SPL: Rangers 1-0 Celtic 29/03/08 FT

[DavidMc]

Rangers v Celtic
Scottish Premier League
Saturday 29th March 08
Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow

[DavidMc]

Rangers v Celtic

Rangers will give late fitness tests to Barry Ferguson, Christian Dailly, Lee McCulloch and Allan McGregor.

Dailly has a broken toe and he and the others, who have an assortment of knocks, were sidelined for Scotland's friendly with Croatia on Wednesday.

Celtic defender Bobo Balde is added to the visitors' squad after recovering from an injury sustained at the African Cup of Nations.

Midfielder Barry Robson is fit to play, having also missed out for Scotland.

Stephen McManus, Paul Hartley, Gary Caldwell and Scott Brown are all set for the trip to Ibrox after coming through the international at Hampden.

Striker Scott McDonald is available after missing out on international duty with Australia through injury.

Rangers skipper Ferguson has been dogged by an ankle injury but has put off surgery until the end of the season.

McCulloch has a thigh strain and goalkeeper McGregor has a knee problem.

French forward Daniel Cousin is recovering well from a broken jaw but will not be ready until next weekend at the earliest.



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Rangers (from): McGregor, Broadfoot, Cuellar, Weir, Papac, Dailly, Thomson, Davis, Ferguson, McCulloch, Whittaker, Darcheville, Novo, Alexander, Boyd, Burke, Naismith, Emslie, Furman.

Celtic (from): Boruc, Hinkel, Caldwell, McManus, Naylor, Nakamura, S Brown, Hartley, Robson, Sno, McGeady, McDonald, Samaras, Vennegoor of Hesselink, M Brown, Riordan, O'Dea, Killen, Balde.

[DavidMc]

Rangers v Celtic

Assistant manager Ally McCoist is relishing the prospect of extending Rangers' SPL lead over Celtic.
"We have an opportunity to create a bigger gap and that is something that we want to do," said McCoist ahead of Saturday's Old Firm clash at Ibrox.

"There is equal pressure on both sides. It is as vital for us to win this as it is for Celtic.

"Both clubs are doing very, very well in the league and the recent results have been very good."

Rangers have won their last 12 league matches, while Celtic can boast a tally of 31 points from a possible 33.

If the home side were to make it 13 victories in a row, they would open up a six-point lead, having played a game less.

And McCoist was in a positive mood before the first of three end-of-season derbies - the next two being at Celtic Park.

"The players are the same as the punters in the respect that they get excited, they talk about it, they look forward to it and I can tell you that our lads are really looking forward to it," added the former Ibrox striker.

"I just think that the punters and fans feel that something has to give.

"I don't know who the draw suits. I'm not thinking about drawing and I'm not thinking about losing.

"We are thinking about winning the game.

"There is a danger that if you think about looking for a draw or accepting a draw, that you don't get that or a win.

"So we will be doing our best to win."

Barry Ferguson missed out on Scotland's friendly with Croatia on Wednesday due to an ankle injury but will be fit to lead Rangers out for the lunchtime kick-off.

And manager Walter Smith is delighted to have his captain available for such a vital encounter.

"It's important for us to have Barry there," Smith told the club website.

"He has hardly missed a game and the one I did leave him out of we played badly and lost 4-2 at Tynecastle.

"He has had to endure this injury for the last six weeks or so and, with the number of games we have, he might be in a bit of pain between now and the end of the season."

Smith has yet to lose an Old Firm game since his return to Ibrox last year and he is expecting a thrilling finale to the season.

"It's going to be an exciting finish," he added.

"This year, as challengers, we had hoped to make it the case that we could push Celtic.

"I think we have shown we can do that. But people keep asking me if we can go on a win the championship and, when you have a new group of players, you just don't know.

"They have to rise to the occasion now as we head into the run-in.

"Celtic are the team with the pedigree, having won the title in the past two seasons.

"Celtic will have a pride and determination to keep going and fight to the end. I know we will have to do that as well, and we have to show that strength and that desire."

[LAF]

This should be a cracker. Celtic must win!

[Oliver_Kahn]

FT Rangers 1 - 0 Celtic

45' [1 - 0] K. Thomson

[DavidMc]

Rangers 1-0 Celtic

Kevin Thomson picked an opportune moment to score his first goal for Rangers as they went six points clear of Celtic at the top of the SPL.

Celtic settled first and Scott Brown squandered two superb chances when his control twice deserted him in the box.

On 44 minutes Thomson played a clever one-two with Jean-Claude Darcheville before tucking the ball under Artur Boruc to give the home side the lead.

Allan McGregor made a great save from Andreas Hinkel to keep Rangers ahead.

Barry Ferguson, McGregor, Christian Dailly and Lee McCulloch all returned from injury after missing Scotland's friendly against Croatia in midweek.

Frenchman Jean-Claude Darcheville made his Old Firm debut as the lone striker.

But his striking counterpart Scott McDonald was left on the bench by Celtic manager Gordon Strachan, with Georgios Samaras partnering Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink up front.

Straight from kick-off Boruc launched a huge punt aimed at the head of Vennegoor of Hesselink as Celtic indicated how they were set to play.

It was a typically frantic, disjointed and mostly aerial battle from the start with both sides engaging in an extended game of heady tennis.

The spritely Aiden McGeady provided Celtic with the first proper chance of the match after five minutes.

The winger spun past Kirk Broadfoot and left the Rangers right-back trailing in his wake before curling a menacing cross into the box, but Vennegoor of Hesselink failed to connect.

At the other end McCulloch rose above the Celtic defence to meet Thomson's floated free-kick but his header flashed narrowly wide of Boruc's left-hand post.

Samaras had the first shot on goal for either team after 18 minutes but his 20-yard daisy-cutter trundled into McGregor's arms.

The visitors were enjoying marginally the better of the early possession without posing any real threat until Samaras threaded a neat ball into the path of Brown in the Rangers box.

The midfielder found himself clean through on McGregor but as he attempted to shoot the ball got caught under his feet and the Rangers keeper did well to scramble the ball away.

Brown ghosted in at the Rangers back-post after 32 minutes, latching onto Samaras' weak header, but he was again thwarted by McGregor.

Rangers were dangerous on the counter-attack and created a flurry of chances in the space of the four minutes approaching half-time.

First Carlos Cuellar had a header cleared off the line, then Ferguson's snap-shot from 12 yards was saved by Boruc.

A quick Celtic break saw Brown in space inside the Rangers box but again his touch let him down and Rangers punished the mistake, countering at speed.

The impressive Thomson gathered the ball on the edge of the Celtic penalty area and ran towards goal.

He prodded the ball through to Jean-Claude Darcheville, who timed his return pass to perfection; Thomson ran onto it and swept the ball low under Boruc for a classy finish.

Rangers sought to extend their lead five minutes into the second half, Steve Davis setting up Ferguson 20 yards out.

But Gary Caldwell stepped in to deflect his effort wide for a corner.

The Ibrox side were spraying the ball about with confidence as Celtic struggled to get hold of the ball.

Samaras streaked past David Weir after 58 minutes as Celtic made a rare foray into the Rangers danger area.

The Greek striker won a corner which was cleared easily and then jousted in the air with Cuellar from Lee Naylor's teasing centre but the move eventually fizzled out.

Hinkel brought out an athletic save from McGregor after 64 minutes when he unleashed a rising shot from 25 yards.

McGregor leapt to tip the ball over the bar to keep Rangers ahead.

Rangers substitute Nacho Novo twice broke clear in the final 10 minutes but Boruc was equal to his rifled efforts.

Charlie Adam almost put the match beyond Celtic with minutes to go with a snap-shot from the edge of the box but Boruc again denied Rangers.

Rangers: McGregor, Broadfoot, Cuellar, Weir, Whittaker, Dailly, Thomson (Adam 77), Davis (Naismith 80), Ferguson, McCulloch, Darcheville (Novo 68). Subs Not Used: Alexander, Boyd, Furman, McMillan.

Booked: Thomson, Dailly, Naismith.

Goals: Thomson 45.

Celtic: Boruc, Hinkel, Caldwell, McManus, Naylor, Nakamura, Scott Brown, Hartley (Robson 81), McGeady, Vennegoor of Hesselink (McDonald 79), Samaras. Subs Not Used: Mark Brown, Wilson, Sno, Donati, O'Dea.

Booked: Vennegoor of Hesselink, McManus, Naylor, Boruc, Scott Brown.

Att: 50,325