It’s a Hoopy New Year for Celtic!
CELTIC boss Brendan Rodgers may have almost taken a tumble at Ibrox but he hailed his side for refusing to slip up against Rangers.
The Parkhead boss was left red-faced after he almost lost his footing celebrating Scott Sinclair’s second-half winner.
But he could barely contain his pride after watching his team fight back from Kenny Miller’s early opener to claim their 15th straight Ladbrokes Premiership win.
Rodgers, who limped down the tunnel after applauding his side’s 2-1 triumph, said: ‘I was trying to set off on a wee sprint but I slipped and pulled my calf. It was daft, so I couldn’t walk but I’m okay.’
Miller put the hosts ahead on 13 minutes after Josh Windass and James Tavernier combined.
It was a position the Hoops have rarely found themselves in this term but they levelled after 32 minutes in stunning fashion when Moussa Demeble grabbed his 19th goal of the campaign – and his fifth against Mark Warburton’s side – with an emphatic finish from a Sinclair corner.
The Hoops wideman then slotted home with 20 minutes remaining to send the undefeated Ladbrokes Premiership leaders a massive 19 points clear with a game in hand.
Celtic’s win ends the Light Blues’ 15-month unbeaten run at home and Rangers boss Mark Warburton said: ‘I’m disappointed obviously as we’ve lost a game of football. We’ve also lost our record at home which is more than disappointing.
‘We had chances. But you’ve got to take them. So we have to learn from this.
‘I’m not worried [about Celtic’s lead]. My only focus is on Rangers.’
RangeRs (4-3-3): Foderingham, Wilson, Hill, Kiernan, McKay, Windass (Dodoo, 65), Halliday, Holt, Tavernier, Miller, Garner (Waghorn, 14). subs: Forrester, Hodson, Crooks, Gilks, O’Halloran. goal: Miller, 12 booked: Wilson, Windass, Holt. CeltiC (4-2-3-1): Gordon, Izaguirre, Sviatchenko, Simunovic, Lustig, Armstrong, Brown, Sinclair, McGregor (Bitton, 86), Forrest (Roberts, 68), Dembele. subs: Toure, Griffiths, Gamboa, MackaySteven, De Vries. goals: Dembele, 34, Sinclair 70. booked: Simunovic, Lustig, Brown. RefeRee: Steven McLean