MOUSSA’S THE BHOY WONDER
Dembele’s dazzling treble puts five-star Celts on easy street in derby demolition CELTIC 5 Dembele (33, 42, 83), Sinclair (61), Armstrong (90) RANGERS 1 Garner (44)
IT takes time for a new, young striker to settle at Celtic apparently. Then along swaggers Moussa Dembele.
The Frenchman, who swiftly won favour thanks to a last-minute pressure penalty in Champions League qualifying, conjured a dream hat-trick on his Old Firm debut as Celtic throttled the life out of Rangers’ bid to assume Glasgow derby supremacy.
Dembele scored two in the first half, set up Scott Sinclair for the third, then completed a day of abject misery for the visitors to shoot straight into the Celtic history books seven minutes from time.
His powerful and potent display ripped the heart out of the Rangers defence. Philippe Senderos was sent off with a quarter of an hour to go on his competitive bow. Rob Kiernan hobbled off two minutes later.
For the bold salvage job in vain, Clint Hill stayed benched and Harry Forrester was thrown on by Mark Warburton to chase. So Joey Barton finished the game in the middle of a visiting back three as Stuart Armstrong hammered the final nail into the remains of Rangers.
And to think it was Barton with the pre-season boasts about bossing the Scottish top flight.
Dembele was the daddy yesterday with the first league hat-trick in this fixture since Stevie Chalmers 50 years ago as a dominant Brendan Rodgers made a statement of intent on a first visit to Celtic Park for their bitter rivals since April 2012.
To carve a reputation for big-game goals this early in a Celtic career hints that the bargain business done to tempt Dembele from Fulham was inspired. The perfect hat-trick — header, right foot, left foot — were his first league goals and took him to seven for the season.
Worryingly for pretenders to Celtic’s crown, Dembele has been a deputy of late due to the scintillating scoring form of Leigh Griffiths.
Dembele’s last four appearances for the club were as substitute while Griffiths ran riot. Last season’s top scorer was sidelined by a hamstring injury and Celtic were just as deadly without him.
The margin of defeat was awfully sore on Rangers but should not be regarded as a great surprise. Their Scottish Cup success on penalty kicks in April was against a toiling Ronny Deila team. They signed 11 players in the summer.
The gulf in quality and financial outlay has widened during the close season, kicking Celtic clear after they muddled through under Deila but crucially kept banking titles while Rangers were missing from the top division. Rodgers can strengthen still. Champions League qualification has ensured that.
Rangers cannot match the spending power. A depressing dose of realism hit the visiting support as Celtic lustily celebrated in a manner reminiscent of the 6-2 romp that signalled Martin O’Neill’s stunning start in the fixture.
Warburton’s side had been able to dominate the ball at Hampden a few months ago. Here, as promised by Scott Brown, Celtic would press high and force Rangers to make mistakes. They stayed true to their captain’s word.
Defending at cross balls and organisation at set-pieces remains an Achilles heel and Celtic took full advantage to seize a 33rd-minute lead. Tom Rogic slid in Sinclair and Wes Foderingham was out smartly to force the corner. Foderingham’s friends then lost their way as Sinclair soared in his delivery.
Dembele peeled into space as Senderos and Kiernan were dragged away by duties elsewhere. He thundered a header in off the post. Celtic smelt blood, Foderingham fumbled and Rangers needed to find some calm. Some chance.
Warburton has cursed failures with the final ball in the attacking third for Rangers this term. Within a minute of his side breaking down on the edge of the Celtic area after a burst on the break from Josh Windass, Rangers were two behind.
This was a distribution disaster for Kiernan, his lazy ball out of defence easily swept up by Nir Bitton. The Israeli wasted no time in finding Dembele on the run and the striker went to town on Senderos.
Dembele dragged the defender, 11 years his elder, wide then cut inside to leave the Swiss on his backside. With the coolness of a veteran, he tucked a brilliantly effortless finish past Foderingham with the outside of his right boot.
Rangers were taunted with ‘10 in a row’ chants. Celtic Park pounded. Then the visitors replied in a rare foray upfield to enjoy the final say of the first half. Windass was allowed to make progress through the middle then tee up James Tavernier.
He found Kenny Miller with a deep delivery to the back post. A looping header back across goal from the striker in his 19th Old Firm game sailed over Dorus de Vries. The final touch was applied with predator’s pride by Joe Garner on the line.
There was no surprise to see Niko Kranjcar replaced by Andy Halliday at the break. The Croat was on a booking for an accumulation of fouls and would have trod a thin line with referee Willie Collum had he re-emerged. He’s still not up to pace following a spell in second-tier soccer in the USA and it will take time for his skills to bless an Old Firm fixture this season.
Halliday, star of the semi-final in April, offered a quicker service and energy as Rangers initially improved after the restart. But he was faced with a two-goal deficit to deal with by 61 minutes as Rodgers made the cute switch to his midfield.
Rogic had been on international duty with Australia, so on came Armstrong’s fresher legs.
Celtic made hay with the space afforded to them by the renewed dynamism.
Dembele was not picked up as he slid Sinclair through. This was a fourth goal in as many Ladbrokes Premiership games for the £4.5million signing as he side footed home with Foderingham easily beaten at his near post.
Celtic swamped their bedraggled rivals. Foderingham produced a great double save from substitute Armstrong and Sinclair. Then he delayed Dembele’s hat-trick at the near post.
For the gloating home crowd sensing more goals to come, there was a double helping of icing on the cake — a red card for Senderos and assistant David Weir sent to the stand.
The Swiss defender was already on a booking when he inexplicably used his hands on a mis-timed jump for the ball.
Weir’s complaints about a foul on Barrie McKay drew Collum to the touchline and usher the Rangers No 2 from the technical area.
With all three subs committed, Dembele was sure to last the game and was hungry for the hat-trick. After one touch to control Mikael Lustig’s ball, he fired a low shot home. A booking for a slow response to the restart was hardly going to ruin his day.
Instead, there were further celebrations to come. Young Kieran Tierney delivered for Armstrong to fire a fifth past Foderingham.
Celtic are four points clear of Rangers already and have a game in hand to play against Partick Thistle. On this evidence, they won’t be doing much looking back.