Naismith celebrates

By Graham Barnstaple
September 18 2011

Rangers won the first Old Firm game of the season in an exciting six goal thriller at Ibrox this afternoon.

The opening stages were full of the usual Old Firm problems with everything being done at 100 miles per hour resulting in little football being produced. It was therefore a bit of a surprise when Rangers took the lead in the 23^rd minute when Naismith capitalised on some poor Celtic defending to steer a shot high past Forster.

They were only in the lead for eleven minutes before Hooper found space between the Rangers defence to stroke a Brown pass away from McGregor. The keeper was beaten again just four minutes before the break, and it will be a goal he will want to forget.

There looked to be no danger from an El Kadourri shot but somehow theScotlandkeeper allowed the ball to squirm through his legs and over the line to give Celtic a lead at half time.

Rangers then went on to dominate the second half, Jelavic scored to equalise ten minutes after the break when he headed home a corner. Rangers were back in the lead half way through the second half when Lafferty’s persistence finally saw him bear Forster from close range.

Celtic were then reduced to ten men when Mulgrew was sent off for a second yellow tackle on Naismith. The surprise here was that he was still on the field, Neil Lennon probably should have replaced him earlier as he was always likely to commit such a stupid challenge.

Rangers made it four in the closing stages when Naismith scored his second goal of this game when he volleyed home aDavispass.

There is no doubt the better team on the day won, but it wasn’t a game for the football purists but the constant toing and froing meant the viewing was always compelling.

The game appeared to be won in the midfield where Edu and Davis dominated Kayal and Ki, which would appear to indicate Celtic missed Joe Ledley as Mulgrew didn’t provide much on the left of midfield.