Rangers - 3 Celtic - 2:SCOTTISH PREMIER LEAGUE: "Astonishingly birlliant" was how Martin O'Neill described his side on Saturday afternoon, and he was at least half right.
The fastest goal in 114 years of Old Firm rivalry confirmed that, but from Rangers there came a pulsating comeback to leave Celtic and their manager poleaxed at half-time.
Then there was the sterling attempt by Rangers' defender Lorenzo Amoruso to gift Celtic a draw, plus O'Neill's bewilderingly fractious exchange with a BBC reporter in the aftermath.
Some day, these sides will produce a dull game.
The bare facts say Rangers won to leapfrog their oldest rivals and go two points clear at the top. Yet, the facts do not hint at the scope of an epic which encompassed everything that is good and bad about the fixture, with great goals, as well as bookings for Celtic's Bobo Balde, John Hartson and Neil Lennon and Rangers' Barry Ferguson and Neil McCann.
It all began to a backdrop of the stance taken by Scotland's First Minister Jack McConnell against the sectarianism that blights both clubs. Although the campaign is well intentioned, its launch two days before the Old Firm clash was not well timed.
Not even an astonishing opening could deflect attention from that particular issue. Celtic, without the opposition touching the ball, went ahead through Chris Sutton in just under 19 seconds.
But Rangers stormed back through a Craig Moore header after 10 minutes, edged in front through Ronald de Boerafter 35 and steamed further ahead when Michael Mols added a third before half-time.
Celtic, with Alan Thompson an influential substitute for Steve Guppy early in the second half, retaliated through John Hartson after 61 minutes and laid siege to Stefan Klos's goal.
Klos produced two magnificent saves to deny Hartson and Thompson before Amoruso intervened. The Italian had also been at fault for both Celtic goals with slack marking and he received a furious tirade from his fellow defender Craig Moore.
O'Neill chose to shower praise on his side, describing their performance as "splendid" and "terrific".
He then managed an altercation with a BBC radio reporter whose innocuous question about Paul Lambert being on the bench sparked a furious response from the Irishman, in charge for his unlucky 13th Old Firm fixture. And he has yet to get the better of McLeish in six attempts.
Meanwhile, Celtic's opponents in Thursday's UEFA Cup third round, first leg tie, Celta Vigo, beat CD Alaves 2-1 in the Primera Liga at home last night.
Guardian Service
CELTIC: Douglas, Valgaeren, Balde, Laursen, Agathe, Lennon, Sutton, Petrov, Guppy (Thompson 53), Larsson, Hartson. Subs Not Used: Gould, Lambert, Maloney, Crainey. Booked: Hartson, Balde, Lennon. Goals: Sutton 1, Hartson 61.
Referee: K Clark (Scotland).
RANGERS: Klos, Ross (Malcolm 21), Moore, Amoruso, Numan, Ricksen, Ferguson, McCann, de Boer, Mols (Caniggia 84), Arveladze (Lovenkrands 65). Subs Not Used: McGregor, Hughes. Booked: Ferguson, McCann. Goals: Moore 10, de Boer 35, Mols 40.
