from Kelechi Iheanacho.

VAR was forced to intervene with 20 minutes to play when the referee pointed to the spot after Hatate’s shot cannoned off Paul Digby for a suspected handball. However, the replay showed the ball hit the defender on the face, and play continued.

The Japanese midfielder drilled another effort low towards the bottom corner before another defensive intervention turned the ball wide. A top save by Jon McCracken then denied Balikwisha in injury time.

The home side held on for a massive victory, while Celtic remained five points behind leaders Hearts ahead of a tantalising clash at Tynecastle next Sunday.