2011-03-20: Celtic 1-2 Rangers, League Cup

Trivia

• League Cup Final
• 1-1 after 90mins, 2-1 at full-time.
• First sending off for Izzaguirre.
• Huns had a penalty awarded then rescinded. We had a penalty claim waived away also.
• Celtic lose chance to win the treble. Our first defeat to the Huns this calendar year.
• Diouff only came on for 5mins and was yellow carded for diving.
• Graham Spiers (Journalist): "The incessant bigoted chanting by Rangers fans at Hampden was shocking. Unarguably the most socially-backward fans in British football."

Review

(from poster on KDS forum)
Let it be known though that today was poor.

our players were simply not good enough. Our tactics were not working and we didn't seem to have any sort of back-up plan. Our subs were either used wrongly, or not used at all. The management will, and should take as much blame as the players. I said right after the game that individual performances shouldn't be singled out, but now I've had a bit of time, and as our team overall were pretty poor rather than just a few, I mays well do it.

Forster – didn't have much confidence in him before the match. I've not seen the goals again, but at the time I thought he should have done better for their goals (and I think he's a bit slow getting to the ground). His save for their freekick was brilliant.
Izzy – caused them problems in the first half down our left flank. The second half, not so much. To be honest, they set out to nullify our wing plays and they were able to get the result because of it.
Wilson – see above.
Rogne – ouch. Not good at all. Jelavic had the better of him this match.
Loovens – did much better than Rogne, though that isn't saying much.
Mulgrew – played better than Rogne and made some very important challenges. Outpaced for their second goal and I don't blame him.
Commons – pretty anonymous.
Ledley – right place, right time for our goal to his credit. He was pretty quiet over the course of the match, but that's not really any different to what we're used to.
Kayal – played well at times and without him we would have got shat on in midfield too often. Some stray passes though.
Brown – not great he had to come off. He adds a lot of fire to our play which we clearly missed. Done ok up until he got subbed. His energy was missed during the latter stages of the match.
Ki – wasn't able to change the game
McCourt – can only really remember him falling over the ball.
Samaras – he was played to add a physical presence to our attack and win headers. The second, he completely failed to do. He got beaten in the air pretty much every time. Some of his play was pretty good, though some of his earlier shots and passes were completely baffling.
Hooper – completely anonymous.

Tactics – one dimensional at times. Punt the ball up to Samaras and hope he got a head onto it – which completely failed. Either Samaras or Hooper should have been brought off for Stokes. Bougherra got taken off which probably kept Samaras on the pitch which, to be honest, I thought was the right decision (if there was any decision there anyway). Saying that though, Stokes should have been introduced much quicker than that. Forrest not being included on the bench was a bad decision – his pace would have been extremely handy, especially in extra time.

Pitch was a complete shambles. Anyone saying that it doesn't matter and shouldn't affect things are off their nutjob. It suited their one dimensional (but effective this time) game where they punt it up to jelavic and knock it down. As a team, we pass the ball about and play decent football – the pitch completely affected that. The ball was bouncing about like a mothereffer all game and it was a complete joke that the pitch was in such a shoddy ass state. "National disgrace" .. ? Yep.

unfortunately, we go into a long break with a loss behind us. On the bright side, Brown and Izzy should be back fit, Maj's return nearing closer and at least we'll have something worth arguing about on here for a wee while until our next league match.

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Celtic 1 – 2 Rangers: Nikica Jelavic makes sure season is silver plated

TheScotsman

NIKICA Jelavic picked the best possible moment to give Rangers a first significant return on their £4 million investment in his services, scoring the extra-time goal which retained the League Cup for the Ibrox club yesterday and shattered the treble ambitions of their great rivals.

Celtic, fancied so strongly by so many observers to lift the first domestic silverware of the season on the back of their previous dominant displays in Old Firm fixtures since the turn of the year, were undone by Jelavic's opportunist strike which settled an absorbing Hampden final happily devoid of any of the attendant unpleasantness which marked the last meeting of the clubs.

Rangers merited the triumph, Walter Smith's sixth League Cup win as Rangers manager and one which ensures his final season in charge will be marked by the collection of at least one trophy. In Steven Davis, they had the game's most influential player, while veteran captain David Weir was an inspiring presence at the back.

Celtic, whose two year wait for a trophy win will be extended for at least another couple of months, never achieved the fluency and attacking verve of their prior wins over Rangers this year, delivering an often flat-footed display which will give manager Neil Lennon cause for concern going into the closing weeks of the season.

Rangers made the breakthrough at the point of the match when Celtic appeared most likely to take a grip of proceedings. Lennon's men had just missed a premium opportunity to take the lead through captain Scott Brown, the midfielder guiding a diving header wide of Neil Alexander's right hand post from no more than seven yards after Georgios Samaras had flicked on a Kris Commons cross.

The holders made the most of the reprieve, Davis putting them in front just two minutes later. The Northern Ireland international midfielder pounced on some loose play by Joe Ledley to seize possession around 30 yards from goal. He bustled forward with purpose, the lack of any challenge from a Celtic player tempting him to try his luck with his less favoured left foot from just outside the penalty area. It was far from the cleanest strike Davis has ever managed, but the low shot was precise enough as the ball eluded the diving Fraser Forster's left hand and went in off the post.

Celtic appeared momentarily fazed by the setback but before any damaging uncertainty could seep into their play, they forced themselves level seven minutes later.

Rangers had deployed Kyle Lafferty in a wide right position as they looked to limit the influence Celtic left-back Emilio Izaguirre could have with his forays upfield. But the Honduran is a difficult man to subdue and he found space to whip over the cross which Samaras flicked on for the unmarked Ledley to beat Alexander with a header from six yards.

Had Rangers not gone on to win the trophy, an incident just two minutes later would certainly have dominated their post-match analysis. It was a huge call from referee Craig Thomson as he initially pointed to the penalty spot when Jelavic went down under a Thomas Rogne challenge. But within a few seconds, Rangers' anticipation of regaining the advantage had been replaced by bewilderment when Thomson changed his mind and instead booked Jelavic for simulation. If the Croatian had embellished his tumble to the turf, his left knee had nonetheless been caught by Rogne's right knee as the young Norwegian defender failed to get a touch on the ball.

Celtic might have felt justice had been served, having had their own penalty claim turned down while the game was still goallless, Mark Wilson going down under Sasa Papac's challenge

Rangers made the brighter start to the second half, and Papac was fortunate not to put through his own net when his attempt to clear a Commons cross saw him slice the ball inches wide of the left hand post.

Nerves were evident in the play of both teams as the match progressed, weary limbs and tired minds contributing to defensive errors and missed chances alike. Celtic striker Gary Hooper blazed his best opportunity of the afternoon wildly over with 13 minutes of regulation time remaining.

Rangers were fortunate not to be punished for some sloppy marking in the 86th minute. Ki Sung Yeung, who had replaced the injured Brown, swung in a corner from the left which found Ledley unattended no more than eight yards out. The Welshman blew his chance to be a two-goal cup winning hero, however, scuffing a tame shot straight at the grateful Alexander.

The introduction of Vladimir Weiss for Lafferty refreshed Rangers as an attacking force in extra-time as Celtic started to look increasingly stretched at the back. Mulgrew's caution for cynically halting a Jelavic breakaway on the edge of the penalty area might easily have been construed as a red card.

Jelavic, however, would have the final say. Just two minutes after seeing his deflected free-kick prompt a brilliant one-handed save by Forster, the striker plundered the winning goal. Glenn Loovens, who had replaced the toiling Rogne, was penalised for a foul on Weiss. The little Slovak took the free-kick quickly, catching the Celtic defence flat-footed as he threaded the ball through for Jelavic to run onto.

Holding off Mulgrew's challenge, Jelavic stabbed a right foot shot beyond Forster, the ball striking the keeper's left hand post before rolling across the goal and then spinning over the line.

Rangers still required an heroic 120th minute block from Steven Whittaker to prevent Hooper from taking the game to a penalty shoot-out.

Celtic 1-2 Rangers (aet)

By Andy Campbell

Nikica Jelavic grabbed an extra-time winner as Rangers triumphed against Old Firm rivals Celtic in the Co-operative Insurance Cup final.

Rangers took the lead through Steven Davis' 20-yard strike but Joe Ledley headed Celtic level on 31 minutes.

The second half was tense with Celtic's Fraser Forster saving from Steven Whittaker and Rangers keeper Neil Alexander denying Ledley.

But Jelavic fired in off the post in the 98th minute to win it for Rangers.

Story from BBC SPORT:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport1/hi/football/scot_cups/9428470.stm

Published: 2011/03/20 17:39:18 GMT

© BBC 2011