Celtic 3-2 Dundee: Giorgos Giakoumakis hat-trick sends hosts three points clear

Giorgos Giakoumakis fired home with four minutes left to sink Dundee

Celtic edged three points clear of Rangers at the Scottish Premiership summit after Giorgos Giakoumakis' hat-trick earned a dramatic late win over bottom club Dundee.

Giakoumakis bagged a quickfire double to turn the tables in Mark McGhee's first game as Dundee manager.

Ryan Sweeney levelled, but Giakoumakis pounced late to snatch a huge win.

Tensions rose inside Celtic Park as the hosts bludgeoned the stubborn and well-organised basement dwellers, until Giakoumakis landed a massive blow in the title race.

Dundee remain two points adrift of St Johnstone at the foot of the table.

• Reaction and as it happened

Giakoumakis has been maligned a little since fetching up at Celtic, not helped by the continued absence of the electric Kyogo Furuhashi. He has spurned big opportunities, fluffed a penalty and been frustrated in front of goal, scoring four in 17 games, but his industry cannot be questioned.

The powerful Greek is a workhorse and a relentless nuisance. He gets himself in tantalising positions over and over. His desire to get on the end of things never wanes no matter how wayward his finishing can be.

For a long time, it looked like it might be another troublesome day for Giakoumakis, who sclaffed an early shot wide from a smart Callum McGregor cutback. Celtic, in general, were laboured.

McGhee had bristled with indignation in his pre-match interview when it was put to him that some Dundee fans are underwhelmed by his appointment. In the early throes, his team did not so much park the bus as bring a fleet of double-deckers to Glasgow. And it worked.

Celtic have struggled against teams who sit in and hoover up space while dynamiting those who try to play more freely. McGhee's ultra-defensive rearguard - a back three that was, ostensibly, a back five - stymied them.

The visitors had 14% possession and no shots when they struck. Celtic were bamboozled by a swirling Paul McMullan corner and as everyone in green and white froze, Mullen pounced, side-footing past Joe Hart on the bounce from six yards out.

It was a stunning moment for their sparse travelling fans. Underwhelmed? More like over the moon.

But 64 minutes is a long time to resist a side that had rattled in 57 goals across 27 league matches. Dundee's lead evaporated after only eight.

Carl Starfelt's header ricocheted to Giakoumakis, who finished ruthlessly on the swivel from near the penalty spot. It was clinical stuff from the abrasive forward.

Four minutes later, he was at it again. Daizen Maeda burned up the left flank, and his vicious cross was parried to the feet of the striker by Ian Lawlor. Giakoumakis could scarcely miss.

There could have been a hat-trick soon after, when Giakoumakis was bodied to the ground by Vontae Daley-Campbell as a cross soared into the home box and the Celtic fans howled for a penalty. They kept howling as Maeda headed straight at Lawlor.

Celtic exploded into the second half, eager to blow Dundee away. Maeda missed another brilliant delivery and McGregor blasted over from a tantalising position inside the box. Giakoumakis couldn't grapple yet another clever ball under control. Jota blasted acrobatically home but was correctly flagged offside.

Dundee had scarcely touched the ball. As an attacking force, they were flatlining. And then, with help from Starfelt, the defibrillator was applied spectacularly.

The Swedish defender committed a silly foul, wiping out Niall McGinn. The former Celtic winger swung in a terrific ball from the right, and the towering Sweeney bulleted home his header.

Sweeney's goal imbued Dundee with new belief, and they began to emerge from their diligent defensive shape. Mullen gave Celtic palpitations when he scooped a Max Anderson cutback over the bar at the near post.

Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou sent for Tom Rogic and Liel Abada, two of his greatest creative talents. McGhee turned to Liam Fontaine, one of his most seasoned defenders.

Abada would miscue a Jota cross wide. Anthony Ralston latched on to a deep delivery but his volley was diverted clear. Jota skipped past half of Dundee before shooting tamely from the edge of the area.

It looked like a colossal, infuriating missed opportunity for Celtic, and a tactical triumph for McGhee, until four minutes from the end.

Celtic Park was a boiling cauldron of frustration and angst when Giakoumakis answered the SOS call, slamming past Lawlor from inside the box with Celtic's 19th shot of the day.

Even then, there was time for more home distress as Dundee claimed furiously for handball with the final act.

But it would be a day for Giakoumakis to savour. After scoring the winner, he ripped his shirt off and twirled it vigorously around his head. Celtic Park went berserk. There is a long way to go yet, but the striker, and his fans, knew what a monumental goal it was.

Man of the match - Giorgos Giakoumakis

Three predatory striker's finishes from Giakoumakis secured this huge victory

More to follow.