The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Rangers’ pride over Old Firm draw.
Murty proud as Celtic are denied by Hill equaliser
Interim manager Graeme Murty thanked the players and fans as he watched Rangers come from behind to earn a valuable point in a draw with runaway Premiership leaders Celtic in his final match in temporary charge.
Incoming boss Pedro Caixinha, who signed a three-year deal on Saturday, watched his new side from the stand at Celtic Park and will be buoyed by their positive performance.
Celtic dropped league points for the first time since September’s 2-2 draw at Inverness but Brendan Rodgers’ side maintained their unbeaten league status in a tense Old Firm derby.
Rangers striker Martyn Waghorn squandered a brilliant chance to open the scoring but was denied by a fine save from Hoops goalkeeper Craig Gordon before Stuart Armstrong put the league leaders in front after 35 minutes with a fine left-footed strike.
The visitors continued to create opportunities, with Waghorn again being thwarted by Gordon before 38-year-old Clint Hill snatched an equaliser three minutes from time, reacting quickest to Emerson Hyndman’s parried effort to halt Celtic’s 22-match winning sequence.
Murty told Sky Sports: “I am so proud of the players and I want to pay a load of compliments to them. Craig Gordon made two magnificent saves, I thought we deserved that goal.
“I said to the players that it will need a
It was great for me and I really enjoyed the experience. GRAEME MURTY
lot of belief to come here. We had to continue to believe and stay together and I thought the goal encapsulated that and I couldn’t be prouder of them.
“The lads know what people have been saying about them so I said that they needed to take a full part in this game and that they can make a real good statement about where they can go from here and they did that today.
“It shows what they can achieve if they stay together and execute things. It was about time they got their rewards because they haven’t had many of late and it’s a nice way to finish off.
“It was great for me and I really enjoyed the experience. I want to thank the fans and players again because they have been fantastic for me.”
Rodgers believes his side should have been awarded a stoppage-time penalty.
Substitute Leigh Griffiths was hauled down by Gers goalscorer Hill in the third minute of added time but the striker’s appeals for a spot-kick were waved away by referee Bobby Madden.
Rodgers told Sky Sports: “It’s never nice when you concede so late. We are disappointed with the goal but I’m really proud of the players.
“We aim to win every game and if you can’t win then you take a point and my only disappointment is that it was a penalty at the end.
“Whenever Clint Hill tells me that ‘he got away with it at the end’ then that lets me know that it was a penalty.
“But like I say, our run continues – we were focused to get the result, we didn’t get the three points but we will take the point and move on to the next game.”
Celtic: Gordon, Lustig, Boyata, Sviatchenko, Tierney, Bitton (McGregor 46), Brown, Forrest (Roberts 68), Armstrong (Griffiths 73), Sinclair, Dembele. Subs not used: Simunovic, Gamboa, De Vries, Eboue.
Rangers: Foderingham, Hodson, Hill, Wilson, Wallace, Tavernier, Holt (Forrester 81), Hyndman, Waghorn (O’Halloran 84), Miller, McKay (Windass 59). Subs Not Used: Alnwick, Dodoo, Senderos, Bates.
Referee: Bobby Madden