Celtic 3 Rangers 2:RANGERS, FROM an apparently unassailable position at the summit of the table at the start of April, are steadily watching their season unravel. Walter Smith's side may have three games in hand over their rivals - sufficient scope, therefore, to overhaul a five-point deficit - yet momentum has unquestionably swung Celtic's way. Two derby victories in the space of 11 days have ensured that much and also that Smith has, for the first time in a combined eight-year stint at Ibrox, suffered back-to-back losses to Celtic.
To add to the Rangers manager's personnel worries, David Weir and Steven Davis suffered groin strains here. Both are now rated as highly doubtful for the second leg of their Uefa Cup semi-final at Fiorentina on Thursday.
Steven Whittaker, dismissed in stoppage time after a tired lunge on Shunsuke Nakamura, merited a second yellow card and will certainly miss the potentially troublesome visit to Hibernian three days later. Under Pressure, by Queen, rather aptly was the verse of choice for the Tannoy announcer at full-time.
Strachan, whose hopes of claiming a third title in succession have been boosted by recent events, unwittingly also alluded to Freddie Mercury once the dust had settled. "We are the champions and we will be until someone takes that from us," said the Celtic manager.
Strachan's opposite number was more circumspect, aware that injuries and suspensions are playing an ever more prominent role in Rangers' hunt for glory at home and abroad. "We are not going to win it by 16, 10 or even eight points," he said. "I think I was the only person who emphasised that the league wasn't over when we beat Celtic at Ibrox (on March 29th)."
Rangers fans used to hail Scott McDonald as the player, then at Motherwell, who ended Celtic's championship dreams in 2005 with two goals against the Parkhead side in the dying moments of the season. The Australian went even higher in the estimations of the blue legions by missing a penalty against their team earlier this month.
Yesterday McDonald secured his first two Old Firm goals and had a hand in another to send the vast majority of a 58,662 crowd into raptures. The opener arrived within four minutes, the striker evading both the Rangers central defence - and the attentions of Tom Murphy, the assistant referee, who failed to realise he was offside - to collect a Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink header and put the ball beyond Neil Alexander.
It was harsh on Rangers, who had been adventurous during the opening exchanges, so there was little surprise that parity was soon restored, Weir heading a Davis corner home from six yards. Another set piece from the Ulsterman created havoc in the home defence 12 minutes later, Daniel Cousin connecting with a header to send Smith's team in front.
A slight deflection from Christian Dailly aided McDonald as he claimed his his 29th goal of the campaign, the culmination of an utterly pulsating opening half. Both teams had reasonable penalty claims - for hand-ball - turned down and Alexander clawed away Nakamura's free-kick effort.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the second 45 minutes failed to reach such a lofty tempo. Not that it troubled Celtic, who were increasingly potent in attack. Kirk Broadfoot became the fall guy, hauling down McDonald with the forward bearing down on goal; Barry Robson dispatched the spot-kick as onlookers were left puzzled as to why the referee, Craig Thomson, failed to send off the Rangers defender.
Such a fate was bestowed on Whittaker, nonetheless, who took out his frustrations on Nakamura, having received an earlier caution for a similar challenge on Lee Naylor.
CELTIC: Boruc, Hinkel, Caldwell, McManus (O'Dea 66), Naylor, Nakamura, Hartley (Scott Brown 83), Robson, McGeady, Vennegoor of Hesselink (Samaras 68), McDonald. Subs not used: Mark Brown, Caddis, Donati, Wilson. Booked: Robson, Hartley, Naylor, Vennegoor of Hesselink.
RANGERS: Alexander, Broadfoot, Dailly, Weir (Faye 51), Papac, Whittaker, Hemdani (Darcheville 79), Ferguson, Davis, Novo, Cousin. Subs not used: Graeme Smith, Boyd, Lennon, McMillan, Fleck. Booked: Broadfoot, Whittaker.
Referee: C Thomson (Scotland).
HOLY SHOW BORUC DISPLAYS HIS FAITH AFTER OLD FIRM WIN
CONTROVERSY is seldom far from the agenda when these teams meet and such was the case again yesterday, with Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc wearing a T-shirt with the slogan "God bless the Pope" and a picture of the late John Paul II as he left the field (right).
"He (the Pope) is not a bad lad, to be fair," said Boruc's manager, Gordon Strachan, with a shrug. "If it said 'God bless Myra Hindley', I might have a problem."
Rangers did not protest.
While Boruc did nothing overtly provocative and it is almost certain that the matter will go no further, the Pole's choice of attire for such a volatile fixture is open to question.
