Celtic's Clydesdale Bank Premier League title hopes are firmly back on course after a 3-2 win over Rangers in a pulsating encounter at Parkhead.
Scott McDonald put the champions ahead early on but headers from David Weir and Daniel Cousin put Rangers ahead. However just before the break McDonald struck his second of the game to level the scores.
Parkhead midfielder Barry Robson scored with a penalty after the break to regain the lead and in a typically-enthralling Old Firm encounter, there was one more bit of drama remaining.
Rangers defender Steven Whittaker, booked earlier for a challenge on Lee Naylor, was sent off in injury time after a foul on Shunsuke Nakamura.
When referee Craig Thomson blew for full-time Celtic were five points clear at the top of the SPL although the Ibrox side have three games in hand.
After the game Celtic manager Gordon Strachan praised his players for coming back from behind to beat thier Old Firm rivals.
Strachan told Setanta Sports: "After scoring the first goal it kind of spooked us. We sat a bit too deep but sorted it out in the second half and it worked well for us.
"Rangers are physically a big, big side and they have good deliveries. They were two good deliveries and great headers. We think we could do better, but when we played I thought we made some excellent chances."
Rangers boss Walter Smith admitted they had conceded soft goals without injured goalkeeper Allan McGregor and the suspended Carlos Cuellar, whose centre-back partner Weir limped off with a groin strain.
Smith told BBC Radio Scotland: "I felt it was a decent game but I am a little bit disappointed to give Celtic the goals rather easily.
"It was poor defending from ourselves. That apart, our players did exceptionally well to come back from the early goal.
"But we are disappointed to lose the last goal, I think it was a contributory factor that Davie Weir had come off.
"With Christian Dailly, Amdy Faye and a new goalkeeper, we had a little bit of disruption in defence."
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