Samaras and Hooper help Celts surge seven clear

Smart finishes from Georgios Samaras and Gary Hooper sent Celtic seven points clear at the top of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League with victory at Dundee last night.

Samaras sent Celtic on their way to a fifth consecutive SPL victory with an overhead kick 16 minutes into a one-sided first half at Dens Park.

Dundee made a game of it after the break and Colin Nish missed a great chance to equalise but Hooper secured the points in the 71st minute when he lobbed Rab Douglas.

Dundee had been boosted before the game by the return of captain Stephen O’Donnell following a four-month absence with hamstring problems.

O’Donnell had the first shooting opportunity in the ninth minute when he pounced on Emilio Izaguirre’s poor clearance and sent a curling effort just over the top corner from 20 yards, but that was as good as it got for the hosts in the first half.

Izaguirre soon created Celtic’s first half chance with a deep cross that Tony Watt, who came in for Lassad Nouioui, volleyed towards the near post with Douglas pushing it past.

Charlie Mulgrew swung the set-piece in and Efe Ambrose met it first-time but his shot bounced off the bar from six yards and Victor Wanyama volleyed the rebound over.

Hooper, who started the match at the head of a midfield diamond, shot just wide from 25 yards before Celtic took the lead.

Another inswinging corner from Mulgrew caused problems and Watt fired a shot from beyond the back post that Douglas pushed on to the bar. The rebound fell eight yards out and Samaras hooked the ball over his head and into the top corner.

The Greek striker came close to his second six minutes later after Beram Kayal burst forward and played him into the left channel, but Douglas pushed his curling effort beyond the far post.

Mulgrew went off at half-time with Mikael Lustig coming on at right-back and Ambrose moving into central defence.

Nish should have equalised in the 50th minute. Ryan Conroy’s cross from the by-line was inch perfect for the unmarked Nish five yards out, but the former Hibernian striker could not guide his header far enough away from Fraser Forster and the goalkeeper threw out his left hand to stop.

Dundee kept the pressure on and Celtic manager Neil Lennon made a change in the 61st minute when he brought on James Forrest for Kayal and switched to a more orthodox 4-4-2 with Samaras moving to left midfield.

And Hooper ended any Celtic doubts when Lustig’s lofted ball up the right bounced over Declan Gallagher’s head and the former Scunthorpe striker lobbed Douglas from 16 yards.

Forster soon pushed over a looping header from Nish but Celtic were dominant in the closing stages and Hooper twice came close to a third.

DUNDEE: Douglas, Irvine, Lockwood, Benedictus, Gallagher, McAlister, O’Donnell (Boyle 83), McBride, Conroy, John Baird (Stewart 74), Nish.

CELTIC: Forster, Ambrose, Wilson, Mulgrew (Lustig 46), Izaguirre, Wanyama, Brown, Kayal (Forrest 60), Hooper, Samaras, Watt (McCourt 79).

Ref: Iain Brines (Scotland).