Sunday March 25, 2012 Day 31 Finished Ibrox Stadium
No comments yet | Write your comment
-
Rangers win delays Celtic's title party
Rangers managed to delay nine-man Celtic's SPL title celebration by at least another week with a 3-2 win over their Glasgow rivals at Ibrox. More
-
Live Commentary
Time:90'- Rangers
- Celtic
90+4' The whistle goes! A 3-2 win for Rangers against the champions-elect Celtic, who will have to wait another week at least to celebrate their title. Thanks for joining us today.
90+3' Samaras brings down Whittaker. Hooper replaces Ledley for the visiting side.
90+2' GOAL! Celtic back to 3-2 behind. Rogne powers home the header from Commons's free-kick.- 90+1' Whittaker fouls Commons. Celtic have a free-kick.
- 89' Celtic win a throw-in as Whittaker slams the ball away from Samaras. Rangers earn a foul seconds later. Four minutes to be added to the match.
- 88' GOAL! Brown scores for Celtic. A 3-1 advantage now for Rangers. All over, but Celtic make the scoreline a bit more respectable.
87' RED CARD FOR BOCANEGRA! Late tackle on the Greek striker Samaras who was about to shoot. Penalty to Celtic.- 86' Celtic have paid the price for losing two men. So difficult to do anything with nine men but especially in this fixture.
- 85' Whittaker heads out of play. A throw-in to Celtic with Commons before Matthews earns one at the other end.
- 84' Matthews blocks the cross by Kerkar. Edu fouls Mulgrew.
- 83' Brown brings down Davis with a late challenge. A free-kick for the home side.
- 82' Commons with the corner. Headed clear by Bocanegra. Commons's delivery is nodded over by Rogne. Goalkick to the home side.
- 81' Celtic earn a corner-kick. The nine men trying to grab a consolation here.
- 80' McCulloch needing to get patched up. Commons with the delivery. Goian heads clear. Celtic have a throw-in out wide.
- 79' McCulloch and Brown collide in the middle of the park. McCulloch with an elbow in the back of Brown's head.
78' Rogne knocks the ball away. Kerkar booked for bringing down Brown.- 77' Celtic's lack of discipline has cost them dearly this afternoon.
- 76' Wallace departs the action to be replaced by Salim Kerkar.
- 75' GOAL! Wallace slips the ball under Forster. Celtic all over the place again. Matthews loses the ball and Davis plays in Wallace. All too easy. A 3-0 lead now.
- 74' Celtic will probably be content to get out of this one with a 2-0 loss. Not the best of days for the visitors. Champagne on ice until next weekend for Neil Lennon's side.
- 73' Wallace slams the cross well over the bar. Wallace was offside for the goal, but the referee missed that decision. Not very clever from the linesmen.
- 72' GOAL! Little sinks the second goal for the home side. Forster did well to save from Wallace, but Little follows up to score. Awful defending by Celtic.
- 71' Andy Little is brought on to replace the injured Aluko for the home team.
70' Forster makes a fine stop from McCulloch's drive before rising to keep out the rebound from Whittaker. Solid goalkeeping.- 69' Commons is brought on to take over from Ki.
- 68' Wallace brings down Brown. Rogne having to stick out a leg to stop Lafferty from getting a shot in.
- 67' Rangers again take up ideal position in the Celtic half. Two men and a one-man advantage. Rangers go from side to side.
- 66' Ki penalised for tripping Davis. We remain at 1-0 to the home side. Might be another change coming here for Rangers.
- 65' Celtic with free-kick. Chance to stick this into the area. Rangers break. Lafferty smashes the shot at goal, but saved by Forster.
- 64' Rangers with so much time and space. Whittaker hoists in a cross, but flies out of play for a goalkick to the visiting side.
- 63' Rogne nods the ball behind for a corner from Aluko's cross. Brown heads out seconds later.
- 62' Bocanegra nods the ball back to McGregor with Samaras cutting a fairly lone figure up front.
- 61' Papac prods a ball into space, but no takers on hand. Forster with the ball for Celtic.
- 60' Rangers fans enjoying themselves despite their side being well out of the title race.
- 59' Lafferty arrives to take over from McCabe. Rangers have a corner. Lafferty with a header over the bar.
- 58' McCabe is needing a spot of treatment. Looks like he is going to depart to be replaced by Kyle Lafferty.
- 57' McCulloch's shot deflects off Rogne before spinning over the bar. Rangers have a corner-kik.
- 56' Aluko sees a free-kick fly wide of the target. Superb effort, but always spinning wide. Celtic have serious problems in this match now.
- 55' RED CARD! Wanyama goes through the ball on Whittaker. Wins the ball, but is penalised for going in with two feet. Celtic now down to nine men.
- 54' Neil Lennon sent off after arguing with referee Calum Murray. Ki's free-kick flies out the park. Whittaker lucky to avoid conceding a penalty. Clear pull on Ledley.
- 53' Whittaker goes in late on Izaguirre and the visiting side have a free-kick chance out wide.
- 52' Forster takes the cross from Wallace. Rogne doing well to win the ball in the middle of the box. Celtic feeling the heat at Ibrox.
- 51' Rogne forced to hammer the ball away from Aluko. Rangers going from side to side.
- 50' Celtic manager Neil Lennon has apparently been sent to the stand for something he said to the match official at the break.
- 49' Decent turn and shot by Aluko, but the shot clears the bar by some margin. Aluko certainly full of confidence today.
- 48' McCulloch barging into Mulgrew as the ball lands in the hands of Forster. Ledley penalised for a foul on Whittaker.
- 47' McCulloch late on Mulgrew. Rangers boss McCoist telling his side to "go and win it" in this second period.
46' Rangers get this half off and running against the 10 men.- 45+1' Nice run by Izaguirre at the end of the first half, but he can't pick out a companion. Whistle goes for the break. Rangers lead 10-man Celtic 1-0.
- 44' One minute to be added to the half.
- 43' Brown smashes the ball into Aluko as Celtic win a throw-in. Referee wanting a word with the Celtic skipper for a spot of afters.
- 42' Whittaker's cross is headed out by Wanyama. Izaguirre with a hopeful cross, but all too easy for McGregor in the home goal.
- 41' Rangers content to let Celtic play in front of them. Samaras penalised for a handball.
- 40' Samaras seemed to be fouled by Papac. Was a clear foul, but the referee decided to wave play on. Celtic on the charge again.
- 39' Aluko wallops the free-kick into the area, but too much pace on the delivery. Goalkick to the home side.
- 38' Foul by Mulgrew on McCulloch, who wins a foul in a decent area of the pitch. Free-kick out wide for Rangers.
- 37' Wallace and Aluko combining well. McCabe enjoying a fine afternoon so far. Rangers with the extra man advantage.
- 36' Bocanegra plays the ball out of his box. Takes no chance. Matthews with the long throw. Scramble in the box, but McGregor snatches the loose ball.
- 35' Wanyama plays the ball into the path of Samaras. Bocanegra is out to play the ball to safety.
- 34' Celtic now playing a 4-4-1 formation. Ledley with a cross, but McGregor comes out to collect.
- 33' McCulloch goes down like he has been shot. Lennon not happy with that conduct. Celtic with a goalkick.
- 32' Mulgrew showing some strength to shield the ball away from Aluko.
- 31' Stokes departs to be replaced by Emilio Izaguirre. Samaras will play up front on his own.
- 30' McCabe pings in a shot along the deck. Easy enough take for Forster in the visiting goal.
- 29' McCabe slams an effort into the wall. Wanyama penalised for a late foul on Aluko. Rangers have a free-kick chance here.
- 28' RED CARD! Cha is sent off for bringing down Wallace. Celtic now down to ten men. Game over for Cha. Real problems for Celtic now. Was racing through on goal. Referee decided it was a goalscoring chance.
- 27' McCulloch continues to win balls in the air with some regularity. He is have a decent afternoon up front. Celtic not handling that threat well.
- 26' Bocanegra forced to nod the ball out. Brown with a superb cross from out wide. Stokes heads down and into the ground. Easy take for McGregor.
- 25' Wallace trips Cha as Celtic earn a free-kick deep in their half. On we go with Rangers holding a 1-0 lead.
- 24' Mulgrew comes across to win the ball from Aluko, who is causing no end of problems. Cha with a header out of his box.
- 23' Samaras enjoying his day out so far. Brown dinks the ball into the box, but McCabe clears the dangers.
- 22' Ki decides to try his luck to 35 yards, but drags his effort well wide of the goal.
- 21' Aluko slides the ball into the path of Wallace. Real chance, but Wallace slams the shot over the bar. Glorious chance to make it two.
- 20' Whittaker races towards the edge of the box, but can only lift his shot well over the bar with his right foot.
- 19' Lennon out on the touchline barking a few instructions as Forster races out of his goal to hammer the loose ball clear.
- 18' Bocanegra wins the ball from Brown. Mulgrew needs to get to grips with McCulloch. Brown overhits a pass to Cha. Goalkick to the home side.
17' The Celtic defence being troubled by the presence of McCulloch. Stokes caught offside when he was well onside. Papac was playing Stokes on.- 16' Mulgrew heads out McCabe's delivery. Aluko sees a shot deflect off Rogne before spinning wide of the goal. End to end stuff so far in this match.
- 15' Papac rises to head out the cross from Ledley. Cha forced to tackle Aluko as Rangers earn a corner at the other end.
- 14' McGregor out to nudge the corner by Ki out of the danger area. Celtic have suddenly come to life in this match after a slow start.
- 13' Another superb diving save by McGregor to tip the shot wide from Stokes. Wonderful goalkeeping by McGregor.
- 12' Stunning play by Samaras. Brilliant run and shot. The save by McGregor before Stokes lifts the ball over the bar. Golden chance for Celtic. Should have been 1-1.
- 11' Rogne and Mulgrew undone by a move of genuine class. Cha slips the cross into the middle. Well taken by McGregor. Rangers in the mood for this one.
- 10' GOAL! Aluko dances through the middle of the visiting defence before sliding the ball under Forster. Superb finish from the forward. Lovely goal and the home side have a 1-0 lead.
- 9' Rogne gets the ball out from McCabe's delivery. Goian does well to play Stokes offside.
- 8' A free-kick given against Samaras for a late foul on Goian. Rangers continue on the attack as they earn a corner. The home side well up for this one.
- 7' Wallace slams an aimless ball down the line from McCabe's pass. Ball straight out of the park for a goalkick to Celtic.
- 6' Rangers playing a flat back four. Stokes up front on his own. McCabe drags a shot wide from distance. Plenty of pace, but not the direction. Was worth the shot.
- 5' Cha with a header back to Forster after Wallace fouls Brown. The atmosphere in the ground electric for this contest. McCulloch doing well up front already for the home side in the air.
- 4' Great tackle by Cha to prevent Aluko from getting the shot in. Lovely move by Rangers. Almost the opening goal for the home side, but Celtic hold firm.
- 3' Celtic chasing a 100th victory over Rangers. Rangers bidding to avoid a fourth straight defeat at home for the first time in their history. Celtic on the ball.
- 2' Rogne across to put the ball under pressure from Aluko. Rangers looking to make a quick start at home as McCulloch's glancing header lands in the arms of Forster.
1' We are off and running at Ibrox.- 12.55 Celtic and Rangers teams in the tunnel. Temperatures set to hit the 70s on the pitch. "Simply the best" blares out as the teams come out before shaking hands. Almost ready to go in this one.
- 12.52 Neil Lennon (Celtic): "It's been two years in the making. A 75 per cent fit Gary Hooper is an asset for us, but we look strong today. I don't really want to think about winning the title. If we do it, you can ask me afterwards."
- 12.50 Match odds: Rangers 5/2, Celtic 10/11, Draw 5/2.
- 12.45 Ally McCoist (Rangers): "I always wanted to win every Old Firm game because it is a game against our biggest rivals. Today is no different. We really want to give our fans something to cheer about. Our fans have been sensational. It is safe to say that Celtic will be crowned champions win, lose or draw."
- 12.40 Neil Lennon on possibly winning the title at Ibrox: "We had the police up on Wednesday, we had a chat with the head of the police organisation about the game on Sunday but not with regards post-match celebrations. I think he just wants to make sure that the game goes as well as it possibly can go which I totally understand. The last thing we want to do is rub it in people's faces. We won't be there to gloat. We will be respectful of everyone at the stadium."
- 12.35 Full teams and substitutes: Rangers: McGregor, Goian, Bocanegra, Papac, Whittaker, McCabe, Davis, Edu, Wallace, Aluko, McCulloch..subs: Alexander, Lafferty, Bedoya, Kerkar, Perry, Little, Mitchell////Celtic: Forster, Cha, Rogne, Mulgrew, Matthews, Brown, Wanyama, Ki, Ledley, Stokes, Samaras..subs: Zaluska, Izaguirre, Kelvin Wilson, Commons, Brozek, McGeough, Hooper////Referee: Calum Murray
- 12.30 Rangers manager Ally McCoist: "We've had problems with injuries and suspensions, but we believe we can win on Sunday. We want to give the fans something to shout about. They have been fantastic in the past few weeks and I'm sure they will be again."
- 12.25 CELTIC TEAM NEWS: Celtic make three changes to the side which lost 1-0 to Kilmarnock in the League Cup final. Cha Du Ri, Ki Sung-Yueng and Georgios Samaras come in to start with James Forrest injured. Kelvin Wilson and Gary Hooper drop to the bench.
- 12.20 RANGERS TEAM NEWS: Rangers hand a debut to teenager Rhys McCabe, who plays in a 5-4-1 formation. Dorin Goian, Carlos Bocanegra, Sasa Papac will be joined by Steven Whittaker who starts his first match since Christmas Eve after returning from injury with Lee Wallace at left-back. Sone Aluko will support Lee McCulloch, who is set to start as lone striker.
- 12.15 TEAMS: Rangers: McGregor, Goian, Bocanegra, Wallace, Whittaker, Papac, Edu, McCabe, Davis, Aluko, McCulloch////Celtic: Forster, Cha, Rogne, Mulgrew, Matthews, Brown, Ki, Ledley, Wanyama, Samaras, Stokes
- 12.10 Good afternoon and welcome to LIVE coverage of Rangers against Celtic from Ibrox. Rangers have pride to play for with Neil Lennon's side needing a win to clinch their first SPL title since 2008.
-
Summary
- 90+2' GOAL! Celtic back to 3-2 behind. Rogne powers home the header from Commons's free-kick.
- 88' GOAL! Brown scores for Celtic. A 3-1 advantage now for Rangers. All over, but Celtic make the scoreline a bit more respectable.
- 87' RED CARD FOR BOCANEGRA! Late tackle on the Greek striker Samaras who was about to shoot. Penalty to Celtic.
- 75' GOAL! Wallace slips the ball under Forster. Celtic all over the place again. Matthews loses the ball and Davis plays in Wallace. All too easy. A 3-0 lead now.
- 72' GOAL! Little sinks the second goal for the home side. Forster did well to save from Wallace, but Little follows up to score. Awful defending by Celtic.
- 70' Forster makes a fine stop from McCulloch's drive before rising to keep out the rebound from Whittaker. Solid goalkeeping.
- 65' Celtic with free-kick. Chance to stick this into the area. Rangers break. Lafferty smashes the shot at goal, but saved by Forster.
- 56' Aluko sees a free-kick fly wide of the target. Superb effort, but always spinning wide. Celtic have serious problems in this match now.
- 55' RED CARD! Wanyama goes through the ball on Whittaker. Wins the ball, but is penalised for going in with two feet. Celtic now down to nine men.
- 28' RED CARD! Cha is sent off for bringing down Wallace. Celtic now down to ten men. Game over for Cha. Real problems for Celtic now. Was racing through on goal. Referee decided it was a goalscoring chance.
- 21' Aluko slides the ball into the path of Wallace. Real chance, but Wallace slams the shot over the bar. Glorious chance to make it two.
- 13' Another superb diving save by McGregor to tip the shot wide from Stokes. Wonderful goalkeeping by McGregor.
- 12' Stunning play by Samaras. Brilliant run and shot. The save by McGregor before Stokes lifts the ball over the bar. Golden chance for Celtic. Should have been 1-1.
- 10' GOAL! Aluko dances through the middle of the visiting defence before sliding the ball under Forster. Superb finish from the forward. Lovely goal and the home side have a 1-0 lead.
- 6' Rangers playing a flat back four. Stokes up front on his own. McCabe drags a shot wide from distance. Plenty of pace, but not the direction. Was worth the shot.
- 4' Great tackle by Cha to prevent Aluko from getting the shot in. Lovely move by Rangers. Almost the opening goal for the home side, but Celtic hold firm.
- 12.35 Full teams and substitutes: Rangers: McGregor, Goian, Bocanegra, Papac, Whittaker, McCabe, Davis, Edu, Wallace, Aluko, McCulloch..subs: Alexander, Lafferty, Bedoya, Kerkar, Perry, Little, Mitchell////Celtic: Forster, Cha, Rogne, Mulgrew, Matthews, Brown, Wanyama, Ki, Ledley, Stokes, Samaras..subs: Zaluska, Izaguirre, Kelvin Wilson, Commons, Brozek, McGeough, Hooper////Referee: Calum Murray
- 12.15 TEAMS: Rangers: McGregor, Goian, Bocanegra, Wallace, Whittaker, Papac, Edu, McCabe, Davis, Aluko, McCulloch////Celtic: Forster, Cha, Rogne, Mulgrew, Matthews, Brown, Ki, Ledley, Wanyama, Samaras, Stokes
Team Line-up & Ratings
-
Line-up
Live Team Line-Up
Starting line-up
- A. McGregor
- S. Whittaker
- S. Papac
- D. Goian
- C. Bocanegra
- L. Wallace
- S. Davis
- R. McCabe
- L. McCulloch
- M. Edu
- S. Aluko
Subs
- K. Lafferty
61′ - R. Perry
- A. Little 72′
- A. Bedoya
- N. Alexander
- S. Kerkar 78′
- A. Mitchell
Starting line-up
- F. Forster
- D. Cha
- C. Mulgrew
- T. Rogne
- A. Matthews
- S. Ki
- S. Brown
- J. Ledley
- V. Wanyama
- G. Samaras
- A. Stokes
Subs
- K. Commons 70′
- G. Hooper 90′
- L. Zaluska
- K. Wilson
- E. Izaguirre 32′
- P. Brozek
- D. McGeough
-
Rate Players