Celtic-Rangers: Celtic Downs Rival Rangers, 2-0

Celtic beat arch rivals Rangers 2-0 after extra time in the Co-operative Insurance Cup at Hampden Park.

Just over 51,000 fans saw the game end 0-0 after 90 minutes, and with another 30 minutes of extra time to play, it was felt that the game could go to penalties for the second year running.

However, Darren O’Dea and Celtic had something to say about that.

Just 90 seconds into the first half of Extra Time, the Irish Internationalist lost his marker and rose unopposed in the Rangers box to put a header past Allan McGregor in the Rangers' goal.

The game was made secure in the last minute of extra time when Aiden McGeady converted a penalty he won after being brought down by Broadfoot as he bore down on goal.  Broadfoot was red-carded for the challenge.

So Celtic secure the first piece of silverware of the season, ending Rangers' hopes of winning a domestic treble. With the Celtic fans achieving bragging rights over the blue half of the city, it will be a tense finale to the SPL season with only three points between both teams at the top of the league.

Will this victory push Celtic onto their fourth-successive SPL title in a row, or will Rangers use this defeat to fire themselves up to secure their first title win in four years?

Only time will tell. But one thing is for sure tonight—the Green and White of Glasgow will be celebrating into the wee hours of the morning, while the Blue Half of Glasgow will be drowning their sorrows.

Celtic manager Gordon Strachan made a couple of surprise changes by giving a Loovens a start, with Gary Caldwell moving forward into midfield and out of form strikers Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and Georgios Samaras being left on the bench.

Rangers played Kenny Miller up front on his own as Kris Boyd was left on the bench as expected given his bust-up with Walter Smith earlier in the week. Even without their prima donna scorer, it was Rangers who started the brighter.  Sasa Papac got in behind the Celtic defence only to be ruled offside.

Celtic settled and began to take control increasingly putting pressure on a Rangers side who were without possibly the best SPL defender at the moment, Madjid Bougherra, who failed a fitness test. Kirk Broadfoot’s return from injury meant a straight swap at the heart of a defence that survived a period of pressure, which included Scott Brown firing a long-range effort over the crossbar, McGeady shooting across goal, and Loovens sending a looping header wide.

McGeady was causing Steven Whittaker all sorts of problems and, after beating the Rangers right-back, he sent in a low cross that Brown volleyed over from 15 yards once again. Rangers forced the first save of the game a minute before the break on the new Hampden pitch. Lafferty held off Andreas Hinkel to take the ball on his chest before firing a powerful effort that Boruc brilliantly tipped over the bar while at full stretch.

In the second half, Walter Smith moved Lafferty up front changing the formation to 4-4-2. It started to pay off and the Rangers manager brought on fit-again Nacho Novo to partner the Northern Irishman in place of Kenny Miller. Lafferty came close to scoring the opener after Boruc nearly blundered, when the goalkeeper tried some fancy footwork before hastily clearing a back-pass in front of his own goal.

Celtic nearly made the breakthrough themselves when David Weir tripped McGeady 20 yards out and McGregor tipped Nakamura’s free kick just wide of the back post for a corner. The Rangers goalkeeper again did well, beating the ball away after Brown let fly from close range after turning Broadfoot on the six yard line. And Mendes came to the rescue when he cleared Loovens’ shot off the line.

Boruc turned a powerful Novo drive over the crossbar. Boyd replaced Lafferty, who was tiring, as Walter Smith turned to the enigmatic striker to give Rangers the breakthrough.

Rangers had looked the more likely to score in the dying seconds, but Celtic took the lead in extra time when O’Dea’s header from a Nakamura cross looped over McGregor. McDonald and Samaras both squandered chances and McGregor had to tip another Brown shot over the bar as Celtic dominated in extra time, the goal seemingly having taken it out on Rangers who looked tired as the game went on.

In the dying seconds, Broadfoot brought down McGeady as he bore down on goal, and the Rangers defender was sent off. The Celtic midfielder dispatched the resulting penalty, sending the Celtic players and the fans into ecstasy as they secured the first silverware of the season.

While it may not be some consolation after being knocked out of the Scottish Cup last week by St. Mirren, it puts paid to Rangers drive for a domestic treble and gives the players and the fans the bragging rights in a city divided.

Match Information

Celtic: Boruc, Hinkel, Loovens, McManus, O’Dea, Caldwell, Nakamura, Scott Brown, Hartley, McGeady, McDonald.
Subs: Mark Brown, Vennegoor of Hesselink, Samaras, Crosas, Wilson.

Rangers: McGregor, Whittaker, Weir, Broadfoot, Papac, Davis, McCulloch, Ferguson, Mendes, Miller, Lafferty.
Subs: Alexander, Edu, Boyd, Novo, Dailly.

Referee: D McDonald

Stadium: Hampden Park

Attendance: 51,193