Martin O'Neill's men increased their lead at the top of the Premier League to eight points with victory over crisis club United, who gave manager Alex Smith some hope for the future with a spirited late fightback. Goals from Henrik Larsson and Alan Thompson put the home side in the driving seat, but a late own goal from Paul Lambert had the Hoops hanging on nervously in the closing stages. The win puts Celtic five points clear of Hibernian while Old Firm rivals Rangers are now a massive 12 points adrift of them.

But while O'Neill's men continue to enhance their title credentials with 11 wins out of 12, their opponents' battling qualities gave Smith a glimmer of hope. Still without a win and a chairman after Jim McLean sensationally quit last week after his alleged attack on a BBC reporter, the players dug deep for their under-pressure boss to give Celtic a scare near the end.

The home side, however, had the possession and chances to have wrapped up the game well inside the second period. They should have taken the lead as early as the 10th minute when Bobby Petta left the United defenders in his wake before squaring across the face of goal. But Chris Sutton could not get the touch that would opened the scoring.

The visitors' defence looked in all kinds of problems from set-pieces and in the 22nd minute Celtic came within inches of opening the scoring courtesy of an embarrassing own goal from David Partridge. Thompson's deep corner was headed backwards by the youngster but it deflected off the crossbar to spare his blushes.

Moments later, Thompson's corner had the United defence in trouble again but this time Larsson could not stretch enough to get his header on target. But with 10 minutes until half-time, Celtic deservedly took the lead and it was no surprise that it came courtesy of a set-piece with the United defence in disarray.

And it was no shock to see the name which broke the deadlock as Larsson met Stilian Petrov's free-kick to head home emphatically past Alan Combe in the United goal for his 16th goal of the season.

United, however, were making under-fire boss Smith proud and in the 37th minute Jonathan Gould, who is under pressure after the arrival of £1million Robert Douglas, produced a save to prove he was also not going to be ousted as number one without a fight.

Gustavo Fuentes got to the byline and pulled the ball back to Jamie Buchan on the edge of the box and his volley was saved at full stretch by Gould, low to his right.

Petta's pace almost brought Celtic's second just three minutes before half-time when he controlled the ball on his thigh before bursting into the box and only a brave save from Combe denied him a wonder goal.

Joos Valgaeren came close to bagging his second goal in two games when his glancing header, from Thompson's corner, went just wide of the upright.

The home side were not having everything their own way, though, and in the dying moments of the half they suffered a scare when Steven Thompson was given room to get a header on target which Gould did well to save on his line.

Sutton could have doubled Celtic's advantage in the 53rd minute when Larsson played him through inside the box but the alertness of Combe, coming off his line, denied the English striker a shot on target.

Celtic, however, did increase their lead in the 62nd minute and it came after a well-worked move with Thompson the benefactor. Johan Mjallby's floated cross-field pass was headed into the path of the former Aston Villa midfielder who fired low past the helpless Combe in the United goal.

Valgaeren was again looking for another goal in the 67th minute when he arrived late in the box and almost reached Thompson's dangerous free-kick.

United refused to lie down and kept plugging away giving manager Smith some hope for the future. And they almost pulled themselves back in the game in the 71st minute as Craig Easton teed up Thompson in acres of room to pick his spot in the box but he pulled his effort wide of the upright.

Celtic, however, failed to learn from that warning and in the 78th minute the visitors grabbed a goal back in bizarre fashion with an own goal from Lambert. Hasney Aljofree caused the uncertainty at the back with a dangerous cross into the box and John McQuillan looked set to fire on target before Lambert intervened with an uncharacteristic mistake to shoot past Gould.

That was the wake-up call O'Neill's men needed and in the 82nd minute only the heroics from Combe prevented Celtic from recovering their two-goal advantage. Larsson met Petrov's cross, after a short corner with Thompson, and his header looked on its way into the corner of the net but Combe somehow pushed it over the crossbar.

That did not matter though and Celtic held on for the points to put Hibs and Rangers under some pressure even at this early stage in the season.