Celtic cruelly spear Dundee dreams - with fans so close to witnessing once-in-lifetime moment

They got a holiday in Pitlochry for that. We will never know what they might have been rewarded with here. Leading from the 49th minute until the 95th minute after Ethan Hamilton’s wonder goal four minutes after half time, they had more than one foot in the last eight.

Celtic pulled them back by the scruff of their neck in the most heart-breaking way imaginable for their fans, who were set to witness something none of their forebears, not even in the club’s glory days, had witnessed before. All the pre-match talk had been about new signing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who was introduced to those home supporters who had ignored calls to boycott before kick-off.

But while his arrival was enthusiastically greeted, it was Junior Adamu, signed on loan from SC Freiburg, who earned the headlines with a dream debut after he back-heeled in the equaliser with the last kick of regulation time. The vocal visiting supporters might scoff at the notion of regulation time. Five minutes added time had been displayed after Kieran Tierney was felled in a collision with Cameron Congreve in the 90th minute. Celtic then needed every last second – and more - of it to preserve their Scottish Cup ambitions.

Referee Ryan Lee had looked at his wristwatch more than once as substitute Sebastian Tounekti advanced down the left. Dundee gave him far too much space. Right back Brad Halliday, previously excellent, made a fatally half-hearted attempt at a challenge, allowing the winger to send in a cross which Adamu converted with some nifty footwork.

How late it was, how late. And if you were Dundee, how deflating. Any hope they might be able to lift themselves back off the canvas was extinguished two minutes into the first period of extra time, when Tounekti played a one-two with fellow replacement Marcelo Saracchi – they were 13 substitutes used in total, with Celtic granted a concussion sub for Tierney - and drove into the net past Jon McCracken.

It was a strange game after that given the high-octane fare of before. The energy went out of Dundee’s play, understandably, but they did conjure one last chance in the final seconds that was sclaffed over by Hamilton, the tie’s outstanding performer, following a half-cleared corner.

Dundee get a deserved ovation

The players were given an ovation at the end from their supporters, rightly so. What a shift they put in on a night when something special seemed possible from early on. A Tomas Cvancara flick gave Joel Mvuka, another new Celtic signing, something to chase but McCracken was already on his way out of his box to clear. Good goalkeeping. It was an early illustration of Dundee’s mindset. They were equal to most things Celtic were trying. Cutbacks into the penalty area from ether flank invariably found a visiting player in the right place at the right time to intercept.

When that wasn’t the case, the quality of ball let down the hosts down. A Yang Hyun-jun cross was just too far in front of Mvuka. Dundee were not simply content to sit back and seek to smother Celtic pressure. A Luke Graham effort following Cameron Congreve’s corner was scrambled past the upright by Celtic just after the half hour mark. Drey Wright, meanwhile, blazed over after Yan Dhanda’s header was cleared.

The Dundee fans were enjoying what they were seeing from their team who were being true to Steven Pressley’s word. The manager had stressed pre-match they would aim to ‘get at’ Celtic. Dundee had held the upper hand in the meetings so far this season, winning the first league meeting 2-0 at Dens and losing only 1-0 on their previous Parkhead visit.

It was 3-1 to Dundee on aggregate four minutes after half time after one of the goals of this or any season. O’Neill made two changes at half-time in a bid to liven his side up – Benjamin Nygren came on for Paulo Bernardo while James Forrest replaced Mvuka, who found the going difficult on his debut.

But these additions had barely had time to break sweat before Congreve was teasing Liam Scales while advancing down the right flank. When the winger slipped and the ball ran loose, Hamilton was onto it in a flash. He drove away from Callum McGregor and struck a left-footed shot from just outside the box that was always bending away from Viljami Sinisalo into the side-netting of the goal. It was a goal fit to win any game. Just not this one, agonisingly for Dundee fans.