| Match Pictures | Matches:1995 – 1996 | 1995-1996 Pictures |
Trivia
- A faultless minutes silence was held before the game in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the Ibrox disaster.
Review
Teams
Celtic(4-4-2):
Marshall; McNamara, Boyd, MacKay, McKinlay; Donnelly (McLaughlin, 75), McStay, O'Donnell, Collins; Van Hooijdonk, Thom (Walker, 84).
Substitute not used: Wieghorst.
Rangers(3-4-3):
Goram; Petric, Gough, McLaren; Ferguson, Gascoigne, Miller, Robertson; Durie, Salenko (Cleland, 67), Laudrup.
Substitutes not used: Durrant, McCoist.
Referee: L W Mottram (Forth)
Articles
- Match Report (see end of page below)
Pictures
Articles
January4, 1996
SOCCER: OLD FIRM BANKRUPT IN IDEAS DEPARTMENT;
BYLINE:Patrick Glenn
CELTIC'sartistry andRangers'resolve produced a balance of sorts in an Old Firm encounter that was generally too fraught ever to match their last meeting, which produced a 3 3 draw. Paul Gascoigne's dipping free-kick, which hit the bar three minutes from time, was the high point of the night.Andy Goram, who has not conceded a league goal for 10 hours and 15 minutes of play, keptRangersin with a hope of stealing the win that would have stretched their lead at the top to 11 points. "I thought," said Richard Gough, "it was going to be a case ofCelticpressure and us sneaking it near the end, when Gazza hit the bar."
"When I pass away they will put that on my tombstone – Goram broke his heart," said theCelticmanager Tommy Burns. "He's probably the best ever goalkeeper I've seen. But I've got a contract out on him."The opening was tense and scrappy but long beforeRangershad gained any cohesion the home side had put together some slick moves and forced two vital saves from the ever reliable Goram.
He needed to be at his most alert when Phil O'Donnell freed Andreas Thom inside the penalty area; he rushed from goal and parried the flick as the German took possession 12 yards out.
Goram then dived to his left to stop Mackay's header on the line from McKinlay's in- swinging cross from the right.
At this stageRangers'only threat had owed something to a lapse by the referee. TheCelticdefence came to a halt when the stand-side linesman flagged Salenko off-side but Les Mottram omitted to blow his whistle and the Russian advanced to the dead-ball line before delivering a centre that Mackay anxiously steered behind for a corner.
In the second minute of the second half Goram got an almost tangential touch on O'Donnell's low, left-foot drive after a move involving Mackay and Donnelly that started inCeltic'shalf of the field and was testimony to their skills on a wet and slippery pitch.
Part ofRangers'problem was the ineffectiveness of Laudrup, well policed by McNamara, and the deep-lying role adopted by Gascoigne. Yet Salenko should have scored after receiving from Gascoigne only to drive the ball against Marshall from only eight yards.
But even this was nothing compared to Van Hooijdonk's miss a little later. The Dutchman, later booked for a foul on Goram, nodded only fresh air as he attempted to reach Thom's impeccable cross on the six-yard line.
January4, 1996
There's still little derby cheer in the new year forCeltic;Goram's in premier form asRangersmake a point
BYLINE:Ken Gallacher
RANGERSare still eight points clear at the top of the premier division this morning and that is something thatCelticmust find hard to believe.Last night saw the fourth Old Firm clash of the season and this was one which was totally dominated by the Parkhead men – and yet they still failed to beat the New Year jinx which has haunted them now for eight long years.
It was 1988 since they last won this fixture and yet, last night, it should all have been so different. This was a match they could have won, and a match they should have won.
For most of the game, they were in command and, in the second half particularly, they dominated as their fans urged them on for the single goal which surely would have settled it.That closing 45 minutes began with a Phil O'Donnell shot which struck the base of Andy Goram's right-hand post and then ended with a diving header from substitute Andy Walker which went just off target.
Rangers, of course, had the dynamic defensive duo of Goram and Richard Gough to sustain them in a period of defiance. Goram had several superb saves, but none better than the stop from Andreas Thom after 68 minutes.
Even the German player marvelled at the way Goram reached his header after he had connected with a cross from Tosh McKinlay.
TheRangersfans behind his goal acclaimed the man who has always done so much to maintain their title ambitions over the seasons.
Rangers, too, had their chances. But these came in cleverly controlled breakaways, or from set pieces.
Their best effort arrived four minutes from the end. Malky MacKay fouled Laudrup a few yards outside the penalty box. Paul Gascoigne came forward for the free kick, took his time, and then curled a shot which left Gordon Marshall a helpless spectator as the ball struck the bar and was then cleared.
Rangershad had a share of chances before half-time, though never with the same territorial advantage enjoyed by their title challengers.
However, it wasRangerswho left with the psychological advantage in the continuing premier division title race.Celticdid not lay their New Year jinx. Nor were they able to defeatRangersfor the first time this season.
The Ibrox men had won on their two previous visits toCelticPark – once in the league and once in the Skol Cup – and there was the epic 3-3 draw at Ibrox, also in the league.
Celticwill point out that there is still a way to go before decision time.Rangers, cautiously, will say the same.
But there is little doubt that the Ibrox men, and their support, were the happier of the two groups last night.
Mind you, there was little chance for the champions to savour the seven goals they enjoyed against Hibs in their weekend victory at Ibrox.
On a night when Malky MacKay proved himself capable of withstanding the kind of pressure you find in an Old Firm match, and when Phil O'Donnell demonstrated just why Tommy Burns made him his first major signing,Celticlooked a team who wanted desperately to win.
Beforehand, their skipper Paul McStay had insisted that the team who wanted to win most of all on the night would do so, but while his team-mates reacted in the right way his prediction proved wrong.
Celticdid look as if they were hungrier thanRangers. But, perhaps, McStay had forgotten the resilience that the Ibrox men have developed over seven long successful years.
It was that resilience which carried them through this test, and that resilience which remains the major problemCelticface as title challengers.
Few would argue that they deserved three points last night. But the reality today is that once again they failed to get them against their age-old rivals.
The game was not without its moments of controversy, the most notable coming after 11 minutes when David Robertson sent Oleg Salenko clear as the linesman flagged for off-side. Referee Les Mottram waved away the signal, urged play on, and while Salenko crossed, the danger was cleared allowing Mottram a more enjoyable night than he might have had ifRangershad scored in the circumstances.
There were five bookings, Tom Boyd for bringing down David Robertson in full flight after 15 minutes, Tosh McKinlay for hauling back Brian Laudrup in 25 minutes, David Robertson for a reckless challenge on Paul McStay in 36 minutes, Paul Gascoigne for a late tackle on John Collins in injury time in the first half, and then Pierre van Hooydonk for clattering Andy Goram seven minutes from the end.
Rangersbrought on Alex Cleland for Salenko in the second half in what was a successful attempt to stem theCeltictide down that left flank andCeltichad Brian McLaughlin on for Simon Donnelly, and Andy Walker for Andreas Thom, as they searched for the winner in the last 15 minutes.