Extra-time own goal sinks Celtic and puts Rangers into Scottish Cup final
The most curious of Rangers seasons will conclude with an appearance in the Scottish Cup final. The team’s split personality is such that making statements of certainty regarding them is a risky thing indeed.
Celtic will rue a curiously timid performance but this represented a monumental effort over 120 minutes by Rangers, who had also been taken to extra time by Braga in the Europa League on Thursday evening. Long before full-time Celtic looked the team lacking ideas and fitness.
With Celtic clear in the Premiership there was a scenario where Rangers’ campaign could to all intents have been ended in the space of four days. Instead they have progressed to the last four in Europe and last two in a domestic cup they last won in 2009. Hearts lie in wait back at Hampden Park on 21 May.
“We had to dig deep after a demanding game against Braga but our character was phenomenal,” said the Rangers manager, Giovanni van Bronckhorst. “We looked physically strong. It has been a terrific week for us, the momentum has been perfect. This gives us a lot of confidence but we have to keep going, keep working hard if we want to win things at the end of the season.” The Dutchman’s sentiment is of course perfectly valid; Rangers thus far have no tangible reward at all.
When Greg Taylor’s shot sent Celtic ahead Ange Postecoglou had a domestic treble in his sights. Yet the reality is Celtic were poor even before Taylor’s intervention. After Scott Arfield clawed Rangers back into the game Celtic regressed further. A team which has been heralded for high-tempo football all season was noticeably lethargic. It is perhaps the case that Postecoglou’s side have been overpraised. The Australian has not encountered many setbacks during his time in Scotland but this was an obvious, widely unforeseen one. Time will tell if it has a lingering impact.
A clearly deflated Postecoglou reflected on “a very tight game” defined by “moments” that represents the “nature of cup football.” Celtic’s manager added: “We have had to be resilient all year and this is another challenge for us. We are disappointed not to take the opportunity before us.
“Irrespective, we have five games to become champions of this country. That doesn’t change. We have to make sure we use today’s disappointment to fuel us.”
Ryan Kent could have sent Rangers in front inside two minutes but instead scooped a glorious chance over Joe Hart’s crossbar. Kemar Roofe flashed a shot wide and Joe Aribo headed straight into Hart’s gloves from close range. When John Lundstram hit the post from 20 yards, Rangers’ main concern was the failure to press home their superiority. Celtic provided no meaningful first-half threat.
Aaron Ramsey limped from the field two minutes before the interval, a scene which has become ominously familiar for the Welshman. Van Bronckhorst later confirmed Ramsey has a hamstring problem. This signing, in January on loan from Juventus, has failed to pay off for Rangers; which was entirely predictable given Ramsey’s appearance history. Had Rangers lost here, one can guarantee the Ramsey deal would have served as a reference point for irate supporters.
Celtic’s first piece of coherent attacking play took 51 minutes to arrive. At its conclusion Reo Hatate curled wide. Better was to come for those in green and white just after the hour, as Taylor collected a Callum McGregor pass and watched his low shot beat Jon McLaughlin after a deflection from Calvin Bassey. Cameron Carter-Vickers should have doubled his team’s lead but cracked the crossbar from six yards. How costly that moment of wastefulness from the centre-back was to prove.
Arfield, on as a substitute, picked the ball off Roofe’s toes and restored parity. Rangers’ sense of belief had flooded back. During extra time, James Tavernier hit a post and Fashion Sakala’s rebound struck the bar after Hart had saved from Arfield. As penalties loomedf, Bassey marauded down the left and fired over a low cross that Celtic proved unable to defend. “That’s my goal,” said Sakala. “I got the last touch.”
Television pictures show this was in fact a Carl Starfelt own goal. Van Bronckhorst said he could not care less who was credited with the game’s defining moment. Rangers saw out the remaining six minutes pretty comfortably.
There should have been embarrassment for both clubs and the Scottish FA’s executives, who looked – and could not help but listen – on as sectarian verse boomed out from both ends of Hampden Park. The failure of Scottish football to punish this depressing, archaic behaviour is a key reason for its return. Supporters can sing as they so please, neither clubs nor football’s governing bodies have a thing to say or do about it and the cycle continues. Welcome to 2022.