1996-03-17: Rangers 1-1 Celtic, Premier Division

IT WAS perhaps the most memorable 60 seconds in Old Firm history, a minute when the offensive bigotries, the tribal hatred, and the obscene abuses were set aside in a unique tribute to the slaughter of some of Scotland's bonniest bairns at Dunblane. Nothing quite like it has been seen at a meeting of these two teams, although there was a worthy attempt byCelticat Parkhead before the last contest, in memory of the fans killed in the Ibrox disaster.A few drunken fools did pierce the quiet then, but at Ibrox yesterday the sound of silence was eerily and movingly perfect, but for the click of cameras. Two or three minuscule bleeps interspersed in a blanket of pained peace, 47,312 mouths shut, many of them normally very loud indeed, as players formed a circle, lined up in alternate colours, heads bowed. There may be hope for us all yet.

It might well have been that very moment, when players, fans, observers, stewards, police, and caterers joined together in a telepathic bond of sympathy, which determined that this afternoon of all afternoons was not to be marred by immature silliness. At any rate, what was served up was a grand old game by two grand old teams, a result that seemed reasonably fair and a crowd that, inside the grand new stadium at least, behaved pretty well by their undemanding standards.On the field there was a sending-off but nothing remotely violent and the abiding memory, beyond the minute of silence, will be the performance of the makeshift Ibrox defence and the class of Paul Gascoigne, Tommy Boyd, Paul McStay, and Brian Laudrup.
Both managers seemed pleased with their lot, with the inevitable reservations. "Obviously we were delighted to score a goal so late on," said Tommy Burns, ofCeltic, "but I thought we deserved it. We did well in the second half and we would have been deeply disappointed to get nothing from the game.
"We had a great deal of possession in the second half and that is whenRangerscan be dangerous. Our players could not have given more and no-one was more outstanding than Tommy Boyd."
Burns insisted that those who had said beforehand thatCeltichave to win didn't understand the psychology of football. "The most important thing for us today was not to lose. We are now in the same position as we were before the game."
He also wished to pay tribute to the fans in the Broomloan Stand. "When we looked up there it was impossible not to keep trying for them. They stayed there right to the end and we couldn't throw the towel in, even with 10 men. We had to chase goals for their sake as well as our own."
Rangers'scorer, Alan McLaren, was in the mood to put forward the name ofCeltickeeper, Gordon Marshall, as a Scotland contender. "He has been playing well and must be pushing for a Scotland call. That save from Durie maybe savedCeltic."
The Ibrox defender felt that his side showed a bit of slackness at the goal scored by John Hughes late on and added: "We seemed to ease off in the second half and never got back into our rhythm. Even then, I thought we had done enough. And after their goal we still created a few chances."
His manager, Walter Smith, admitted to disappointment at dropping two points so late in the game. "We pulled back in the second half and I was disappointed that we didn't push forward. But, considering we were without Richard Gough and David Robertson, I thought the defence did really well. Maybe we had the two best chances to score in the last couple of minutes."
Smith felt that the tension of the occasion got to the players . . . "with us trying to protect our lead andCelticnot wanting to drop six points behind."
His major complaint was that his side, who had played well in the first half, did not impose themselves in the second period. "I thought Paul Gascoigne played very well in the first hour.
"I felt the game was played in a good spirit and I still think the championship race will go on a bit further yet."
Celtic'sscoring hero of the day, Hughes, was honest enough to confess that he had been at fault for theRangersgoal. "Scoring the goal was tremendous for me, especially as I had been picking up McLaren. That was my responsibility, but you're only human.
"We seem to leave things late these days. After last week's two late goals against Dundee United, we never count ourselves out. That is theCelticstyle."
Not surprisingly, the former Falkirk man who was scoring only his second goal forCeltic, still reckons his team are in with a chance of lifting the title. "The goal keeps us in it and it would have been a real shame if we had got nothing out of it. We would really have been up against it if we had lost. These Old Firm games are emotionally up and down affairs, but we keep digging out results this season and we get the feeling there must be something in it at the end for us. IfRangerswin all their games from now on all credit to them. All we can do is keep our ship in order."

BYLINE:Patrick Glenn

IN THE matter of timely rescues John Hughes proved himself the equal of Young Lochinvar. TheCelticdefender's 86th-minute header at Ibrox yesterday allowed his team to carry off a share of the points which, in another engrossing Old Firm duel, had looked highly improbable.If the result proved anything, it is thatCelticdo not yet possess the surge of nerve and will to carry them to victory over their greatest rivals in matches of utter importance. Their three draws and one defeat from the series in this dramatic championship campaign are likely to be the most decisive factor when the trophy is won seven games from now.

That three-point difference in the derby matches is precisely the lead thatRangersretain at the top of the Premier Division after a day on which they looked likely to extend it to an insurmountable six.If there was an element of good fortune aboutRangers'advantage at the interval, there would have been little argument over their right to victory had Hughes not intervened. Even after an equaliser which could have led to disintegration in a team lacking normal hardiness,Rangershad opportunities to secure full points.
Celtic, playing with their accustomed neat passing and fluent movement, looked in control of themselves and the play when McLaren gaveRangerstheir goal in the 41st minute. O'Donnell committed a needless foul on Cleland, and when Gascoigne whipped in the free-kick towards the penalty spot, McLaren, with his back to goal, simply helped the ball on with the back of his head and it screwed away to the left of Marshall.
The challengers had more possession thereafter than the champions, even after they lost McNamara, sent off for a second bookable offence, in the 78th minute. But Goram was hardly troubled whereas Marshall was summoned to make an extraordinary save from Durie, whose header from 10 yards would have found the top corner had not Marshall flung himself left to tip the ball against the post.
Durie had also cleared the ball from his own goal-line after Boyd's run and cut -back had left McLaughlin with a chance. The first shot was blocked; the second spun towards the line, where Durie completed the clearance.
The free-kick that Miller conceded to bringCeltictheir equaliser was as unnecessary as O'Donnell's before the interval. He tripped McStay, Grant swung the ball into the area and Hughes's header from 12 yards bobbled deep into Goram's right-hand corner.
If a draw satisfied both parties, it was theCelticsupport who left with the gnawing worry that their team have yet to prove themselves capable of passing the most stringent test of all.