INVERNESS CT 1

CELTIC 1

Scorers: Inverness CT - Dargo (1); Celtic - Hartson (21)

ROY KEANE was the only missing ingredient from a sumptuous football feast in the Highlands. This was a thrilling preamble to the festive fixture schedule but one, frankly, in which Celtic would have succumbed to a worse fate had it not been for the razor-sharp reflexes of Artur Boruc, their Polish goalkeeper.

The leaders of the Bank of Scotland Premierleague were indebted to Boruc for preserving a point against an irrepressible Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Not content with straining sinew to prevent Craig Dargo scoring a second goal, from the penalty spot, he twice thwarted the masterful, middle-aged player/manager, Craig Brewster. With Celtic over-reliant on the aptitude of Boruc throughout a harassed, haphazard display, Caley's ' ultimate reward for a colossal collective effort seemed inadequate.

John Hartson provided his customary contribution to extend Celtic's lead over Hearts to four points two weeks ahead of the season's seminal engagement at Tynecastle. "It was a cracking game of football; chances, mistakes, two teams going for it and one going overboard going for it, " said Gordon Strachan, lamenting the gungho attitude that so often left Celtic susceptible to counterattack.

It was, indeed, a match of relentless drama, right down to the rammy between Strachan and Malcolm Thomson, the Inverness assistant, over the thorny issue of sportsmanship protocol. So vexed was the Celtic manager by a perceived injustice, that he refused to exchange pleasantries with Thomson afterwards.

"A handshake is for sportsmanship and a game played in the right manner, " Strachan said pointedly. "We have a twoon-one situation which we had worked on, put the ball out of play because someone was injured. For them to kick it into the corner and then pressure our 'keeper and nearly score, well, I don't think that's right."

With Neil Lennon "isolated" by over-anxious team-mates, according to his manager, and Stilian Petrov's output restricted by ankle damage, the industry of Barry Wilson and Ian Black was integral to the hosts' success. Brewster, though, remains the poster boy for football thirtysomethings. Undaunted by the attention of Bobo Balde, he has also reignited the seemingly withering career of Dargo, just as did with Stevie Crawford at Dunfermline.

"I do half his running for him, " said Dargo of the secret of his manager's ongoing success. Brewster was more pragmatic. "It's 20 years of experience; I knowwhen to run and when to hold the ball up for others, " he said modestly. Hartson happily offered his own testimonial. "I've a lot of respect for him. I didn't know much about him before I came up here but there aren't many better at holding the ball up. It just shows it doesn't matter what age you are."

Confirmation of an engaging contest between two clubs sharing a voracious appetite for victories of late arrived instantly in the Caledonian stadium. Yet few of even the most optimistic regulars would have envisaged such early reward for Inverness's aggressive approach. A brisk start to the entertainment did as much to combat the wintry chill as the ubiquitous hats, scarves and gloves adorning the audience. From their first attack, the hosts caught Celtic cold in clinical fashion. Ross Tokely's throw-in was allowed to skip towards Brewster and he shovelled the ball in the general direction of an over-populated six-yard box.

Dargo, whose scoring touch has returned with long-awaited rude health, instinctively stabbed the stray ball goalward and watched his shot squeeze past Boruc with the aid of the goalkeeper's right-hand post.

His sixth goal in eight games set the tone for a pulsating first half and, for that matter, a compelling contest throughout. Rarely are Celtic physically intimidated in the Premierleague but with Strachan's emphasis on skill over stature, Inverness used their brawny superiority to sustained effect.

Harried in midfield and hounded by the hosts' burly back-line, Celtic looked lame in contrast to their strapping opponents. A forgettable afternoon for Stephen McManus began with a caution for correcting, illegally, an uncharacteristic error of judgment by Lennon. The captain's defensive header evaded its target and sent Dargo clear on goal before being scythed cynically, yet unavoidably, by McManus. Mercifully, Balde's presence as last man spared his partner a red card.

The fundamental flaw in Ross Wallace's defensive makeup was also exposed, glaringly, when the diminutive full-back was assigned marking duties on the comparatively giant Darren Dods during one aerial assault. It summed up Celtic's discombobulated state. There were, however, moments of ominous frailty punctuating Inverness' otherwise accomplished play. For example, they survived a suicidal back pass from Brewster; Mark Brown thwarting Shaun Maloney from pointblank range with the kind of fortuitous save known to occur with the goalkeeper's eyes closed.

Maloney had the ball in the net moments later but his joy was short-lived, Dougal having spotted an infringement during the build-up. But Celtic would not have to wait much longer for parity. Hartson, embroiled in an engrossing joust with Dods, capitalised on a momentary lapse in diligence from the defender. Wallace demonstrated his attacking prowess with a purposeful cross which the Welshman caressed on his chest and volleyed emphatically beyond Brown before Dods could offer a challenge.

The drama was not done there. McManus committed himself to an awkward tackle on the pesky Dargo inside the box and watched in horror as Dougal pointed to the spot. It was a soft award, a fact confirmed by Dougal's reluctance to penalise the player with a second yellow card and subsequent dismissal. Regardless, Boruc spared Celtic arrears with his athleticism. "It was a good save but I should have done better, " said Dargo ruefully.

McManus continued to walk on the wild side in the second half, while Boruc's defiance continued with a stiff near-post block from Brewster. Brown, at the opposite end, was not to be outdone as Celtic's sense of urgency and anxiety heightened. He blocked a meaty effort from Hartson and then watched with helpless relief as Aiden McGeady squandered a tap-in.

Brewster, an indefatigable talisman, almost sealed a memorable win with a spectacular scissor-kick which flew inches wide. Boruc then completed a chaotic afternoon with an impressive clutch at the striker's net-bound free-kick, while Russell Duncan spurned a late chance for heroism.

Strachan vented his considerable discontent at the opposite dug-out and received a stern lecture from Stuart Dougal for his trouble.

SUBSTITUTIONS Inverness CT Hart for Wilson (90), Wyness for Dargo (88) Celtic Sutton for McGeady (72) SUBS NOT USED Inverness CT Fraser, Golabek, McCaffrey, Fox, McAllister Celtic Marshall, Lawson, Thompson, Virgo, Pearson, Du Wei REFEREE Stuart Dougal BOOKED Celtic McManus, Hartson, Maloney ATTENDANCE 7382