Rangers 1 Celtic 1
For the best part of an hour, every Rangers supporter inside Ibrox must have wished their team could play Celtic every week.
They were on course for a third successive league win against their great rivals for the first time in a single season in 28 years, while Barry Ferguson’s hopes of remaining in the mix to be handed the manager’s job on a permanent basis no longer looked dead in the water.
Playing with the kind of purpose that has made their travails against the other sides in the Premiership so perplexing this term, they were good value for the half-time lead handed to them by Cyriel Dessers.
By the time the last action of a somewhat low-key derby had come and gone, however, those believing that Brendan Rodgers was beginning to lose his way in this fixture had been forced into some hasty revision.
On a day that proved to be a tale of two strikers, Adam Idah swooped to level the game and ensure that the champions’ 17-point lead at the top of the table remained intact.
While Rangers have taken the honours across the four league clashes with seven points out of 12, a share of the spoils meant Rodgers has only suffered three reverses in 23 clashes with the Ibrox club. His record remains formidable.
Adam Idah salutes the travelling Celtic fans after his second-half goal made it 1-1
Cyriel Dessers is delighted after giving Rangers a one-goal lead just before half-time
Daizen Maeda reacts with disbelief after wasting his late chance to win the game for Celtic
Celtic deserved to avoid the ignominy which would have come with another loss. In a game which lacked much quality, the visitors looked more like themselves the longer it went on. Only a fine save by Liam Kelly deep into stoppage time prevented Daizen Maeda from claiming a famous win.
It was tame fare by the standards of these games. The only bookings came for Ferguson, for voicing his frustrations on the sidelines, and two substitutes, Rangers’ Bailey Rice and Celtic’s Johnny Kenny.
What Ferguson wouldn’t have given for a win here to go with the one be picked up at Parkhead in March.
He made another plea to be given the job permanently in the aftermath but, frankly, it’s hard to see it.
He’s not won any of the five home games under his interim charge. Remarkably, Rangers’ barren run at Ibrox now stretches to seven matches, with their last win coming against Ross County on February 2. Huge changes are surely on the way.
With his options limited through injuries, Ferguson shaped with a diamond. While it ensured his side saw plenty of the ball through the middle, it asked an awful lot of his full-backs.
Given the tension that has often filled the final derby matches of the season, this was a strange old affair. So poor have Rangers been against the flotsam and jetsam in this campaign that even their win at Celtic Park in March held no significance in terms of the title race.
With Rodgers’ side finally getting over the line at Tannadice last week, Celtic alighted in Govan without any real sense of jeopardy. Restoring pride after losing back-to-back games against Rangers was the order of the day.
Idah had missed a glorious chance earlier, but made amends with the equaliser for Celtic
Barry Ferguson can’t believe what he’s seeing from the sidelines during 1-1 draw at Ibrox
The home side started the way their manager would have demanded. Playing in a protective mask after fracturing his cheekbone, Leon Balogun rattled the top of the bar with a header in the opening minute after rising to meet James Tavernier’s corner.
The veteran defender then extended a telescopic leg to prevent James Forrest running clear on goal following an error by Mohamed Diomande.
In his first derby fixture, Celtic goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo did well to tip Vaclav Cerny’s deflected strike over the top.
With the game see-sawing from end to end, Nicolas Raskin headed weakly into the keeper’s arms before John Souttar slid in to prevent Idah’s strike worrying Kelly.
Rangers thought they had edged in front at the midway point of the first half. Greg Taylor’s foul on Cerny allowed Tavernier to test the mettle of Celtic’s back line with a free-kick. Raskin got there first to steer a header beyond Sinisalo. The Belgian’s celebrations were cut short when VAR rightly adjudged him to have strayed offside.
Celtic enjoyed plenty of the ball yet struggled to create much from open play. Tellingly, their best chance of the opening exchanges came from a set piece. Cameron Carter-Vickers powered Arne Engels’ corner towards goal with his forehead. Kelly’s raised arm was enough to prevent the American’s effort from sneaking in.
On the eve of the match, Liam Scales has issued a strong defence of his fellow Irish international Idah, who hasn’t had his critics to seek despite scoring 18 times.
Scales must have thought his words were going to be justified when Idah was slipped in by Reo Hatate as half time approached. While Kelly deserved credit for keeping his nerve and making an important block, Idah simply had to do better. He was immediately left to rue the error of his ways.
Brendan Rodgers seemed happy enough to see the match finish honours even on Sunday
Rangers goalkeeper Liam Kelly makes a crucial block from Celtic striker Adam Idah
Rangers pieced together an excellent counterattack which saw Diomande fire a low ball in from the left. Cerny bamboozled Celtic’s defence with an intelligent dummy.
Running away from goal, Dessers still had plenty of work to do but held Scales off. His angled finish was anything but easy. Now on 25 goals for the season, this was another day when he underscored what he brings to the table.
Idah would soon make his point, too, squaring the affair after an untidy start to the second half.
Maeda burrowed his way in behind the home defence. Tavernier and Souttar looked to be in command of the situation until the latter thumped the ball straight at the Japanese.
It fell kindly for Idah. He spun smartly and found the back of the net with the aid of a slight deflection off Souttar. The sight of the linesman’s flag cut short his celebrations, only for them to continue once VAR had set the matter straight.
Ferguson looked to his bench and brought on Hamza Igamane in the hope the Moroccan could repeat his Parkhead heroics. He had an immediate chance to do just that but wanted far too many touches in the penalty box and the chance was gone.
Raskin should also have done better when he benefitted from a Tony Ralston error. The Belgian flashed his strike past Sinisalo’s upright when he really had to work the keeper.
The Finn then produced an excellent save to prevent the midfielder from snatching the win after he took down Jefte’s clipped cross and let fly at the far post. Dessers’ hopes of stealing the headlines then ended in a horrible miscue.
Celtic might well have won it at the death. Igamane’s throw-in led to a Tavernier slip. As Maeda bounded up the park, the Celtic bench rose in anticipation of a winner. Kelly stood tall, held his nerve and blocked.
It would have been a little harsh on Rangers. For all they didn’t do enough to win the game, they were still deserving of a point.
