Attendance 49,740
Today’s ‘Old Firm’ encounter was won by brute force and thuggery as Rangers lost their 100% home record this season, going down 1-2 thanks to some appalling defensive errors and a weak referee who valued the security of his home and family above sporting considerations.
There were surprise team selections on both sides, with Bert Konterman in the home line-up, Fernando Ricksen at right-back, and both Maurice Ross and Mikel Arteta on the substitute’s bench. Ronald De Boer – to general acclaim – made the starting line-up. Celtic – for only the second time in Martin O’Neil’s time in Glasgow – fielded a flat back four, with both Jackie McNamara and Ulrik Laursen included.
On their last visit to Ibrox Celtic had scored in eighteen seconds, and there was almost a first minute strike again when a slip by Lorenzo Amoruso allowed John Hartson free, his pass to Henrik Larsson being intercepted by Fernando Ricksen.
Sixty second later De Boer released Claudio Caniggia in on goal, only for the Argentinian’s chip to drift wide of the target, then Amoruso had a free header from a Ricksen corner in five minutes only to direct it just over.
Celtic made an enforced change in nine minutes when goalkeeper Rab Douglas suffered a recurrence of his thigh injury and was replaced by Javier Sanchez Broto.
Peter Lovenkrands looked in the mood in the early stages, but was the victim of an appalling tackle by Joos Valgaeren in ten minutes. Referee Hugh Dallas allowed the advantage only for Barry Ferguson to be scythed down. Both tackles were worthy of yellow cards – if not worse – yet the referee took no action, perhaps wary of his glazier’s bill at home.
Three minutes later a Barry Ferguson free-kick from 22 yards was blocked, but fell to De Boer who alas shot wide.
There was however a slackness about Rangers that did not bode well for the task in hand – Ferguson’s misplaced pass in fourteen minutes being intercepted by Larsson who played a one-two with Hartson only for Craig Moore to make a saving tackle.
Hugh Dallas finally produced a yellow card when Didier Agathe blatantly body-checked Lovenkrands, but Celtic had effectively nullified the Dane’s threat with their brutal tactics.
Celtic almost took the lead in the most bizarre of circumstances in 26 minutes when a Jackie McNamara free-kick from all of forty yards was left by defenders and attackers alike and struck the inside of the post before striking Stefan Klos’ chest and bouncing clear.
Two minutes later Celtic took the lead from the penalty spot when Amoruso’s tackle on Hartson was adjudged to be illegal. It was a soft award – to say the least – but with Larsson bottling out of taking it Alan Thompson stepped forward to coolly net.
If that were bad enough, worse was to follow before the interval when an abominable error by Amoruso gifted Celtic a second goal. The Italian defender was in control of a long through-ball only to attempt to shepherd it out of play. Agathe caught the ball on the goal-line however, squaring for Hartson who had time and space to pick his spot in 42 minutes.
The half ended in great controversy when Craig Moore was assaulted in mid-air by Hartson. Once again Hugh Dallas bottled out of what should without question have been a red card – but seconds later flashed yellow when the Celt fouled Ricksen.
It had been a dreadful first-half for Rangers, who had failed to adapt to Celtic’s change of formation, and
Manager Alex McLeish made an interval change – replacing the ineffective Konterman with Mikel Arteta. Rangers had a strong penalty claim denied in 54 minutes when De Boer was bundled over by Laursen following a one-two with Caniggia, then sixty seconds later Amoruso should have done better than head weakly wide from an Arteta corner.
The deficit was reduced however in 56 minutes when Arthur Numan’s superb cross was headed home by Ronald De Boer – perfectly placed into the corner of the net.
Four minutes later it might have been all-square when Caniggia’s cross fell to De Boer, the Dutchman’s weak shot being comfortably held by Broto.
Celtic substituted Stilian Petrov for John Hartson in 65 minutes, in an effort to ensure that they remained eleven-strong.
It had not been the best of days for Hugh Dallas, as was underlined in 74 minutes when De Boer was blatantly shoved off the ball by the thug Bobo Balde, only for the referee to see nothing amiss. The Ranger was booked for his protestations, and allsports-loving onlookers were left with the feeling that brute force was going to hold sway on the day.
Celtic might have clinched the game sixty seconds later when a Sutton back-heel found Larsson whose effort was deflected wide by Klos.
The cheat Sutton was finally yellow-carded in 79 minutes for his umpteenth foul on Ricksen, but Celtic’s thuggery - that has taken them all the way to Seville - had won the day.
Despite their first home defeat in nineteen months Rangers remain in prime position in the title race, but it is certainly going to be a fraught closing four games.
Alex McLeish summed up the afternoon:
"We weren’t allowed to dominate the midfield. The goals we lost were disappointing. Celtic were well-organised. I would have taken this position at the start of the season. It was no disgrace to lose."
Can’t agree with you there, Eck.
Ronald De Boer was scathing in his comments on the referee:
"The referee made mistakes. He made some ridiculous decisions."
And so say all of us.
RANGERS Klos; Ricksen, Moore, Amoruso, Numan; De Boer, Konterman (Arteta 45), Ferguson, Lovenkrands (Thompson 82); Caniggia (McCann 71), Mols
UNUSED SUBS McGregor, Ross
CELTIC Douglas (Broto 9); McNamara, Balde, Valgaeren, Laursen; Agathe, Sutton, Lennon, Thompson; Hartson (Petrov 65), Larsson
UNUSED SUBS Maloney, Smith, Crainey
REFEREE Hugh Dallas