SCOTTISH PREMIER LEAGUE/ Dundee Utd 1 Celtic 1: A LATE STRIKE by substitute Francisco Sandaza gave Dundee United a share of the spoils against Celtic in yesterday's Scottish Premier League clash at Tannadice.
Paul Hartley's deflected goal six minutes after the break - and a controversial decision by referee Charlie Richmond to deny United a penalty when Roy O'Donovan clashed with Gary Caldwell - looked likely to give the champions all three points.
But in the 79th minute the Spaniard, on as a second-half substitute for Warren Feeney, nipped in at the near post to flick a Craig Conway cross past Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc.
United will, however, point to the game's most controversial incident in which Richmond refused to award a spot-kick when O'Donovan appeared to be tripped by Celtic defender Caldwell inside the penalty area.
Richmond ignored the claims to the distress of the Tannadice supporters, then almost immediately injured himself by running into Celtic midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura and minutes later was substituted by fourth official Iain Brines.
The referee may have been spared by United's equaliser, which came in a second half in stark contrast to a dull first period.
O'Donovan incensed the travelling support after 18 minutes when he was booked for barging Boruc as the Poland international shepherded the ball out of play.
Just after the half-hour, Celtic midfielder Aiden McGeady picked up a yellow card for a foul on Michael Kovacevic as the United defender drove purposefully down the right-hand side.
The champions looked increasingly dangerous and then, with five minutes of the half remaining, McGeady's stinging shot from the edge of the box had goalkeeper Lukasz Zaluska scrambling to push the ball past the post.
However, in the 51st minute Celtic fans had something to cheer about when Hartley drove the visitors into the lead - albeit with the help of a deflection.
Nakamura had time on the ball inside the United box to lay the ball off to the former Hearts midfielder, whose side-footed shot came off Garry Kenneth before nestling in the corner of the net.
In the 55th minute, United were denied what seemed a clearcut penalty when Caldwell seemed to trip O'Donovan inside the penalty area close to the byline after the Irishman had turned inside the Celtic defender.
Richmond looked long and hard before ignoring a vigorous claim, then a minute later compounded what looked like one crucial mistake by running into Nakamura in the centre circle leaving both men injured.
United finally got the equaliser when Sandaza nipped in at the near post to direct a cross from Conway into the far corner.
Two minutes from the end, Celtic striker Scott McDonald missed a sitter when he headed past the post from six yards out.
Rangers chairman David Murray came within hours of selling the club last year, it was revealed after the Scottish side's 2-0 victory over Hearts at Ibrox on Saturday.
Businessman Murray (56) said he pulled out of the deal at the last minute because of doubts over the buyers' plans for the team.
He said: "Everything was pretty much agreed and then I said, 'Look gentlemen, before we do this, can you tell me how you're going to run this club?' 'We'll carve this up, and we'll sell that off', and after a while I said 'Enough, we're not doing the deal.'"
DUNDEE UTD: Zaluska, Kovacevic, Kenneth, Wilkie, Grainger, Flood (Conway 78), Scott Robertson, Gomis, David Robertson (Buaben 64), Feeney (Sandaza 64), O'Donovan. Subs Not Used: McGovern, Dillon, Daly, McCord. Booked: O'Donovan. Goals: Sandaza 79.
CELTIC: Boruc, Hinkel, McManus, Caldwell, Wilson, Nakamura (Robson 68), Hartley, Scott Brown, McGeady, McDonald (Samaras 88), Vennegoor of Hesselink. Subs Not Used: Mark Brown, Crosas, Donati, O'Dea, Caddis. Booked: McGeady.
Referee: C Richmond(Scotland).
