Epic of the bunch
Celtic boss trumps Stein and O’Neill with fourth Ibrox win on spin and this is sweetest of them all
THE noises coming out of the Ibrox dressing room couldn’t be in bigger contrast. Last week it was cheers. This time it was tears.
The roar when Rangers landed Celtic in the Cup was replaced by sobbing after Brendan Rodgers somehow managed to pull off a feat beyond even Jock Stein and Martin O’Neill.
Four wins on the spin at Ibrox and none would be sweeter than this. Or tougher. Celtic fans unfurled a banner at the end hailing the title race as over and chances are they’re right.
But for 90-odd manic minutes at Ibrox yesterday there was a contest. An epic one at that.
Celtic had a few self-inflicted wounds but got the job done and yesterday afternoon they had more thrown at them than in just about every Old Firm combined these last two seasons.
Twice behind and down to 10 men. All that was missing was an arm tied behind the back.
That’s the thing for Rangers. Graeme Murty’s men will be staring at the ceiling for weeks wondering how they heck they let this one get away.
Rangers had their rivals on the ropes. They were twice ahead and then had 34 minutes with an extra man after Jozo Simunovic was sent off for catching Alfredo Morelos with a cheeky elbow.
This was their big chance to finally get one over Rodgers’s side. To take the title race into the home straight. But Gers blew it. It was Josh Windass, Daniel Candeias, Tom Rogic, Moussa Dembele and then supersub Odsonne Edouard who were the goal heroes on either side.
But Morelos left his mark as all over this clash. He was superb in torturing the Celtic defence yet fluffed two unbelievable chances.
Hoops stand-in keeper Scott Bain played a special part on an impressive debut to keep him out. But the last-gasp miss from two yards will cause Morelos heebie jeebies for months.
That was the difference between two sides who couldn’t keep hens out of a midden. Celtic were far more clinical.
Their big-players produced big-time moments. Rangers were left with painful regret. Big time.
Morelos caused mayhem all day as well. The little striker from Cerete was more like a wee hardman from Castlemilk as he bullied his rivals.
But it’s one thing being a nuisance. A pretty big part of a striker’s job to stick the ball in the net.
Which is what Edouard did when he curled a cracker of a winner to give the 10 men victory. It might have been all the sweeter amid the drama but Celtic will know they got off the hook.
Rodgers chucked Bain in but it was the return of Dedryck Boyata that nearly backfired. The big defender hadn’t played for six weeks yet looked like he hadn’t seen a ball for six months.
The Hoops backline buckled inside a couple of minutes.
It was a horrendous bungle from Belgian but this wasn’t just about the howler. It was work of magic from Windass. He pounced when Boyata was getting his legs in tangle but there was a heck of a lot of work to do.
He kept his cool though to burst into the box before brilliantly lashing home. Ibrox exploded. The Light Blue legions hadn’t see their side even lead an Old Firm game since Rodgers arrived but they were ahead inside three minutes.
Seat belts on, we were only just getting started. This was a basketball match – well apart from the crunching tackles and sectarian songs.
Celtic had to hang on at first but the strike back was even more sublime.
It’s not so wise to allow Rogic space in the final third but there was nothing that could prevent the finish as the Aussie sensationally sent a curler into the top bin from 20 yards.
To make matters worse for Gers, Rogic landed on David Bates on the follow through and the kid exited stage left on a stretcher.
The goal came out of nowhere but it seized the momentum. Not for long though. Not with Rangers in this mood.
Certainly not with the Celtic backline rattling like a shopping trolley with a wonky wheel. Rangers’ pace on the break and down the flanks was causing grief while Celtic’s soft centre crumbled again for the second.
Jamie Murphy shuffled the ball on to Declan John on the overlap, Kris Ajer was caught napping and the ball was whipped over. Morelos outmuscled Simunovic to allow Candeias to smash through the crowd at the back post.
The Hoops were all over the shop at the back but did manage to get control of the midfield as the first half wore on and chances came.
Wes Foderingham managed to divert a Dembele header past for a corner and the keeper followed it up with another smart stop to paw Callum McGregor’s drive around the post. The pressure was building but the leveller was another bolt from the blue right before half-time.
Candeias smashed in to Brown but the Hoops skipper had managed to hoof the ball over the top of Bruno Alves and
Dembele pounced to lift the ball over Foderingham into the net.
The unrelenting, eye-watering pace had to drop after the break, right? Don’t be daft.
Celtic had taken charge, with Olivier Ntcham and McGregor dominating, but Simunovic was sent packing after an off-the-ball elbow on Morelos as assistant Douglas Ross spotted some skulduggery.
Rangers had the advantage – and the chance they craved. It had to be Morelos. Sent scampering through by Murphy after another error from Boyata the door was open – but Bain slammed it shut with a fine block.
These games hinge on moments like this. Moments later Celts made Gers pay. Dembele brilliantly held up and played in Edouard.
He had the pace and the power to hold off his man before showing he had the precision. Drag back, let fly.
It was a beauty but Gers still had time – and the opportunity to salvage a draw. Bain brilliantly blocked Windass’s low effort but Morelos had an empty net at the back post.
Instead he shinrolled one on to the upright and back into Bain’s waiting arms.
Small margins produce big gaps. Celtic managed to quell the Rangers uprising and all but wrap up the title.