Post by Taxigirl on Nov 10, 2005 7:43:10 GMT
www.sportinglife.com/football/live/reports/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/05/11/09/SOCCER_Celtic.html
Rangers manager Alex McLeish was facing more questions over his future after watching Celtic march past his holders and into the semi-final of the CIS Insurance Cup.
The Hoops' victory came courtesy of a spectacular Shaun Maloney 30-yard screamer and a late Stefan Klos own goal under pressure from Bobo Balde.
It was sweet revenge for Celtic boss Gordon Strachan after his first Old Firm experience ended in defeat, with two men being sent off in a 3-1 reverse at Ibrox in August.
But how times have changed, with Celtic not being beaten since then in a march to the top of the Bank of Scotland Premier League while Rangers have fallen an incredible 12 points behind them after a run which has seen them win just twice in their last 10 games.
Now the holders, who also had Sotirios Kyrgiakos dismissed for two yellow cards with the score at 1-0, are out at the hands of their arch-rivals and McLeish could be out of a job after a nightmare night for Klos, who was at fault for both Celtic goals.
Strachan's second Old Firm experience started at a ferocious pace but Rangers, who had two changes with Hamed Namouchi and Ian Murray coming in for Peter Lovenkrands and Brahim Hemdani, were never at the races.
The game was so tight that it took 15 minutes for the first effort on goal and it came the way of the home side.
Man-of-the-match Maloney laid the ball off to weekend goalscorer Aiden McGeady and he cut inside before drilling a right-foot shot towards the bottom corner from 22 yards, but Klos made it look easy by moving to his right to cleanly hold the ball.
Klos breathed a sigh of relief in the 25th minute when McGeady cut in from the left flank and curled a right-foot cross just past the upright which just evaded John Hartson.
But the German and the Rangers supporters were shell-shocked two minutes later when he was beaten by a breathtaking 30-yard drive from Maloney.
Klos did not appear to expect the youngster to shoot from that distance and was slow getting across his goalline but the Scotland international could not have caught the ball any sweeter with his right boot as the ball whistled into the top corner.
Shunsuke Nakamura almost got in at the back in the 29th minute with the visitors struggling to hang on but Julien Rodriguez did well to head his effort behind for a corner.
Maloney got behind the Rangers defence again moments later and was pulling back to shoot but Rodriguez again made a vital challenge, although the officials gave a goal kick.
The visitors rallied but Namouchi pulled his 25-yard shot wide, Artur Boruc comfortably saved from skipper Barry Ferguson and Fernando Ricksen sent a shot over the top.
Kyrgiakos was having a night to forget and was booked for flooring Petrov close to the goalline.
McLeish made a change at the interval with Lovenkrands coming on for Bernard and his side had a good chance to haul themselves back on level terms after a Balde mistake.
The defender miscontrolled a poor pass-back from Mo Camara and Dado Prso stole the ball but he snatched at the chance and fired wide from the edge of the area.
McLeish made another change in the 56th minute with Francis Jeffers entering the action at the expense of the ineffective Steven Thompson.
But the night got even worse for Rangers in the 66th minute when Kyrgiakos was adjudged to have fouled McGeady.
The referee was happy to award the free-kick but the Greek picked up the ball and appeared to sarcastically applaud the decision, earning his second yellow card.
Kyrgiakos trudged off the field clapping the home supporters, who were on their feet again moments later when Petrov fired wide from just outside the area.
Prso prodded the ball past the upright in the 75th minute and did not realise what a great chance he had spurned for the 10 men of Rangers.
Klos was called upon again to make a save with nine minutes to go when he tipped Nakamura's blast over the top.
But it was game over moments later when the goalkeeper made a mess of Nakamura's cross and knocked the ball went over the line with Balde pressuring him and Jose-Karl Pierre-Fanfan.
Teams:
Celtic Boruc, Telfer, Balde, McManus, Camara, Nakamura, Lennon, Petrov, McGeady (Varga 77), Hartson, Maloney.
Subs Not Used: Marshall, Thompson, Virgo, Pearson.
Booked: Hartson, Balde.
Goals: Maloney 26, Klos 82 og.
Rangers Klos, Hutton, Rodriguez (Pierre-Fanfan 79), Kyrgiakos, Bernard (Lovenkrands 45), Namouchi, Ferguson, Ricksen, Murray, Prso, Thompson (Jeffers 56).
Subs Not Used: Alex Rae, Waterreus.
Sent Off: Kyrgiakos (66).
Booked: Kyrgiakos, Hutton, Jeffers, Pierre-Fanfan.
Att: 57,183
Ref: K Clark (Scotland).
Rangers manager Alex McLeish was facing more questions over his future after watching Celtic march past his holders and into the semi-final of the CIS Insurance Cup.
The Hoops' victory came courtesy of a spectacular Shaun Maloney 30-yard screamer and a late Stefan Klos own goal under pressure from Bobo Balde.
It was sweet revenge for Celtic boss Gordon Strachan after his first Old Firm experience ended in defeat, with two men being sent off in a 3-1 reverse at Ibrox in August.
But how times have changed, with Celtic not being beaten since then in a march to the top of the Bank of Scotland Premier League while Rangers have fallen an incredible 12 points behind them after a run which has seen them win just twice in their last 10 games.
Now the holders, who also had Sotirios Kyrgiakos dismissed for two yellow cards with the score at 1-0, are out at the hands of their arch-rivals and McLeish could be out of a job after a nightmare night for Klos, who was at fault for both Celtic goals.
Strachan's second Old Firm experience started at a ferocious pace but Rangers, who had two changes with Hamed Namouchi and Ian Murray coming in for Peter Lovenkrands and Brahim Hemdani, were never at the races.
The game was so tight that it took 15 minutes for the first effort on goal and it came the way of the home side.
Man-of-the-match Maloney laid the ball off to weekend goalscorer Aiden McGeady and he cut inside before drilling a right-foot shot towards the bottom corner from 22 yards, but Klos made it look easy by moving to his right to cleanly hold the ball.
Klos breathed a sigh of relief in the 25th minute when McGeady cut in from the left flank and curled a right-foot cross just past the upright which just evaded John Hartson.
But the German and the Rangers supporters were shell-shocked two minutes later when he was beaten by a breathtaking 30-yard drive from Maloney.
Klos did not appear to expect the youngster to shoot from that distance and was slow getting across his goalline but the Scotland international could not have caught the ball any sweeter with his right boot as the ball whistled into the top corner.
Shunsuke Nakamura almost got in at the back in the 29th minute with the visitors struggling to hang on but Julien Rodriguez did well to head his effort behind for a corner.
Maloney got behind the Rangers defence again moments later and was pulling back to shoot but Rodriguez again made a vital challenge, although the officials gave a goal kick.
The visitors rallied but Namouchi pulled his 25-yard shot wide, Artur Boruc comfortably saved from skipper Barry Ferguson and Fernando Ricksen sent a shot over the top.
Kyrgiakos was having a night to forget and was booked for flooring Petrov close to the goalline.
McLeish made a change at the interval with Lovenkrands coming on for Bernard and his side had a good chance to haul themselves back on level terms after a Balde mistake.
The defender miscontrolled a poor pass-back from Mo Camara and Dado Prso stole the ball but he snatched at the chance and fired wide from the edge of the area.
McLeish made another change in the 56th minute with Francis Jeffers entering the action at the expense of the ineffective Steven Thompson.
But the night got even worse for Rangers in the 66th minute when Kyrgiakos was adjudged to have fouled McGeady.
The referee was happy to award the free-kick but the Greek picked up the ball and appeared to sarcastically applaud the decision, earning his second yellow card.
Kyrgiakos trudged off the field clapping the home supporters, who were on their feet again moments later when Petrov fired wide from just outside the area.
Prso prodded the ball past the upright in the 75th minute and did not realise what a great chance he had spurned for the 10 men of Rangers.
Klos was called upon again to make a save with nine minutes to go when he tipped Nakamura's blast over the top.
But it was game over moments later when the goalkeeper made a mess of Nakamura's cross and knocked the ball went over the line with Balde pressuring him and Jose-Karl Pierre-Fanfan.
Teams:
Celtic Boruc, Telfer, Balde, McManus, Camara, Nakamura, Lennon, Petrov, McGeady (Varga 77), Hartson, Maloney.
Subs Not Used: Marshall, Thompson, Virgo, Pearson.
Booked: Hartson, Balde.
Goals: Maloney 26, Klos 82 og.
Rangers Klos, Hutton, Rodriguez (Pierre-Fanfan 79), Kyrgiakos, Bernard (Lovenkrands 45), Namouchi, Ferguson, Ricksen, Murray, Prso, Thompson (Jeffers 56).
Subs Not Used: Alex Rae, Waterreus.
Sent Off: Kyrgiakos (66).
Booked: Kyrgiakos, Hutton, Jeffers, Pierre-Fanfan.
Att: 57,183
Ref: K Clark (Scotland).