HOW THE OTHER ALF LIVE
Gers give Celts lesson in resilience as Morelos breaks duck
THERE are some things that might just be written in the stars, like Alfredo Morelos finally getting his first Old Firm goal and it happening to be his 55th league finish.
Of course it was. It wasn’t enough to earn Rangers a win but it was handy in maintaining their quest to go through the league season unbeaten – and for the merchandise into the bargain.
The Colombian at last breaking his derby duck secured the draw but Celtic will be kicking themselves yet again in a season of self-induced pain.
Stand-in boss John Kennedy’s side should have won.
They dominated and created plenty of chances but either lacked a cutting edge or couldn’t find a way past Allan McGregor, who produced his usual heroics in goal.
Celtic did get in front with Mohamed Elyounoussi’s first-half header.
But it will shock absolutely no one that the Hoops came undone at yet another corner kick. Five set-pieces in a row Rangers have scored from against their old pals now, as they made it four games on the spin without defeat to their rivals.
Gers’ resilience was there to be seen. They might not have been at it but they simply refused to go down.
There’s a reason why Steven Gerrard’s men are champions.
There was Celtic frustration but not despondency, mind you.
The Hoops played well enough to suggest it could be an interesting fight for the Scottish Cup.
But this was a weird day in general. So often this fixture ends in shame. Not yesterday. These clubs can be like a pair of bickering toddlers at times when it comes to tit for tat.
There was no guard of honour beforehand but there was at least an admirable unified stand over the sickening racist abuse that Rangers star Glen Kamara suffered against Slavia Prague.
There was a poignant embrace between the midfielder and Celts skipper Scott Brown before the game – and both sides stood tall rather than taking the knee before kick-off.
It was a rare – and welcome – moment of solidarity and symbolism to remind everyone at home that some things transcend the trivialities of tribalism.
It will never last and naturally the niceties went out of the window when the whistle sounded.
It took a while to get going but once it did, this was a fascinating bash – even if there was nothing at stake beyond pride and bragging rights. That’s sometimes enough. Celtic’s opener provided the jolt. It was also a moment of quality from the Parkhead men.
Callum McGregor’s pass down the left flank in behind Leon Balogun cracked apart Rangers’ backline. Odsonne Edouard’s cross was pinpoint and Elyounoussi’s diving header lethal.
Rangers looked sapped and Celts could – and should – have been out of sight before half-time.
The fact they weren’t was down to familiar factors – wasteful in one box and self-destructive in the other as McGregor put up the shutters in between. Edouard’s penalty claim and booking for diving was a strange one. The Frenchman should have burst the net even before Borna Barisic slid in to give the striker the opportunity to take a tumble.
There was a case for a spot-kick despite the simulation – and even the Light Blues left-back had the expression of a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
Either way, it was a let-off and Rangers No.1 McGregor kept his namesake Callum out moments later.
Celtic were dominant but those set-piece demons are always lurking beneath the surface with this side.
They were undone by another corner kick for Morelos to savour his Old Firm moment.
It was a cheap one to give away in the first place as Jonjoe Kenny duffed a backpass from the halfway line.
But the corner caused chaos as Barisic’s cross was met by Balogun – who had given Kris Ajer and Brown the slip – and the Colombian gobbled up his big chance at the back post.
Ryan Kent forced Scott Bain to make a smart stop from his wicked volley but it was Celtic who were passing up the chances.
McGregor managed to snuff out Edouard after a slick move and the Rangers keeper shovelled yet another
Elyounoussi header around his post to keep his side level at the break.
The same pattern remained in the second period.
Celtic were doing much of the pressing and probing – but McGregor had the shutters up.
The Ibrox hero made another superb stop to slap away Edouard’s long-range dig, moments after Ajer had nodded a header over.
As the game wore on he made another, sticking out a big toe to prevent David Turnbull’s low blast creeping in at his near post.
Before then it was not much of a shock to see Balogun eventually removed for his own sake as the makeshift right-back was enduring a difficult afternoon.
But Rangers continued to struggle down their right flank, with Diego Laxalt getting a fair bit of joy and a couple of his whipped crosses just out of reach when the goal was inviting.
Even when Celtic did get on the end of them, they couldn’t quite convert, with Elyounoussi and Edouard looping headers off target.
But for all the Parkhead side’s dominance, the threat remained.
Every late incursion from Rangers set off ripples of panic around a
Hoops backline that has creaked the whole campaign.
Sure enough, sub Kemar Roofe prodded one wide and Bain almost battered a backpass off the frontman and into his own net, while Edouard was inches away again at the other end.
It was a frantic end to an enthralling afternoon in which both clubs would have been happy enough with the outcome.
Which, given the build-up, seemed oddly appropriate.