Goodwillie had brought United back into the game at 2-1

Peter Houston has urged his Dundee United players to go on another unbeaten run after being disappointed by their display against Celtic.

"I have got to give great credit to the players," he said after the 3-1 loss at Tannadice ended their 11-game streak.

"They have done well recently. We have got through important cup ties and won league matches here as well.

"But I think the better team won and we have to do better. The first-half performance was really, really poor."

Celtic were two ahead by half-time after strikes by Anthony Stokes and Mark Wilson were deflected past goalkeeper Dusan Pernis, but Houston said that the Scottish Premier League leaders had merited their strokes of luck.

The first-half performance going down the hill towards the United fans was just not good enough Dundee United manager Peter Houston

"We gave ourselves a mountain to climb by playing extremely poorly in the first half," the United manager told BBC Scotland.

"We were second to every ball, we were not passing the ball, not keeping the ball all over the pitch.

"Celtic were fortunate with the two goals that they scored because they took wicked deflections and I think Pernis would have saved them quite comfortably.

"But, when you turn up the way we did in the first half and don't play particularly well, there is always going to be a problem."

David Goodwillie pulled a goal back after the break, but Daniel Majstorovic's diving header restored Celtic's lead.

"We gave ourselves a lifeline and, for a wee spell, I thought we could maybe get back into the game and snatch something," said Houston.

"We were keeping the ball better in the second half, but then we don't defend a free-kick from Charlie Mulgrew properly and Majstorovic was hungrier to put his head on it rather than any of our players.

"We will not come up against teams like Celtic every week, but there are lots of disappointing aspects from today.

"The first-half performance going down the hill towards the United fans was just not good enough."

Houston said that one plus point to come from the game was midfielder Danny Swanson's appearance as a substitute after a spell out through injury.

"That is a massive positive for us - the fact that we got him back on the park again and he played about 45 minutes and did exceptionally well," added Houston.

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