Dundee 1-1 Celtic

Leigh Griffiths came off the bench to secure a draw for Celtic against Dundee at Dens Park.

James McPake headed the hosts ahead inside 50 seconds and Philip Roberts then hit the frame of the Celtic goal.

Celtic improved after the break and Griffiths' deflected drive drew them level before team-mate Anthony Stokes fired against a post.

Both sides had plenty of chances to win the game with Dundee's Martin Boyle, in particular, passing up late efforts.

Ronny Deila ended a nightmare week in the Celtic hot-seat still looking for a change in form as they failed to bounce back from their midweek Champions League play-off defeat by NK Maribor.

He left Virgil van Dijk out amid growing speculation the Dutch central defender is leaving but the manager said before kick-off the 23-year-old will be staying at the club.

Paul Hartley had vowed pre-match that his Dundee side would have a go at the champions, and he was true to his word with his side taking the lead inside the opening minute.

Roberts' corner found the head of McPake, who directed a header goalwards. Callum McGregor was on the back post but could only take a fresh air swipe at the ball and it nestled into the net behind him.

McPake rose above the Celtic defence to give Dundee an early lead

It could have been two a minute later when Gary Harkins' head-flick found Peter MacDonald and the striker shot narrowly wide.

It was a frantic start and Celtic soon had two chances of their own. Both Kris Commons and Stokes found space on the edge of the box but neither were able to get much purchase on their efforts.

Celtic had not lost three games in a row since March 2007 and, following defeats by Inverness and Maribor, they were now staring at an unwanted treble.

MacDonald nutmegged Efe Ambrose on a marauding run before Jason Denayer managed to block his shot, then winger Roberts jinked into the box and fired a shot off the far post.

And MacDonald was sent through one-on-one with goalkeeper Craig Gordon from Robert's long ball and lobbed just over.

Despite their dominance, Dundee had goalkeeper Kyle Letheren to thank after his breathtaking save denied Ambrose after the Nigeria international had got his head to Stokes' free-kick.

Celtic were far more like themselves at the start of the second half and, after a sustained period of pressure, they pulled themselves level.

Former Dens Park forward Griffiths - the subject of a failed loan bid by former club Hibernian - grabbed his first goal of the season from the right edge of the box when his low shot deflected off Thomas Konrad into the far corner.

Stokes came closest to a winner when his shot hit the outside of the right-hand post

However, Dundee substitute Boyle had three gilt-edge chances to restore the home side's lead.

On each occasion he raced clear down the right, however a Denayer block and a Gordon save denied his first two efforts, before he drove a shot wide when he perhaps should have cut the ball back to a team-mate.

Fellow replacement Luka Tankulic then forced another save from Gordon as Dundee searched for their first home win over Celtic since 1988.

Back came Celtic though and, after Stokes played a delightful one-two with Griffiths, the Irishman hammered the ball off the outside of the right-hand post.

One further opportunity fell Dundee's way as Tankulic was released on the right but he dragged his effort across the face of goal.