Rangers 1-0 Celtic: Rangers hit stride at perfect time

Rangers 1

Davis 37

Celtic 0

IF THE turbulence at the end of last season taught us anything it was surely to bite the lip when making predictions about where the league title is heading. And we do that now.

We're tempted to say that this was a seismic moment in the campaign, a momentum swing of huge significance but we know the way these things work, the devilish unpredictability of it all. But Rangers are looking good, you have to believe that. They are looking big and strong and confident and that two-point lead they now hold at the top of the league? A thing of beauty to the delirious folk of Ibrox.

This was a collision of rivals in the grand old scheme of things. Narky, incident-packed and with many surprising twists.

Who could have said, for instance, that Gordon Strachan would have left Aiden McGeady out of his starting team, opting instead for Shaun Maloney – who hadn't started a league match in six months and who, not surprisingly, wasn't mapped all afternoon?

Most bizarre of all, who could have predicted that as Rangers wound the clock down impressively their support would start serenading Maurice Edu, a man they had grave misgivings about not all that long ago? Edu deserved the ovation. He played well. He came in for some treatment – Glenn Loovens left the studs in just before half-time in a pretty nasty moment – but he ploughed on regardless.

Pretty much all over the park Rangers had the measure of their opposite numbers. Steven Davis is pulling up trees at the moment and was, once again, the stand-out player. He got the goal and he kicked one off the line at the other end. He is playing his best stuff at the perfect time.

And behind him, a Rangers defence that looked so rickety earlier in the season now looks solid. Walter Smith was a bit uneasy about the strength of the Celtic set-piece going into this but his defenders handled it well. That was partly to do with the physicality of Madjid Bougherra and David Weir and plenty to do with the awful delivery from Shunsuke Nakamura.

Though the rain rarely stopped and the cold grew bitter as the day went on, the action on the field was hot and heavy. We had it all; the good, the bad and the grotesque. Our old friends, the bigots, made an appearance. You turn up at these occasions hoping that this will be the day the fans will keep the songs clean and elevate their behaviour above the level of the gutter. How long did that fantasy last? Well, seconds. The players had taken about three strides up the tunnel at the start when we heard lusty roars from Rangers people about what they'd like to do to the Pope, replied to 15 minutes later by chunky sections of the Celtic element singing about their favourite terrorist organisation. Thankfully, these idiots climbed back under their respective rocks thereafter and we got on with the football.

It rattled on at a mad old pace, Rangers having the best of it, looking hungrier for the ball and livelier in midfield where the game just went on around Marc Crosas and Maloney. Rangers fared much better. They are a confident team right now, having won seven in a row, a feat that would surely have been beyond them if the pedestrian Barry Ferguson was still operating at the heart of things.

Ferguson's suspension and his subsequent injury may well end up as the turning point of this championship. Since he went into exile, Rangers haven't looked back. Mentally, they are in a better place than they've been for quite some time.

There was a good tempo to them here, loads of urgency and after 20 minutes there was almost a goal, too. It would have been lucky, as if that mattered. Steven Whittaker can strike a lovely ball and he curled in a delicious cross from the left that beat the hell out of Artur Boruc. Whittaker's intention was to plant the ball on Davis' head, but Davis missed his connection and the thing kept bending in on Boruc's goal, eventually smacking off the goalkeeper's left-hand post. Celtic responded by looking for penalties. Two quick claims in a matter of minutes were turned away, both involving the subdued Scott McDonald supposedly being manhandled in the box, first by Whittaker and then Christian Dailly. The appeals looked weak and certainly Strachan didn't make a meal of them later on.

The goal came two minutes after the second penalty shout.

It all began with a kick-out from Neil Alexander that Celtic failed to deal with in the air. Boyd won the header and him and Kenny Miller combined down the left. Miller drove past Andreas Hinkel, who was afraid to touch him for fear of giving away a penalty, and put an inviting ball across the six-yard box for Davis to smack it home. His hero status was guaranteed in that moment but he added to the legend when he hoofed a goal-bound Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink header off the line just before the half-time break.

The visitors had loads of possession after that but the flow of chances kept going Rangers' way. Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, captain for the day, had a header saved by Alexander but Boyd had a great chance to make it two-nil to Rangers when put through by Miller, only he suffered a typical Old Firm meltdown and hit it straight at the advancing Boruc.

McGeady appeared with 14 minutes left, followed into the action by Georgios Samaras. Neither could break the resolve of the Rangers defence. Neither came all that close. Nobody in hoops did. And now they're in trouble. Deep trouble. They're not a beaten team yet but momentum counts for a lot. And Rangers have it.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Steven Davis scored the goal and protected the lead with a vital piece of defending. He is the best player in Scotland right now, by a distance.

QUICK FACT

All of this season's Old Firm derbies in the league, indeed the last 10 league meetings between the sides going back to November 2007, have been won by the team who has scored first.

TALKING POINT

Aiden McGeady being left out of the starting team caused a sharp intake of breath among the Celtic fans, but that particular gamble did not work for Strachan.

CELTIC

ARTUR BORUC

Little chance with goal and made a fine block from Boyd. Flawless handling. 7

ANDREAS HINKEL

Always willing to support Nakamura. 6

DARREN O'DEA

Quiet game, did little wrong though. 6

GLENN LOOVENS

Lucky not to be punished for kick at Edu. Never looked particularly commanding. 5

GARY CALDWELL

Couple of last ditch tackles and good headers. Pick of Celtic defenders. 7

SHUNSUKE NAKAMURA

Saw ball a lot but crosses were erratic. Most creative Celtic player, however. 7

SHAUN MALONEY

Worked hard but few good crosses. Failed to track Davis for the opener. 5

MARC CROSAS

Game passed him by. Passes didn't cut Rangers open. Skied good chance. 5

PAUL HARTLEY

Booked after two minutes. Sloppy passes and never controlled the game. 5

JAN VENNEGOOR OF HESSELINK

Two headers blocked by Alexander and Davis. Nuisance from set pieces. 6

SCOTT MCDONALD

Buzzed around but touch let him down. 6

AIDEN MCGEADY

On for Maloney. Shot wide late on. 4

GIORGIOS SAMARAS

Replaced Vennegoor of Hesselink. 3

LEE NAYLOR

Late cameo in place of O'Dea. 3

HOW THEY RATED

RANGERS

NEIL ALEXANDER

Impeccable handling, came for crosses and made a couple of smart saves. 8

CHRISTIAN DAILLY

A pair of clumsy challenges but fared well against Maloney and McGeady. 6

STEVEN WHITTAKER

Wicked cross smacked the post. Foraged forward and defended well. 7

DAVID WEIR

Dominated aerial duels and subdued McDonald with experienced display. 7

MADJID BOUGHERRA

Another impressive performance. Good in the air, strong tackling and composed. 8

STEVEN DAVIS

Got the all-important strike and made a vital goal-line clearance on 45mins. 8

STEVEN SMITH

Passing and crossing was poor and was booked for crude tackle on 39mins. 5

MAURICE EDU

Growing in stature. Protected defence and was strong in possession. 8

PEDRO MENDES

Always willing to take the ball and probed away at Celtic backline. 7

KENNY MILLER

Constant pest. Great cut-back for goal and always kept Celtic on their toes. 8

KRIS BOYD

Involved in build-up to Davis' goal but missed one-on-one chance on 60mins. 6

KYLE LAFFERTY

Replaced Smith on 69mins. Booked. 4

LEE MCCULLOCH

On for Boyd after 85mins. Little time. 3