Celtic outclassed what could simultaneously be both the worst Rangers** team in past 20 years and the best in the next 20 years.
**If they survive.
Goals win games but on so many occasions in the 124 year history of these games brave tackles are equally important and it was an exceptional tackle from Adam Matthews which set this contest alight. Lee Wallace was in possession when Matthews hooked the ball away from him before whipping in a cross which Goian knocked off the toes of Hooper and behind for a corner.
Kris Commons was to have an enormous influence on the game starting with the resultant 17th minute corner. Rangers marked man-to-man but as the Celtic players inside the box moved towards the front post a huge zone was left unmarked at the back post. The ball was inside the box before Charlie Mulgrew but the Celtic defender was flying and dived full-length to head downwards. The bounce left Allan McGregor no chance.
Celtic’s stranglehold on the game was a result of their domination of the key midfield area. Rangers played with Little and Aluko either side of McCulloch up front but Celtic matched up with a risky three in central defence, Loovens, Mulgrew and Wanyama. Such was the gulf in class between Rangers forward players and Celtic’s defenders that the profit Celtic gained in midfield didn’t have a corresponding debit in defence.
Kris Commons scored his first goal of the season on 31 minutes. Gary Hooper collected on the by-line before playing a square pass into space 25 yards from goal. Commons was first to the ball but feigned forward before pulling back and allowing the ball to pass across his body. This fooled Kyle Bartley into lunging for a tackle in a space Commons never ventured into. The deliciously intelligent move unlocked Rangers defences; Commons was clean through with only the keeper to beat, and boy did he beat him.
With McGregor advancing as though the tax man was chasing him, Commons was the personification of cool, carried the ball until 13 yards out and chipped the goalkeeper.
Although Charlie Mulgrew’s crossing was missed, the addition of Emilio Izaguirre, Commons and Adam Matthews into midfield ensured Celtic were always comfortable and threatening in possession. This allowed Scott Brown and Joe Ledley to dominate the central midfield area. Brown played his best game of the season, putting his body between ball and opponent innumerable times, no matter the odds.
By half time, the only question was, how many?
The record books will show a Kris Commons tackle won the ball off Ross McCabe on 54 minutes before Giorgios Samaras passed to Gary Hooper. Hooper’s shot from the 18 yard line rifled into the top corner to complete the scoring.
I said the record books would show this is how the goal happened but another version of events will say that coordinated singing from Celtic fans spooked an inhibited looking Rangers team.
*In administration.
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Hail Hail
Good afternoon my freidns in Celtic from a gloriously happy East Kilbride.
What a fantastic few hours entertainment that was! Time to party!
THought Matthews was fantasticv today, especially in the first half. And loved Broonie’s attitude in the 2nd half and gald to see that it all ended peacefully on the park.
A fantastic way to END 125 years of hostilities!
CFC
A JFK MOMENT
Top 10
Looks like the Friday quiz results
Well done the bhoys today
There’s Only One* Team in Scotland
Wunder if big Laffin Lafferty still thinks they´re the best team in Scotland now they were playing on an even field.
glad we didn´t give Murray any excuses tae send some of oor Bhoys off.
What a day. From the GB display to the lap of honour. Well done to the Bhoys.
I thought our Captain was immense and Kris Commons is a clever player in total contrast to Bartley who really isn’t very clever at all.
Good Afternoon
Celtic FC 3– Third division team 0
If any of you took the Niamh Curry pledge– and even if you didn’t–, then it is time to get your money out for the Champions and Niamh.
http://www.justgiving.com/NiamhsNextStep
or Text CURE50 £x to 70070
Celtic Football Club– beating Rangers and raising money for charity since 1888
Loved wee Gaz Hooper sending Big Daft Goian out the park with a deft shoulder tackle. I’m sure Murray was teetering on calling a foul for that too.
Liquidation Liquidation na na na!
Liquidation Liquidation na na na!
What a great result. 3-0.
And even if they now liquidate or get thrown out for fielding ineligible players, the score will still be 3-0.
Poetic methinks.
Paul
You got mccabe’s name wrong mate.
His first name is actually ‘young’.
Folly folly, I thought of you when I saw Rieperman’s post. Jealousy get you nowhere. You’ll just have to make do with jelly and icecream.
Bashi
Aberration
Administration
Calculation
Condemnation
Confrontation
Constipation
Degradation
Desperation
Deviation
Fabrication
Obfuscation
Vegetation
GENERATION
DOMINATION
Termination
LIQUIDATION
Joe ledley @joe16led
That’s why we are champions!!.
Are they dead yet?
Now the game is out of the way how long until the Big L?
What an end to a great weekend, Swindon winning the league and now this.
I thought we were fantastic, everyone gave their all, how brilliant were the fans, I was sat with a few of my friends watching the game, they have no interest in Scottish football but after seeing the atmosphere today they now have a different opinion.
Off out for a few beers, hope everyone gets home safe.
I really enjoyed that today. I had a tenner on 3-0 at 14′s, but was actually disappointed we didn’t go for it after Hoop’s goal ! We really could have given them a doing.
Excellent performance from the team and the home support.
Great day to be a Tim!
TTTT
I got an e-mail from a CQN poster today saying that Laugh at me is getting married in a Chapel.
http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/news/4286435/Gers-ace-Kyle-to-wed-beauty-Nic.html
I wonder if this is the reason the has been a falling out
Celtic Underground @celticrumours
http://ow.ly/1Lp5Xb http://ow.ly/1Lp5Xg http://ow.ly/1Lp5Xd http://ow.ly/1Lp5Xh
The Goals.
Good stuff Paul67,…
Hope you have a great night celebrating.
Hail Hail
Phil MacGiollaBhain @Pmacgiollabhain
Excellent source just asked me: “Are you sure that RFC will be able to fulfill their next fixture?” He knows something.
Paul67
How dare you focus on positives from Celtic.
Im backing up Davie Provsn here – every goal was from poor defending and Sally McCoist still needs to do something to change things..!
great stuff today – anyone got a good quality picture of the green brigade banner – it was a cracker!
Spoke to our capt through the week and he said his groin was fecked. and he hoped to get 60 mins at best . Have to say his performance today , all things considered, was superb.
In which I look at the most recent pronouncements by the administrators; the Blue Knights v Bill Miller battle; the appearance that Duff & Phelps are uninterested in the interests of creditors; the brilliant plan by Bill Miller; the inevitability of liquidation; and as an aside, the suggestion that Messrs Whitehouse and Clark of Duff & Phelps could themselves be summoned for bringing the game into disrepute!
http://scotslawthoughts.wordpress.com/2012/04/29/where-stands-the-rangers-bidding-war-is-either-bid-in-the-interests-of-the-creditors-or-is-it-all-just-pr/
Would love to get another swatch at Josie’s piledriving 25 yard volley…..
It coulda been a contender….
Raymy on 29 April, 2012 at 16:16 said:
Braw game
Commons or Izzy for MoTM
Didn’t think it was Brown’s best game, seemed to tail off at teh end, he was good tho. I though he was lucky to stay on after stepping on Aboako’s foot. He might have gone straight off on another day.
Have to disagree with that one. Broony stepped on Aluko, but it was not deliberate.
Nice to see KC get MOTM today well deserved from an overwheight disliker of our manager, cue MOTM speech today (GIRFUY) he tore them to shreds going through the middle.
KC this is for you
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dd–tIkrVoA
gsu
That is how to finish with that mob.
Good riddance.
Hail hail
Mtt
http://celtic-hub.com/main/2012/04/29/best-way-to-celebrate-beating-them/?
HH..
What a joy to be at game today..
Green brigade apocalypse banner flags tombstones were FANTASTIC..
What a day..
3 going on 10…
HH
BBC copy and paste.
Contrast with the sendings off in the previous encounter.
“Hapless on-loan Arsenal defender Kyle Bartley’s frustration boiled over with a couple of dangerous tackles that ought to have been more harshly dealt with than the yellow card shown for the second that flattened Izaguirre.”
loved it today.all the goals were magic.
just one wee complaint. we really should have done them more.
bashi @ 16:45
Didn’t have a line on this game: didn’t want to jinx the outcome: it worked a treat!
FF
The Idiot – here http://xurl.es/8djhd
One word for today. Stoatin’