It was difficult to tell who was looking to go top, and who was fighting to get out of the bottom four as Celtic snatched the Tameside derby from Hyde United through a sublime Chris Dagnall strike 10 minutes from time.

Ethan Padden almost gave Celtic the lead in the opening attack of the game but he was unable to keep Matty Carson’s inch perfect cross down, sending the ball over the bar.

Jordan Fagbola then had to help his keeper out when Padden diverted Raul Correia’s through ball towards goal.

Correia got a chance himself, turning at the edge of the box, but finding goalkeeper Daniel Atherton well-placed who made the save.

Hyde got going 15 minutes into the match as Manasse Mampala’s effort beat Greg Hall, but Dahrius Waldron curved back and blocked on the line.

Hall had a busy spell, denying first Liam Tongue and then Tom Pratt on the follow up.

The half hour mark saw it swing back Celtic’s way. Miller’s low drive causing Atherton to parry at full stretch.

Theo Bailey-Jones should have put Celtic ahead, unmarked at the back post; he had to shoot first time but he fired wide on the volley.

Before the break, Padden forced a fairly simple save from Atherton, and Carson’s free kick hit the target, but Atherton kept the scores level at the interval.

After Pratt wasted a chance that had the Celtic fans sighing with relief, Dagnall’s twenty-five yard effort required a decent stop from Atherton, but it was Hyde upping the pressure.

Jack Redshaw cut inside and beat Hall, but Carson covered the post, knocking the shot aside off the line.

Celtic gave Hyde a warning shot, Coreria’s putting the ball through for Nathan Caine who one v one with Atherton, forced a really strong save from the keeper.

It was Hyde in the ascendancy and former Celt, Tongue fired a half-cleared free kick back into the mix which rebounded off the crossbar. Harry Ditchfield came closer still, but for a fine low stop from Hall.

Then everything changed with a moment of magic.

Celtic had the credentials already established and hit Hyde on the break, the hard-working Caine finding Ciaran Summers to the right of the penalty area, his shot fell to Dagnall, who lifted a curling, dipping ball over the grasping fingertips of Atherton and into the back of the net.

With twenty minutes left, Celtic had a lot of defending to do. And they did it, keeping Greg Hall’s goal sacrosanct.

Bradley Roscoe got a half chance, but headed it wide and Celtic took the three points to joyous festive scenes.