Celtic 2 - 1 Rangers Wed 16/04/08

Nacho Novo (55)

Celtic managed to overcome Rangers with the help of some poor refereeing from Kenny Clark, who did everything to hand Celtic the 3 points.

He managed to find 5 minutes injury time at the end of the game when it was quite obvious that no more than 3 minutes should have been played. He also played just 1 minute in the first half when there was 2 injuries that lasted more than 3 minutes but he managed to play less than 1 minute so you make your mind up.

Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink headed in an injury-time winner as Celtic kept alive their SPL title hopes with a 2-1 win over Rangers at Parkhead.

The Gers found themselves 1-0 down at the interval thanks to Nakamura's 30-yard opener. Rangers substitute Nacho Novo grabbed a 55th-minute equaliser to silence the Parkhead faithful.

But with 20 minutes left on the clock, McDonald missed a glorious chance to win it for the Celtic when Allan MacGregor brilliantly pushed his penalty kick onto the post.

But with Walter Smith's side down to 10 men after Carlos Cuellar's handball, Celtic piled forward in search of a winner and it arrived in the fourth of five-added on minutes as Vennegoor of Hesselink headed in from close range to cut Rangers lead at the top to one point.

Celtic's Robson should have been yellow carded in the first thirty seconds when deliberately put his elbow into the face of Dailly.

Rangers forced the fist corner with a Dailly header going inches wide of Boruc's left hand post with the keeper now where near it.

Celtic came back when Vennegoor of Hesselink found himself through on goal, but poor control allowed MacGregor to snuff out the danger.

Celtic then started the rush on Rangers goal when Clarke awarded a corner when it was clearly a goal kick for the visitors. Celtic then forced a succession of corners with Gary Caldwell heading the most dangerous right back across the face of goal, though no one was on hand to apply the finishing touch.

But they got their reward with 20 minutes on the clock when Nakamura unleashed a fierce 30-yard volley for his first goal in an Old Firm encounter.

Celtic continued to attack with McDonald's cross-cum-shot from right wing almost catching MacGregor unawares.

Rangers had two good chances to equalise before the interval though Jean-Claude Darcheville failed to make the most of his openings.

Rangers introduced Novo for Kirk Broadfoot at the start of the second period and the little Spaniard was soon celebrating when he drilled a low shot across Artur Boruc and into the corner for a 55th-minute equaliser and his 50th goal for the Gers.

Celtic responded through McDonald, but his snap-shot was pushed behind by MacGregor, while Andreas Hinkel's cross picked out Barry Robson, but the Gers defence quickly snuffed out the chance.

But Nakamura's rising drive was destined for the top corner until Carlos Cuellar punched it onto the crossbar - an action that saw the Spaniard shown a straight red card and hand Celtic a title lifeline from the penalty spot.

But MacGregor - who injured his ankle making an earlier save from McDonald - defied the Australian striker again as he correctly dived low to his left to push his 70th-minute spot-kick onto the post.

Celtic responded by bringing on Georgios Samaras, while MacGregor soon succumbed to his ankle injury, with Neil Alexander coming on for his debut.

And with time running out, Vennegoor of Hesselink stooped to head in after McDonald nodded the ball back across goal to keep the title race very much alive.

Rangers can count themselves unlucky not to have taken at least a deserved point from the game with a great second-half performance.

RANGERS: McGregor (Alexander 77), Broadfoot (Novo 45), Cuellar, Weir, Papac, Whittaker, Dailly, Ferguson, Davis, Darcheville (Cousin 83), McCulloch,

Subs Not Used: McMillan, Furman, Boyd, Naismith,

Ref: Kenny Clark

Man-of-the-match: Cuellar

Attendance: 58,964