
FT - Celtic 2-4 Rangers. It’s all over and what a result for Walter Smith and his team. They took this game to Celtic and really punished them after the break with an awesome attacking display. Rangers are now back on top of the SPL and nobody can argue they don’t deserve to be there. Cracking goals from Cousin, Miller and Mendes will live long in the memory.
90 mins - GOAL! Strangely enough, it was 4-2 that day in 1994 and that’s the way it’s going to finish here after Nakamura puts a free kick in. McGregor is raging with his wall but it doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things. Even the Rangers fans are cheering sarcastically.
89 mins - It’s almost a hat-trick for Miller as he stings Boruc’s hands and the Pole concedes a corner. After it comes in, Mendes plays Davis beyond the last man and he nearly scores but hits the side-netting instead.
88 mins - Rangers are playing out time now and oh, how they’ve earned it. This is the first time they’ve scored four at Parkhead since January 1994 and it’s a day to remember.
83 mins - Another great stop from McGregor. Wilson drives from 30 yards and it’s a good hit but the Rangers keeper is equal to it, fisting over the upright to keep that three-goal cushion.
79 mins - IT’S MILLER TIME! Kenny strokes in his second to seal the points on a marvellous day for Rangers. Broadfoot crosses low from the right and Boruc fumbles the ball right into the Scotland hitman’s path. He taps in and the away fans go crazy. Rather ironically, the attendance has just been announced as 58,595 - going by the number of home fans leaving, it looks a fair bit less than that now. Celtic 1-4 Rangers, unbelievable.
78 mins - Substitution for Rangers, with Adam going off and Nacho Novo - a scorer six times for the Light Blues against Celtic - coming on.
76 mins - RED CARD! Celtic were quick to equalise when Rangers first went ahead and now they’ve evened up the personnel count too. Vennegoor of Hesselink is next to earn an early bath for lashing out at Broadfoot, who is also yellow carded for his part in the incident.
75 mins - RED CARD! Cousin is off but it’s somewhat debatable. He goes up for the ball and is punished for using his elbow as he goes up for a ball with McManus, who doesn’t claim a foul. There’s a lot of sympathy for the big man from the visiting bench and rightly so.
73 mins - Davis is making a great contribution and is in the right place to clear a goalbound header off the line. Seconds later, McGregor is carded for time-wasting.
71 mins - Celtic make a double substitution as they try to get back into the game. Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and Barry Robson are on for Samaras and the quiet Paul Hartley.
68 mins - Adam goes into the book for clipping McGeady’s heels as Celtic pile forward looking to pull one back. Nakamura sends the free kick in but McGregor punches away unchallenged.
61 mins - GOAL! It’s absolutely incredible - Pedro Mendes is next to break his Rangers duck! The Light Blues have been dominating and they deserve to extend their lead further with another belter. Davis takes a corner out on the left and instead of throwing it into the mix, he picks out Gers’ Portuguese midfielder 30 yards out. He doesn’t even bother taking a touch - he just slams it into the net with Boruc well beaten. It’s now 3-1 Rangers and the lead os certainly merited.
56 mins - Cousin goes into the book, perhaps unfairly given the amount of fouls Caldwell has had given against him for bringing down the Gabon hitman.
52 mins - GOAL! Some said it was written in the stars and so it proves - Kenny Miller scores his first goal of second spell with Rangers against Celtic and what a strike it is. Cousin tangles with Caldwell and with everyone looking for referee McDonald to take action, Thomson sends a great cross to Miller at the back post. He connects so sweetly, sending a low right-footed volley beyond the diving Boruc to spark utter bedlam in the away end.
49 mins - Maloney catches sight of goal for the first time but, like Adam, he also places the ball a yard too wide and McGregor has it covered in any case.
48 mins - Wilson brings down Broadfoot in the right channel and it’s another free kick for Rangers in a good position but Adam shoots from a tight angle and it’s always curling beyond the far post.
46 mins - Rangers get played restarted through Miller and Thomson. No changes to either side at the midway point. Straight away, Miller hits the left corner and beats two men to set up Adam but he steers wide.
HT - Celtic 1-1 Rangers. Full-blooded as always, it has been an entertaining half, with Rangers playing well in spells and Celtic coming into it more as time has gone on. Being all-square is probably fair at the break, but Gers will be disappointed at the manner they were pegged back so soon after taking a lead through that wonderful Cousin strike.
39 mins - GOAL! The lead barely lasts as Celtic pull level but it’s a careless goal to lose. Mendes and Davis leave the ball for each other and that allows Celtic to come forward. When McGeady swings it in, the ball hits off Adam and when Papac tries to swipe clear, it falls straight to Samaras who nets from close range.
36 mins - GOAL! Magnificent strike from Cousin, totally justifying his selection by Smith. Pedro Mendes sets him clear on the right but more than 40 yards from goal, he still has a lot to do. He surges down the flank, holding Mark Wilson off superbly and starts cutting in towards goal. With the home defence expecting him to cut back to the waiting Miller, he instead beats Artur Boruc at his near post.
31 mins - Good save from McGregor. Hinkel crosses from the right and with Shaun Maloney challenging, the ball comes off Weir and spins towards the Rangers net. Keeper McGregor reacts superbly, palming up in the air before gathering at the second attempt.
29 mins - This time Davis sends his corner deep beyond the back post and Cousin meets it first but sends his volley over the frame.
28 mins - Broadfoot brilliantly surges forward and Rangers are pressing hard for an opener. Miller eventually sends a low, teasing cross in and it is put behind for a corner. When that comes in Andreas Hinkels nods the ball behind again.
25 mins - Adam bursts clear after Celtic’s attempts to come forward break down. Sasa Papac offers him support down the left but he sends an awkward cross towards Miller, who can be forgiven for failing to do much with it.
21 mins - Celtic have their first real attempt on goal. Nakamura collects on the left after Davis is unlucky to lose possession and the Japanese swings in for Georgis Samaras, whose header is gathered by Allan McGregor. Aiden McGeady then has a go but is off-target from long distance.
15 mins - Adam takes the set piece and although it is poorly delivered, Miller gets on the end of it and nods it over the upright.
14 mins - McManus pulls down Cousin on the right wing and is also booked. This is a good chance for Rangers.
10 mins - McManus clatters into Miller and McDonald awards a free kick. After some decent build-up play, Thomson collects the ball 30 yards out and shoots just over the bar.
8 mins - Kevin Thomson goes in late on Shunsuke Nakamura and is shown the first yellow card of the game by referee Dougie McDonald.
3 mins - Adam does well on the left, getting past two men then crossing. Although he is blocked, Miller fires the rebound towards goal and see his effort put behind for a corner. Steven Davis swings it in and Cousin heads towards goal but find the side-netting instead.
1 min - Rangers win a free kick just inside the Celtic half and Kirk Broadfoot whips a vicious ball in. Kenny Miller almost connects but Stephen McManus just scrambles clear ahead of him.
0 mins - It’s 12.30pm and Celtic get the first Old Firm derby of the season underway. Rangers manager Walter Smith has sprung a couple of surprises with his team selection and both Charlie Adam and Daniel Cousin start. We’ll find out over the next 90 minutes whether he was right to recall them or not.
CELTIC: Boruc; Hinkel, Caldwell, McManus, Wilson; Nakamura, Brown, Hartley, McGeady; Maloney, Samaras.
Subs: Brown, Vennegoor of Hesselink, Robson, Loovens, O’Dea, Hutchinson, Crocas.
RANGERS: McGregor; Broadfoot, Bougherra, Weir, Papac; Davis, Mendes, Thomson, Adam; Cousin, Miller.
Subs: Alexander, Edu, Dailly, Novo, Lafferty, Aaron, McMillan.
Referee: Dougie McDonald.
Posted by mdnl

Posted by mdnl


Posted by ribzrfc


well in most.
“I don’t feel under any pressure. If our team is winning then that’s all that matters.
going to have a good season.
champagne I’ve won. That’s a promise.”









