Dundee Utd - 2 Celtic - 3: Celtic manager Martin O'Neill has vowed to keep Craig Bellamy at the club after the on-loan striker sent the Hoops back to the top of the Premier League with a hat-trick in the 3-2 win at Dundee United on Saturday. The Wales international had twice put the Celtic Park club ahead in the first period but Jim McIntyre and Barry Robson hauled the SPL bottom side back into the game.
However, with 10 minutes remaining, Bellamy was on hand to complete an excellent three-goal haul at Tannadice. The 25-year-old has already expressed his desire to stay in Glasgow, although the Celtic boss was unconvinced he would be able to finance any permanent deal. But now O'Neill is set to approach the club hierarchy in a bid to find the cash to keep Bellamy at Parkhead.
O'Neill said: "If Craig Bellamy wants to stay, then we will have to find the money to keep him."
O'Neill also praised the contribution of goalkeeper Rob Douglas who produced a superb save in the closing minutes to deny Robson from a free-kick. "That was a great save and he was delighted with the crowd's reaction, which proved something," said O'Neill. However, striker Chris Sutton appeared to suffer another hamstring injury.
But, while Bellamy wants to stay, former Middlesbrough playmaker Juninho is set to leave the club and return to his homeland.
The Brazilian has never really settled at the club but the same cannot be said of Bellamy who struck the opener in the fifth minute. The striker made a run out to the right and after being found by Jackie McNamara steadied himself before letting fly with an unstoppable right-foot drive past Tony Bullock.
But the Celtic defence were caught out by a Bullock punt and McIntyre latched onto it to drive the ball past Douglas and into the net from 18 yards. Then, in the 34th minute, Ulrik Laursen picked out the clever run of the Welshman behind the United defence and Bellamy crashed a left-foot strike past Bullock.
But the home side hauled themselves back on level terms in the 71st minute following a rare mistake by Neil Lennon. McIntyre found Robson and he fired a stunning right-foot shot past Douglas and into the top corner.
With 10 minutes left, Sutton flicked on Douglas' long punt and Bellamy hit a right-foot shot past Bullock from just inside the area.
DUNDEE UTD: Bullock, Wilson, Kenneth, Ritchie, Archibald, Duff (Scotland 86 mins), Kerr (McInnes 58 mins), Brebner, Robson, Crawford (Grady 76 mins), McIntyre. Subs not used: Colgan, Samuel, Dodds, Robertson. Booked: Kenneth, Brebner. Goals: McIntyre 24, Robson 71.
CELTIC: Douglas, McNamara, Balde, Varga, Laursen (Wallace 78 mins), McGeady (Henchoz 84 mins), Petrov, Lennon, Thompson, Bellamy, Hartson (Sutton 61 mins). Subs not used: Marshall, Valgaeren, Fernandez, Maloney. Booked: Douglas, McNamara. Goals: Bellamy 5, 34, 80.
Referee: D McDonald (Scotland).
