HE’S FLASH GORDON
RODGERS: A DRAW WAS PROBABLY RIGHT RESULT Hoops hero saved every one of them as lightning fast reflexes deny Rangers
CELTIC O RANGERS 0
CELTIC boss Brendan Rodgers felt a draw was a fair reflection of yesterday’s game.
“It was a very frantic game,” he said. “It wasn’t a great game of quality throughout the 90 minutes but certainly we had the better chances of the first half and probably Rangers will say that they had the better second half.
“We looked as if we could threaten but couldn’t make that breakthrough in the final third of the pitch. I think we’ve shown in these games if we get that goal especially early on then that really sets us off and opens the game up a little bit for us but all in all a point was what each team deserved.
“The longer it goes on when you don’t score it gives a bit of oxygen to the opponent.
“They had one or two chances second half, one really good chance when Craig Gordon makes an unbelievable save.
“I’ve seen it over many years in these games, especially as the home team, you can end up losing a game like that 1-0. So for us to keep another clean sheet in the ninth game of the month I can only give credit to the players.” Thankfully for Celtic, at least he did – or they’d have lost it. Too few of his teammates showed up beside him. In the end, the Hoops stretched their unbeaten run against Rangers under Brendan Rodgers to eight games and took a healthy lead at the top of the table into the winter break. Again. But the deadlocked derby was a long way from their finest hour and a half, needing two stunning second-half stops from the Scotland No1 – who turns 35 today – to keep them in a game they could have won before the break but looked a mile short of doing so after it. Rangers showed real energy right from the start and earned their first chance inside five minutes when the industry of Daniel Candeias forced a blunder from Mikael Lustig. The Swede had Kristoffer Ajer to thank for mopping up after Alfredo Morelos’ shot squeezed through Gordon’s parry. It was an early success for the visitors but it didn’t take long for Celtic to start picking holes. Danny Wilson was booked as Stuart Armstrong ran off him, Niko Kranjcar likewise for a cynical clip after he’d gifted the ball straight to Callum Mcgregor.
And from the resulting free kicks, Wes Foderingham dug them out, the first when Dembele failed to get enough purchase on a towering Dedryck Boyata knockdown at the back post, the second a brilliant clawing save from Dembele’s looping header.
In between those two, James Forrest carved out another chance, Foderingham’s fingertips turning the Celtic winger’s shot wide across the goal, And Scott Sinclair saw a great run and low cross go abegging, with no takers in the six yard box.
In general though, none of Celtic’s go-to men were producing the goods. Sinclair and Dembele in particular.
Armstrong’s work in the build-up to their last chance before the break was outstanding, bouncing one-twos off Mcgregor and Forrest, scything a path through Rangers and into the 18 yardbox before finding Sinclair alone at the back post.
Last season’s version would have burst the net. This season’s found the wrong side of the post.
He didn’t start the second half any better either. None of them did. And if it hadn’t been for Gordon’s brilliance in flashing out a hand to tip James Tavernier’s volley over the bar, they’d have been staring down the barrel.
And the longer it went, the more galvanised Rangers looked.
Another great chance came and went on the hour, Ross Mccrorie and Morelos working well to tee up Candeias out wide, but again, despite the quality of the delivery, Josh Windass was inches away from the finish.
But the best was yet to come halfway through the half, Morelos on the end of a Tavernier burst and cross, only to find Gordon imperious again. The keeper’s celebration of his point-blank save told you all you needed to know about its quality.
The Colombian had arguably an even better chance with 10 minutes left which he headed wide.
Rangers were defending what they did have admirably though, denying subs Leigh Griffiths and Olivier Ntcham the chance to orchestrate any kind of momentum.
Danny Wilson did well, David Bates stepped in for the injured Bruno Alves after 16 minutes while Jason Holt and Ross Mccrorie continued to match up well in midfield.
The trick for them now is not making the mistake of seeing this as any kind of victory.
They have a long way to go to register on Celtic’s radar, but it’s a decent starting point.