Rangers 1 (Namouchi 49) Celtic 1 (Sylla 4)
There was a surprise appearance for ‘Gers goalkeeper
Jesper Christiansen, and the Dane it was who presented
Celtic with the opening goal in four minutes, missing
altogether Steve Guppy’s free-kick, allowing Momo
Sylla to head home.
Celtic certainly looked the likelier outfit in the
first-half, Shaun Maloney being denied a second by
Christiansen who touched his drive wide of goal.
Rangers however made a strong restart, Hamed Namouchi
equalising in 49 minutes when he headed home a Maurice
Ross cross.
Suddenly the Light Blues were in the ascendancy, and
five minutes later Namouchi almost snatched the lead
when he went through on an Alan Hutton pass only to be
forced wide by goalkeeper David Marshall – a clever
back-heel by the Rangers catching the Celtic defence
by surprise, but alas the ball the inrushing Egil
Ostenstad could only connect from a wide angle, yet
was still able to strike the post.
Christiansen went some way to atoning for his earlier
blunder when he twice denied Guppy – firstly beating
out the winger’s drive on the hour, then blocking a
left-foot shot from a Sylla cross in 76 minutes.
Celtic finished the stronger, Paulo Vanoli saving the
day in 83 minutes when he robbed Jamie Smith of the
ball as the Celt homed in on a Maloney pass.
With just three minutes left, Christiansen again was
alert to hold a Craig Beattie header from Guppy’s
cross.
Rangers nevertheless fully deserved the 1-1 draw.
RANGERS Christiansen; Hutton, Vanoli; Ross, McLeod,
Nerlinger (McCormack 62); Walker, Emerson, Duffy,
Ostenstad, Namouchi
UNUSED SUBS Robinson, McKenzie, Coyle, Campbell
CELTIC Marshall; Kennedy, Crainey; Lambert, McManus,
Wallace (McParland 62); Smith, Maloney, Beattie
(McGeady 88), Sylla, Guppy
UNUSED SUBS Low, Lawson, McGovern