Unbeaten start ends at Celtic

Dundee United lost their unbeaten SPL record as they fell to a heavy 5-1 defeat at Celtic.

Striker Johnny Russell managed to cancel out an early Anthony Stokes goal but the visitors weren't back level for long as Gary Hooper immediately restored the home advantage.

Following the interval Ki Sung-Yueng, Joe Ledley and James Forrest added further goals to complete an emphatic victory.

Terrors goalkeeper Dusan Pernis had trouble with an early Kris Commons drive and Stokes nodded in from the subsequent fourth-minute corner.

But Russell drew his side back level when being left unmarked just after the half-hour, only for Hooper to head the hosts back in front after the ball came back off the crossbar two minutes later.

Commons then struck the inside of an upright following the interval and John Rankin shot wide in reply before Ki's firm drive made it 3-1 on 58 minutes.

The visitors tried to respond and Garry Kenneth and Russell both posed threats with headers until substitute Shaun Maloney sent in Ledley for a simple finish with nineteen minutes remaining.

Fellow replacement Forrest added another in the final minute after Maloney and Rankin had each tried their luck at their respective ends.

Celtic: Zaluska, M. Wilson, Majstorovic, K. Wilson, Mulgrew, Brown, Ledley, Ki Sung-Yueng, Commons (Forrest 63), Stokes (McCourt 78), Hooper (Maloney 66)

subs (unused): Cervi, Matthews, Wanyama, Samaras

Goals: Stokes (4), Hooper (33), Ki Sung-Yueng (58), Ledley (71), Forrest (90)

Dundee United: Pernis, Dillon, Dixon, Kenneth, Watson, Flood (Gunning 78), Robertson, Rankin, Allan (Armstrong 67), Daly, Russell

subs (unused): Banks, Douglas, Swanson, Mackay-Steven, Dow

Goals: Russell (31)

Ref: C. Thomson

Att: 50,589

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