NOTHING BEATS AN OLD FIRM WINNER!

But Lovenkrands insists it’s time for new Ibrox icons

SCORING a diving header ten seconds from full-time to win a five-goal Old Firm Scottish Cup final thriller was always going to be hard to top.

Peter Lovenkrands’ Hampden heroics in 2002 were so iconic that the former Rangers striker says few remember he actually repeated the feat by scoring a cup-winning goal against Celtic a year later. Or that he also opened the scoring in the 2002 final with a fine, low finish. However, ever since Lovenkrands added to a strike from Claudio Caniggia to secure a 2-1 CIS Cup triumph in March 2003, only one Rangers player has scored a winning goal against their fierce rivals at the national stadium.

That came in March 2011, when Croatia international Nikica Jelavic settled a narrow League Cup final 2-1 in extra-time.

That remains the last piece of major silverware won by the Ibrox club before they slipped into financial meltdown in 2012.

Lovenkrands retains fond memories of his famous winner in 2002; his second of a topsy-turvy afternoon that included goals from Barry Ferguson and from Celtic duo John Hartson and Bobo Balde.

Now the former Denmark international would dearly love a new Hampden hero to step forward for Rangers in next month’s Scottish Cup semi-final against Brendan Rodgers’ Treble-chasing side.

‘I scored two goals against Celtic in that 3-2 Scottish Cup final in 2002 and I scored the winner in the League Cup final the following season,’ said Lovenkrands. ‘But people only seem to remember the diving header in the last minute.

‘I also remember in February 2002, just after Alex McLeish had arrived as Rangers manager, that I managed to score in the CIS Cup semi-final win over Celtic at Hampden. But all everyone remembers of that game is Bert Konterman scoring the winner.

‘In fairness, that is probably a good thing because I missed a penalty in normal time, so big Bert bailed me out in extra-time!

‘But I loved the Old Firm games and I was lucky in that I managed to score quite a few goals in them. My pace always seemed to cause Celtic problems.

‘That 2002 final was a great game for the neutral. It was end-to-end stuff. My goal at the end was so special but I didn’t really realise what I had done until I got back into the dressing room and sat down and thought about it.

‘Then it hit me. I thought: “What the hell have I just done?” If I could do it all again I would probably have gone even crazier than I did when I scored. I still get goose bumps when I watch it back now. They are great memories.

‘Hopefully we can get a win in next month’s semi-final and get that first victory over Celtic in a while.’

Rangers last beat Celtic at Hampden in a Scottish Cup semifinal in April 2016. That was on penalties after a thrilling 2-2 draw.

Celtic’s Tom Rogic missed the decisive kick that day after Nicky Law had converted for Mark Warburton’s Rangers.

That setback saw Celtic replace Ronny Deila with Rodgers and the Scottish champions motored off into the distance last season, winning an invincible domestic Treble.

But Lovenkrands has been heartened to see the gap narrow in Rodgers’ second season, with the last clash of the two titans seeing Celtic edge Rangers 3-2 at Ibrox.

Despite the psychological blow of losing to ten men that afternoon, Lovenkrands believes Light blue bliss: Lovenkrands celebrates the diving header (bottom left) that won the 2002 Scottish Cup and (bottom right) Jelavic is the hero in 2011 there is cause for Rangers optimism ahead of the seismic last-four showdown on Sunday, April 15.

‘In the last two games against Celtic, I think we have deserved a bit more. Hopefully, it will be third time lucky,’ said the 38-year-old, who is now Rangers’ head development squad coach at Auchenhowie.

‘We’ve had chances in the last few games but didn’t capitalise on them. Alfredo Morelos will be disappointed he didn’t manage to equalise late on at Ibrox in the last game. But all the top players miss chances. Alfredo will learn from that and, hopefully, next time he will put it away.

‘But I think the gap with Celtic is definitely closing. We are there or thereabouts. It is important we try to get something from this season and that means the cup is important.

‘Anything can happen in an Old Firm match, especially a one-off cup game. I hope Rangers can get the win. But we can’t take anything for granted. We beat them in the semi-final two years ago on penalties and then we lost to Hibs in the final.

‘Hopefully we can beat Celtic but then go on and win the cup.’ Lovenkrands was speaking after joining a galaxy of Rangers stars in The Legends Return match at Ibrox last Saturday. The event raised thousands of pounds for the Rangers Charity Foundation and the Rangers Youth Development Foundation.

‘I managed to score a couple of decent goals, which was nice, and I played against Ally McCoist, so that’s another goal ticked off the list for me,’ he smiled.

‘But it was just great to be back at Ibrox and see so many fans and raise money for charity.

‘I keep telling the young boys at Rangers that a footballer’s career goes so quickly. One minute you are starting out, then the next you are finishing up. So you have to appreciate what you’ve got when you are still playing.’