FOOTBALL Live

Saturday March 29, 2008 Finished

Glasgow Rangers 1 - Celtic Glasgow 0

Rangers

  • Thomson 45’

Celtic

  1. Rangers go six points clear

    Rangers go six points clear

    Rangers beat Celtic 1-0 thanks to a first-half goal by Kevin Thomson in an Old Firm SPL derby at Ibrox. More

  • Live Commentary

    Time:90'
    • Rangers
    • Celtic
    • 90+4 And that is the final whistle, 1-0 to Rangers, who go six points clear! We've got scoring of all the other SPL matches from 3pm.
    • 90+3 Boruc goes up for a late corner which Rangers clear but they can't get a shot away to catch him out... Celtic come again and surely a foul on McGeady on the left wing but nothing given.
    • 90+1 Celtic have left gaps at the back as Novo surges forward, threading a superb low diagonal pass to Adam who is clean through but a spectacular save by Boruc!
    • 90' Somehow only three minutes of injury time after Thomson was down for three and a half. Interesting.
    • 89' Celtic corner on the right, Robson with the inswinger but headed clear.
    • 87' Celtic throwing everything forward now...
    • 84' McCulloch sends it through for Novo who could be in but brave goalkeeping by Boruc to save, getting a knock in the process... Celtic come forward now, Hinkel crosses and McGregor has to punch... still with the Hoops though...
    • 83' Rangers break now, Naismith through the middle, in for Novo but his shot is easy for Boruc... now Nakamura on the edge of the box but his shot is wild and wide.
    • 82' McGeady with a chance to run down the left, he sends in a good high cross but with no Hesselink in there Rangers can clear...
    • 82' Naismith booked for a late one on Naylor...
    • 81' CELTIC SUB: Robson on for Hartley now.
    • 81' Brown is booked, finally, for clobbering Novo.
    • 80' RANGERS SUB: Interesting one with Davis - a midfielder - limping off for Naismith, a forward.
    • 79' CELTIC SUB: Top scorer Scott McDonald is on for Hesselink after a spell out injured... Celtic pushing for the equaliser...
    • 77' Sympathy is low for Thomson at Eurosport as he is stretchered off after hurting himself taking a dive. He'll be ashamed when he sees the replay, Smith should fine him for his stupidity.
    • 75' The ref books Boruc for his reaction, standing over Thomson giving him aggro, but not Thomson who - quite hilariously - has genuinely injured himself in trying to buy a penalty. He did a "Pires", getting past Samaras before sticking his own leg out to ensure contact.
    • 74' Thomson is down in the area after diving appalingly, he has already been booked and should get sent off but let's see if the ref bought it or not...
    • 72' Hesselink flicks on a long ball for Nakamura but slightly too heavy and back with McGregor.
    • 71' McGeady outnumbered on the left ends up hoofing it out in frustration... he started really well today but his strikers weren't able to match his delivery with finishes and now he's drifting out of the game...
    • 68' RANGERS SUB: Darcheville off for popular Spanish striker Nacho Novo.
    • 67' Naylor clobbers Davis after being sold a cheeky backheel turn... free kick to Rangers on the right... Thomson swings it onto the penalty spot AND DAILLY UNMARKED WITH THE HEADER BUT STRAIGHT AT BORUC! Oh, flag up anyway.
    • 66' The ref blows up as Darcheville goes down injured, even though he hadn't blown for Hesselink going down moments earlier. Scott Brown isn't happy but avoids a booking...
    • 64' Hinkel on the offensive, driving forward on the right and he cuts inside to release a brilliant rising drive that McGregor tips over in style! Celtic corner, great effort, great save.
    • 61' The ref has a word with Ferguson over some verbals with Strachan, who I think has been warned but not dismissed.
    • 59' Samaras could be in here, chasing a long one into the left corner... corner to Celtic which Nakamura sends in, headed away, back to Nakamura but again headed clear to Brown who lofts it in but Caldwell is offside.
    • 58' Naylor with a foul-mouthed rant at the ref after being penalised following a quite clear Broadfoot dive. Yellow card for the verbals, fair enough, but terrible refereeing to buy the dive,
    • 55' Corner to Rangers on the left, Ferguson will take this one... swung towards Weir on the edge of the six yard box but he can't make a decent connection and Celtic clear.
    • 54' Darcheville almost plays Broadfoot in but Hartley manages to hoof it clear, Celtic on the back foot now...
    • 52' Rangers more threatening after that goal just before the break, playing the better football - or the more confident football, rather.
    • 50' Davis and Thomson link up and a superb ball clipped through for Ferguson who's clear and drives the shot in but blocked behind for a corner by Caldwell!
    • 49' Great diagonal ball towards the penalty spot and Hesselink rises but heads straight at McGregor! Should have done better.
    • 48' Great play from Thomson as he tries to release Dailly, but his legs aren't what they used to be and Celtic come again... Brown wins a free kick around 35 yards out, Nakamura to swing it in...
    • 46' Second half underway!
    • 45+1 Half-time, 1-0 to Rangers!
    • 45' Rangers break, Ferguson inside to Thomson on the edge of the D, plays it first-time to Darcheville who stands it up with a great touch and plays it one-two to Thomson who carried on running and he slides it past Boruc into the bottom left for 1-0! Rangers take the lead, Celtic arguably having had the better of it but Walter Smith won't mind!
    • 44' Celtic come forward again, they have men over as Brown slips it into Samaras who clips the through ball but too heavy... cleared and played wide to McGeady whose cross is headed back across goal for BROWN BUT THE BALL GETS CAUGHT UNDER HIS FOOT AND RANGERS CLEAR!
    • 41' Rangers corner on the right, Thomson to take this one and it causes some real problems but Boruc palms it away and hoofed out for a throw! Taken quickly to Davis who feeds FERGUSON WITH THE RUN INTO THE AREA BUT HIS LOW DRIVE IS SAVED BY BORUC! Good positioning from the Pole.
    • 39' Thomson harshly adjudged to have fouled McGeady, looked like he got the ball to me but the man afterwards. Broadfoot is talking to the ref because McGeady initially won the ball off him with a slide tackle but it was clean.
    • 37' Darcheville goes down on the edge of the box on the right hand side but nothing given, Naylor adjudged to have merely gone shoulder-to-shoulder with the former Bordeaux man.
    • 36' Throw to Rangers on the left then, after the ref had words with Brown and Darcheville for that ruckus... headed out by Caldwell for a corner. Sustained spell of Rangers pressure, better delivery from Davis but plucked out of the air by Boruc under pressure, he releases it quickly too, sending Celtic down the other end...
    • 34' Rangers free kick on the left sent in by Davis for McCulloch but just about cleared, Hartley beats Darcheville to it on the left and kicks off at the Frenchman for catching him a bit late. No need for that reaction.
    • 33' Caldwell into Samaras who takes it on the chest, play on with the locals howling for handball... now with McGeady on the left, he skins Broadfoot and crosses to SAMARAS WITH THE FLICK TO BROWN AT THE FAR POST WHO HAMMERS IT OFF THE OUTSIDE OF THE POST! Just too wide for Brown, who did well to get it close to being on target.
    • 32' Dailly booked for clattering into Brown rather late and from behind.
    • 30' Steven Davis again fails to get his corner past the first man, again Samaras. Rangers second-best at the moment.
    • 26' The referee really harshly books Thomson as they disagree about the placing of the ball. I mean come on that wasn't dissent, he just placed the ball in the wrong spot.
    • 25' MacManus booked for a sliding tackle on the Rangers right wing..
    • 24' Corner to Celtic on the right which is swung into the centre with MACMANUS RISING TO HEAD but inches wide of the far post!
    • 22' Yellow card to Hesselink for his protests after that penalty shout, looking at the replay Brown was too honest, unfortunately.
    • 21' Good move by Celtic again, Samaras slides it through to BROWN WHO'S IN AND MUST SCORE BUT A GREAT SAVE BY MCGREGOR!! Brown was slightly off-balance under pressure by Whittaker, he maybe even tripped him slightly.
    • 18' Some good work by Brown just outside the Rangers box and Nakamura finds some space to shoot but he drills it straight at McGregor.
    • 15' Decent move by Celtic as Hinkel and Nakamura combine, the latter floating a good ball in for Scott Brown's late run but he hasn't gambled early enough so McGregor gets there first.
    • 10' Davis's corner is poor, Samaras heads clear and McGeady charges forward but the Scottish-born Ireland winger loses out to Thomson, much to the delight of the home fans.
    • 9' A Celtic throw on the left is not cleared fully by Rangers as Nakamura plays in Hesselink but he can't turn and shoot and Rangers counter through Darcheville who buys a corner off Caldwell.
    • 8' Nakamura sends the dipping free-kick in but easy for McGregor.
    • 7' Cuellar brings down Nakamura around 25 yards out, play could have been waved on but it's a free kick to Celtic which the Japan midfielder will take...
    • 6' Free-kick to Rangers on the left, Thomson to swing it in right-footed... and it's a great delivery to the far post AND MCCULLOCH RISES WITH THE HEADER BUT INCHES WIDE! Great chance.
    • 5' Swift counter from Rangers sees Darcheville played in but he's pulled up, offside I think... Celtic break as McGeady finds some space on the left, beats Broadfoot for pace and chips in a brilliant cross for HESSELINK WITH THE FLICK but into the side-netting! Cuellar put him off just enough and his spectacular flick did not come off.
    • 4' Hartley charges down a Cuellar clearance and could be in on the right but the whistle has gone for handball.
    • 2' Typically frantic start from the two sides, neither stringing more than one pass together.
    • 1' Old Firm derby underway!
    • - So, interestingly, the three Rangers international absentees all start (Ferguson, McCulloch and McGregor - Dailly doesn't really count as an international anymore...) while the Celtic pair of McDonald and Robson are benched. What does that say, seriousness of injury aside? Do Rangers want this more?
    • - CELTIC TEAM: Boruc, Hinkel, Caldwell, McManus, Naylor, Nakamura, Scott Brown, Hartley, McGeady, Vennegoor of Hesselink, Samaras; Subs: Mark Brown, Wilson, Sno, Donati, Robson, McDonald, O'Dea
    • - RANGERS TEAM: McGregor, Broadfoot, Cuellar, Weir, Whittaker, Dailly, Thomson, Davis, Ferguson, McCulloch, Darcheville; Subs: Alexander, Boyd, Novo, Adam, Naismith, Furman, McMillan
    • - CELTIC TEAM NEWS: Defender Bobo Balde makes the squad after recovering from injury while midfielder Barry Robson and striker Scott McDonald are available after missing the midweek friendlies for Scotland and Australia respectively.
    • - RANGERS TEAM NEWS: Rangers will give late fitness tests to Barry Ferguson (ankle), Christian Dailly (toe), Lee McCulloch (thigh) and Allan McGregor (knee) all of whom missed Scotland's 1-1 draw with Croatia midweek.
    • - Hello and welcome to eurosport.yahoo.com's LIVE comments and scoring of the Old Firm derby at Ibrox today, starting at 12:30GMT!

  • Summary

    • 90+1 Celtic have left gaps at the back as Novo surges forward, threading a superb low diagonal pass to Adam who is clean through but a spectacular save by Boruc!
    • 64' Hinkel on the offensive, driving forward on the right and he cuts inside to release a brilliant rising drive that McGregor tips over in style! Celtic corner, great effort, great save.
    • 50' Davis and Thomson link up and a superb ball clipped through for Ferguson who's clear and drives the shot in but blocked behind for a corner by Caldwell!
    • 49' Great diagonal ball towards the penalty spot and Hesselink rises but heads straight at McGregor! Should have done better.
    • 45' Rangers break, Ferguson inside to Thomson on the edge of the D, plays it first-time to Darcheville who stands it up with a great touch and plays it one-two to Thomson who carried on running and he slides it past Boruc into the bottom left for 1-0! Rangers take the lead, Celtic arguably having had the better of it but Walter Smith won't mind!
    • 44' Celtic come forward again, they have men over as Brown slips it into Samaras who clips the through ball but too heavy... cleared and played wide to McGeady whose cross is headed back across goal for BROWN BUT THE BALL GETS CAUGHT UNDER HIS FOOT AND RANGERS CLEAR!
    • 41' Rangers corner on the right, Thomson to take this one and it causes some real problems but Boruc palms it away and hoofed out for a throw! Taken quickly to Davis who feeds FERGUSON WITH THE RUN INTO THE AREA BUT HIS LOW DRIVE IS SAVED BY BORUC! Good positioning from the Pole.
    • 33' Caldwell into Samaras who takes it on the chest, play on with the locals howling for handball... now with McGeady on the left, he skins Broadfoot and crosses to SAMARAS WITH THE FLICK TO BROWN AT THE FAR POST WHO HAMMERS IT OFF THE OUTSIDE OF THE POST! Just too wide for Brown, who did well to get it close to being on target.
    • 24' Corner to Celtic on the right which is swung into the centre with MACMANUS RISING TO HEAD but inches wide of the far post!
    • 21' Good move by Celtic again, Samaras slides it through to BROWN WHO'S IN AND MUST SCORE BUT A GREAT SAVE BY MCGREGOR!! Brown was slightly off-balance under pressure by Whittaker, he maybe even tripped him slightly.
    • 6' Free-kick to Rangers on the left, Thomson to swing it in right-footed... and it's a great delivery to the far post AND MCCULLOCH RISES WITH THE HEADER BUT INCHES WIDE! Great chance.
    • 5' Swift counter from Rangers sees Darcheville played in but he's pulled up, offside I think... Celtic break as McGeady finds some space on the left, beats Broadfoot for pace and chips in a brilliant cross for HESSELINK WITH THE FLICK but into the side-netting! Cuellar put him off just enough and his spectacular flick did not come off.

Live Team Line-Up

  • Referee: Stuart Dougall

  • Rangers

    Manager: Walter Smith

    On the Field

    • McGregor
    • Broadfoot
    • Cuéllar
    • Weir
    • Whittaker
    • Dailly Yellow Card
    • Davis Substitution Out (80′)
    • Thomson Goal Yellow Card Substitution Out (77′)
    • Ferguson
    • McCulloch
    • Darcheville Substitution Out (68′)

    Subs

    • Alexander
    • Novo Substitution In (68′)
    • Boyd
    • Naismith Substitution In (80′) Yellow Card
    • Adam Substitution In (77′)
    • McMillan
    • Furman

    Injured

    None

    Suspended

    None

  • Celtic

    Manager: Gordon Strachan

    On the Field

    • Boruc
    • Hinkel
    • Caldwell
    • McManus Yellow Card
    • Naylor Yellow Card
    • Nakamura
    • Brown Yellow Card
    • Hartley Substitution Out (81′)
    • McGeady
    • Vennegoor of Hesselink Yellow Card Substitution Out (79′)
    • Samaras

    Subs

    • Donati
    • Brown
    • McDonald Substitution In (79′)
    • Wilson
    • Sno
    • O'Dea
    • Robson Substitution In (81′)

    Injured

    None

    Suspended

    None