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.
935 Comments- Pages:
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Dick Byrne on 29 April, 2012 at 21:43 said:
Excellent my man, very funny.
Árd Macha
pedrocaravanachio67 on 29 April, 2012 at 21:16 said:
TET
with regards to laffatmes nuptials, strong rumours doon Johnstone way that it will be St Margarets RC Church in Johnstone…….deary me der hun will not be happy
Midfield maestro @ 20.08
Nothing new there then :-)
—–
Full name Saint Margaret’s Queen of Scotland my great great grandfather helped build the chapel in 1853
I was baptised there almost 50 years ago
Everyone welcome even Bentley driving converts ;)
HH
M
If the hun had won we would still be watching them.
They know no shame
Did Murray purposely walk across Cha’s to maybe put him off??
Friday Frank
Hail Hail
Had a great time in Madrid,still recovering,Plenty stories but not for this site
Seany has CD out,your mum will be sending you one,spoke to her Thursday past.Also one will be heading down under..HH
Went to Mass at the Little Sisters today and sat out in the listening to the 2nd half in the car. Game over walks into the convent BIG poster on the wall CELTIC V RANGERS game at 12.45 in TV lounge SKY HD . GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
Green Lantern (((((0)))))
I forgot to mention the lay advice, 34 from 35 advices successful during the NH season.
The victor photo thing
As you can see in this link it’s the same photo thing saying bye bye hunts
http://kerrydalestreet.co.uk/single/?p=11397175&t=8671347
dannygall on 29 April, 2012 at 22:26
Ha-ha, I hear you.
Thought broony was immense today.
Reading paul67 description of Commons feint for our 2nd goal, I have to tell you of another perfect feint of another person in the hoops last night
There I was on the last train hame at 1am 6 hrs ago, I took my seat in the last empty carriage and started to munch on my pie
The door to next carriage burst open and a young Aussie in the hoops said g’day to me as he ran past. Seconds later 2 transport police appeared chasing the hoops and dashed upstairs and downstairs to surround the Celt
I watched as the young hoop went into his pocket and pulled his ticket out. After the cops had left i asked him what happened
He said is other 2 Aussie hoop mates had nae tickets, so he made a dash for it 8 carriages back from mine and the stupid police thought he had nae ticket and chased him
When they got him he said ” I was looking for my lost younger brother” and at the same time his fellow hoops jumped off at next station saving themselves 200 bucks in fines
Nice one
Nae work tday
Back under covers to sleep
Hope everyone was safe
ST
Saltires 22.27
You should not have said that, you will now get PC67 bombarding you with, who are you, do you know, did you, where you?
Good luck. Not a Johnstone man myself so no idea how you all feel! No offence meant, digging at PC67.
Saltires
By the way, always enjoy reading about your 6.30? To waterloo?
Too much for me tonight (drink)
saltires en sevilla on 29 April, 2012 at 22:27 said
lafferty getting married in oor toons chapel!!!
like you was Baptised and Confirmed In that beautiful chapel
Can see the local orangers putting in a wee protest
ps 2010 was absolutley jumping today:)
This guys strangely familiar but I can’t quite remember from where…..
just watched the full game again and have to say that Scott Brown was amazing today. His second half performance was almost Keane-esque..
He drove the team on, took no snash, and that tackle at the end on the rangers sub was 3 years in the making..
A great man once said that Celtic jerseys don’t shrink but maybe sometimes people just need time to grow into them.. Scott Brown=Celtic.
Good night all in Celtic Land.
We are Champs and today was the day, just give them back their 10 points and we won it today:)
i was thinking
see when rangers get liquidized – it wont matter a jot for scottish football like the pundits are making out – it wont be the death knell as they are saying,
every other teams attendance will be boosted (outwith hibs, aberdeen and dundee utd) and it will be good for scottish football
why?
a very good % of rangers fans will go to other teams (their home teams etc)
why?
they hate Celtic
they dont support rangers
they hate Celtic
Scottish football will thrive without rangers, because the Celtic haters will attach themselves to their local/nearest team
the_huddle on 29 April, 2012 at 21:57 said:
==========================
Jeez ,Society, that brings back memories around 1990 me thinks.
What a weird film,
HH
Croy Miners male voice choir sang at the mass too. Sang well think they knew the result!!
Having had a meal & a kip,on reflection I think that today’s performance was…SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS!
Okay,I’ll get my coat now…..
Big Packie was only giving them the famous Tir Conaill schmooze.
He was tickling their belly.
That kind of reasonable approach irritates the Hell out of THEMS.
Way to go, Packie.
Dodds no outstanding candidate for MOTY. Paddy what you waiting on? Thump him!!
The ole DJ never let us down today, loved the songs at the end.
“oh sally can wait…..”
“When will I see you again….”
Brilliant
And what about the Green Brigades display.
Different class
HH
Atticus… “Celtic jerseys don’t shrink but maybe sometimes people just need time to grow into them..”
Exactly! (in Accrington Stanley accent)
El Mad
Paul Larkin @paullarkin74 Reply Retweet Favorite · Open
1967-2012 you chased what we achieved. It’s over. We welcomed the chase. Rangers RIP.
Emdae got the link for the full game fouls and all??
Kilbowie Kelt on 29 April, 2012 at 22:46
Definitely!
They’re going bust soon anyway, plenty of years to rub it in
:-)
Some of the players redeemed themselves today. At Ibrox we were bullied in both games.
Today Loovens, Mulgrew, Hooper and Brown didn’t back away. Hooper played like Sutton , he knocked Goian over at least 4 times.
Scott Brown showed the Huns the best way to get under their skin is to play well and laugh at them.
Their club will be dead in days and never to return. Today we witnessed them in their final death throws but still they had to pollute the air with their hate song. A death rattle which only they could summon up to the beat of their facsist pipes and orange drums. So let them die and everyone else can move on peacefully. And that is an offer which would never be reciprocated. Our revenge will be the laughter of our children. A prayer to all the peace makers. HH.
mighty tim on 29 April, 2012 at 21:57 said:
I believe that’s him, his best mate was a a guy called Denis.
Lovely Celtic men from the old school, sat with him in the Northstand.
HH
“your grandchildren will be Celtic fans”
(Green Brigade banner)
Brilliant.
Also liked the ‘succulent lamb’ tombstone.
are the thai tims doing a wee gig before the game on thursday?…
Brilliant display from the bhoys today. Every man up for it although I did feel sorry for big Fraser as he must have been bored out his skull as he had nothing to do. Broony was immense.
Was quite surprised to see fartly playing. after his last embarrassment of try to eyeball Brown. Tee hee
Atticus… “Celtic jerseys don’t shrink but maybe sometimes people just need time to grow into them..”
So that’s what Commons was doing all summer, I do that every week, let me play :O)
Not related but love this show, Eastbound and Down
http://youtu.be/Vtlgfo0hYmI
Well done to the Kano bhoys last night for raise 6k, brilliant work guys.
roy croppie on 29 April, 2012 at 22:52 said:
“your grandchildren will be Celtic fans”
(Green Brigade banner)
Brilliant.
——————
Any pics of that, so good
Good evening chaps.
On May 28th 1888, we played our first ever game against Rangers and won by a three goal margin.
About 2,000 people turned out to watch this new club called “Celtic”:
“It would appear as if the newly-formed Glasgow club, the Celtic F.C., has a bright future before it. At any rate, if the committee can place the same eleven in the field as opposed the Rangers last Monday evening, or an equally strong one, the Celtic will not lack for patronage and support. A good team is essential to success, and this fact the committee have not lost sight of. It will be interesting -to many of our readers to know the composition of the team which represented the new organisation in its first club match. Here it is :—Goal, Dolon (Drumpellier) ; backs, Pearson (Carfin Shamrock) and McLachlan (Whitefield); half-backs, Maley (3rd Lanark), Kelly (Renton), and Murray (Cambuslang Hibs.); forwards, McCallum (Renton), Maley (3rd Lanark), Madden (Dumbarton), Dunbar (Hibs.), and Gorevin (Whitefield)—a pretty good eleven. The Rangers were without D. Gow, J. R. Gow, Hotson, Peacock, Allan, and Aird ; but had Suter (Partick Thistle) doing duty—the remainder being drawn from the Swifts. The match was a capital one, fast and friendly—the home organisation playing with a combination which could scarcely have been expected for an opening display. The Celtic retired victors by 5 goals to 2—a result which must be indeed gratifying to their supporters. After the match, over 70 gentlemen sat down to supper in the Hall, East Rose Street, where a pleasant evening was spent. Dr. Conway occupied the chair, and on the platform were also Messrs. M’Fadden (Hibs.), McCulloch (Our Boys), Grant (Rangers), and the Rev. Brother Walfrid. The latter gentleman, who took a deep interest in the origin of the club, has every reason to flatter himself as to the success of the Celtic. Long may it flourish in our midst.”
(The Scottish Umpire (magazine) 5 June 1888)
It was fitting that what will most likely be our last game against that club should reflect that result of 124 years ago. (thumbsup)