Dundee Utd 1 - 1 Celtic: United draw on sense of injustice to fight back and deny Celtic victory

DROPPED points at Tannadice Park are a rarity for Celtic, a ground which has become a second home for the Parkhead team.

This is only the second time in the last nine years that they have failed to leave Tannadice without the bounty of victory, though for much of this latest visit yesterday it looked very much as though everything would again go Celtic's way.

Spanish striker Francisco Sandaza trashed this notion with an equaliser in the 79th minute, after Paul Hartley had put the visitors ahead just six minutes into the second-half. The explosion of joy prompted by Sandaza's strike told its own tale. And, for United supporters, it is a familiar one. They will feel they have to work harder than most simply to attain parity with the Old Firm. Frustration again bubbled at their core, and an outlet for this often destructive emotion was provided by the impressive Sandaza's deserved equaliser.

Yesterday's events provided a further, darker reason to describe Tannadice as a second home for Celtic. After last weekend's questionable award of a decisive penalty against St Mirren, Celtic again benefited from a refereeing decision which looked highly debatable.

A hitherto drab game was kicked into life by Charlie Richmond's 54th-minute decision to ignore United appeals for a penalty after Roy O'Donovan had been upended by Gary Caldwell while in the process of shooting. The on-loan Irish striker might have fallen with more drama than was necessary, but there seemed little doubt he had been caught by the defender.

What happened next simply re-heated a broth of United grievances that extends back to August last year, when Christian Kalvenes was sent off against Kilmarnock in the harshest of circumstances. More high profile, however, were the games against Rangers – in the CIS Cup final and a league game in May at Ibrox – which saw manager Craig Levein make public his outrage at a series of questionable refereeing decisions. Here again he had reason to wonder whether referees spend their evenings plotting new ways in which to vex him.

It took a moment or so for United fans to translate Richmond's arm signal. He pointed to the corner flag rather than in the direction of the penalty spot, which almost everyone in the ground had expected. With this established, the United fans erupted in fury. This agitated, finger-jabbing bodypop has now become a ritual dance among the tangerine legion, but there is at least no prejudice at work – United can be the victims of bad calls against Celtic as well as Rangers.

Many in the ground perhaps hoped ill would befall Richmond, and this rather sour wish was swiftly granted. Within a minute the referee was lying prone on the turf, though not because a United player had allowed his frustration to get the better of him. Rather, the referee simply collided with Shunsuke Nakamura. For a while it looked as though the Celtic player had come off worse, but then it became clear Richmond was the one in no fit state to continue. Revealingly, perhaps, he was helped from the field by Celtic staff. No-one from United lifted so much as a finger. Fourth official Iain Brines took over the whistle duties, and was quickly required to consider another United appeal for a penalty. Scott Robertson clattered into two Celtic defenders in the box, although it looked as though he had hoped to trick the stand-in referee into making a favourable decision, in light of what had gone before.

Brines stood firm, and Celtic retained the slim advantage given to them by Hartley's strike in the 51st minute. Mark Wilson was the architect. The left-back crossed to the back post for Nakamura to lay the ball off for Hartley, who swept it into the net via a deflection.

It was to United's credit that they composed themselves after the double blow of a conceded goal and turned-down penalty appeal. O'Donovan had a chance to equalise after Caldwell had left a long ball, but the Irish striker shot weakly at Artur Boruc. Sandaza, sent on after 65 minutes for Warren Feeney, was more productive. Craig Conway joined him in making a contribution from the bench, and with his first touches helped fashion a chance from the left. Conway's cross was whipped towards the near post, and Sandaza expertly clipped an effort beyond Boruc. United then looked the more likely winners, but Celtic were offered the most clear-cut chance to gain all three points. In the final minutes Stephen McManus headed a cross back across goal, and Scott McDonald had only to help the ball in with his head. The striker allowed himself to be put off by goalkeeper Lukasz Zaluska, however, and his effort went wide.

A defeat would have been hard for United, even though such an outcome has been the norm against Celtic in recent years. A point, though, helped ease their bitter sense of injustice.