Bhoys win Old Firm derby

Celtic 1 Rangers 0

Alan Thompson’s late strike condemned Rangers to a record seventh successive derby day defeat as Martin O’Neill’s Hoops went one better than Jock Stein’s side of the early 1970s.

Just as they did at Parkhead in the final derby of last season, Alex McLeish’s Rangers side found itself on the brink of ending that sorry sequence with a hard-fought point.

But Thompson sent a winner crashing past Stefan Klos off the underside of the bar to inflict more misery on a side that had been prevented in midweek by CSKA Moscow from joining Celtic in the group stage of the Champions League.

The setback places yet more pressure on McLeish, who saw former Ibrox hero Graeme Souness linked with his job yesterday.

And with owner David Murray about to resume control of the club in a few days’ time, a change of fortune is certainly needed as far as the Rangers fans are concerned.

Celtic had handed a debut to new signing Juninho, the man O’Neill hopes will help them to a breakthrough season in Europe’s toughest competition and the Brazilian repaid that faith with a man-of-the-match award to ensure that his new employers’ domination of the domestic scene continued.

The result left Rangers in third place in the Bank of Scotland Premier League, behind last season’s whipping boys Aberdeen.

Peter Lovenkrands had been a casualty of the Moscow setback but Rangers could have done with his pace in the very first minute when Nacho Novo sent Dado Prso away.

The Croatian was quickly hunted down by Didier Agathe, who had to do exactly the same not long afterwards when Alex Rae sent Novo away.

By then Rangers had lived through a narrow escape when a Thompson free-kick was met by Bobo Balde at the back post and there was a desperate scramble to stop Henri Camara getting on the end of the loose ball.

The Senegal international fired a shot over after Prso had been unable to hit the target with a header at the other end and then wasted an even better chance in the 25th minute.

Inevitably Juninho was the man who set it up with a burst of searing pace to fashion a shooting chance for the on-loan Wolves man, who proceeded to fire across goal and wide.

Rangers had been soft touches in last season’s Old Firm derbies but showed an almost manic zeal to go in hard today.

Rae’s much-anticipated first clash with Neil Lennon came after just a few seconds – the Northern Irishman came off best – and Rangers conceded free-kick after free-kick before the break.

Juninho was often the victim, although on one occasion it was he who received a lecture from referee Hugh Dallas for complaining too vociferously.

Shota Arveladze, toiling in a wide right role, fired a low drive wide before Rae was also off target from distance.

But the last word of the half belonged to the little man from Brazil who, after seeing Jean-Alain Boumsong block his initial shot, latched on to the loose ball and sent a delicate chip over Klos and on to the roof of the net.

Lovenkrands replaced Arveladze in the 54th minute, by which time Rangers had already survived a series of nervy moments since the restart, including a low Camara cross that almost found Juninho at the near post.

The Dane was immediately at the heart of Rangers’ best chance some time, first finding Novo in the box and then, after Balde had got in the way of the shot, firing the rebound goalwards.

It was a powerful first-time effort but also far too high.

Celtic’s reply was a Thompson corner that gave John Hartson a free header from a few yards out but the Welshman found Klos’ arms rather than the net.

Celtic sent Ross Wallace on for Camara in the 65th minute before Celtic goalkeeper David Marshall made a crucial save to deny Prso.

The temperature of the game had been raised by Rangers’ decision to launch an attack after Celtic had put the ball out so Novo could receive treatment.

Again Lovenkrands set up the chance and, after turning to get the ball on to his left foot, Prso saw his goal-bound effort parried by Marshall, the teenage Scotland international.

Craig Moore was booked for tripping Juninho and Rae was not long in joining him after a foul on Thompson.

Celtic swapped Hartson for Momo Sylla with five minutes remaining before Thompson won the game with a memorable finish.

Agathe swung a cross in from the right and although Alan Hutton beat Wallace to head away Thompson was able to gather calmly outside the box.

He steadied himself, took careful aim and beat Klos with a thundering drive that found the net off the underside of the crossbar.

Rangers piled men forward and sent on a Thompson of their own, Steven, and although there were chances for both Rae and Novo it was to be Celtic’s day yet again.