Scott Brown, Samaras and Lee Naylor came back into the Celtic XI, whilst Evander Sno enjoyed another start. For the visitors, Michael Kovacevic made his debut.
There was question marks before kick-off surrounding Levein’s approach to this game. A win would secure them a place in the top-six, but the CIS Cup final against Rangers looms on Sunday.
Celtic, as expected, started the brighter when the breaking Aiden McGeady’s cross was flicked on by Scott McDonald to Shunsuke Nakamura, who hit the post.
The Japanese was looking up for the contest, giving Danny Grainger the runaround before crossing for Samaras. The big Greek couldn’t get his header on target, though.
Both teams were comfortable in possession, but the hosts were in an attacking mood. With so many tricks up the Hooped sleeves, the visitors were committing fouls at an alarming frequency.
Craig Conway and O’Brien were always a threat on the counter, winning a couple of corners. Only timely blocks and deflections kept the visitors out as they enjoyed a good spell on the half-hour mark.
Samaras loves to charge forward and was able to find McDonald in the area. The Aussie span sharply and beat the ’keeper, but could only hit the post again.
The game was end-to-end as halftime approached and United missed a golden opportunity when Conway headed over the top after Kovacevic’s cross.
Second Half
Celtic tried to up the tempo again after the break, with Nakamura’s corner was glanced across goal by Scott Brow. Brown’s ball could have gone anywhere had it taken a touch.
Nakamura was still prominent as the second half progressed, sending a trademark free-kick whistling over the bar.
Celtic decided to go for it on the hour mark, with Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and Barry Robson replacing Samaras and Sno.
The tempo of this game was truly relentless, with Celtic in particular keen not to leave it late yet again. Both teams, though, were beginning to get passionately frustrated in a game that anyone might have thought was a cup final itself.
As Celtic started to turn the screw, stopper Stephen McManus forced a save from Lukasz Zaluska.
The pressure continued to mount, but Nakamura couldn’t turn in from a tight angle after strong work by Vennegoor of Hesselink. Brown, too, went close with another header.
Nakamura was pulling the strings towards the end of a fine performance, clipping a ball high into the airspace of Vennegoor of Hesselink, but the big Dutchman couldn’t finish either.
This was already a grandstand finish, but was there to be another late, late goal for Gordon Strachan’s men?
The Celtic cause was helped by the fourth official’s board, which indicated four minutes of injury time. Goalie Artur Boruc looked itchy, hovering near the halfway line and desperate to join the Hoops’ cause.
Time – and Celtic’s run of late goals – would eventually come to an end. Celtic are three points behind title rivals Rangers, having played one game more.
Dundee United, meanwhile, move up to third place on goals scored – taking a massive confidence boost into their Hampden final on Sunday.
Soccer Slave