It was the first Old Firm final in 16 Scottish Cup and League Cup meetings that it took more than a goal to separate the sides.
Now Gers focus is on winning the SPL title and given the choice, it goes without saying they’d take a league triumph over any other domestic prize this season.
There was both good news and bad for Gers manager Walter Smith before the game, with most of it concerning his defence.
While Madjid Bougherra was ruled out through injury, Kirk Broadfoot proved he was fit enough to take the Algerian’s place alongside David Weir.
Steven Whittaker also started at right-back, with Lee McCulloch drafted in as a holding midfielder and Kenny Miller deployed on his own up front.
Amongst the substitutes was Nacho Novo who, after six weeks on the sidelines with an ankle problem, was joined on the bench by Kris Boyd.
Both Smith and opposite number Gordon Strachan opted for cautious 4-5-1 formations initially and that made for a tentative opening period.
Neither side created much and Stephen McManus’ header – which dropped right into Allan McGregor’s arms – was the only real attempt on goal.
It was clear that each team was struggling to an extent to adapt to the newly-laid Hampden pitch.
Slated after the two semi-finals in January, it was replaced earlier this month and at first glance it looked the part.
But with so little time since then for the rolls of grass to knit together, the ball bobbled too often and took a lot of fluidity from the match.
Undeterred, Whittaker tried to make the best of it and his mazy run across Celtic’s 18-yard line played in Sasa Papac.
The Bosnian was quickly flagged offside but it seemed Rangers were starting to get to grips with the conditions.
That said, they still couldn’t threaten Artur Boruc in the Parkhead outfit’s goal and that almost proved costly when Scott Brown drove just over from 25 yards.
Celtic came into the game more and McGeady swept a low shot across goal before Glenn Loovens headed just past the post.
Gers needed to pick up the pace again and as McGeady pulled clear of Whittaker to set up Brown, something had to change.
McCulloch tried to give the Light Blues a spark with a shot from long range but a deflection took the sting out of his effort and it ran to Boruc.
The chance did at least prompt a shift in power and Steven Davis had a go moments later but was always leaning back and fired over.
With the interval approaching, Rangers were given a glorious chance to break the deadlock when Lafferty was brought down by Andreas Hinkel 25 yards out.
But when Pedro Mendes lined up to shoot, his drive hit the wall and was scrambled away to safety.
Gers did have one more opportunity before the break and it was arguably their best so far, with Lafferty coming so close to breaking the deadlock.
He collected a deep cross-field pass on his chest, turned Hinkel and sent a stunning half-volley goalwards but Boruc was there to push the ball away with both hands.
It was Northern Ireland star Lafferty who had his side’s first chance after the restart too and he sent an angled shot from Davis’ pass over the bar.
Davis then tried his own luck after David Weir dispossessed McGeady and played in Miller on the left but the midfielder’s grasscutter was a yard off.
Celtic tried to muster a response and it took a last-gasp tackle by Weir to stop McGeady from testing McGregor.
That aside, Rangers were very much in the ascendancy in the opening stages of the second period but weren’t getting the breaks they wanted.
Lafferty might have scored had he seen the ball dropping to him after Broadfoot got a slight touch on Davis’ cross but the ball hit his thigh and went behind.
Good pressing by skipper Barry Ferguson and Lafferty then ended with the latter closing in on Boruc and the keeper only just hoofing the ball away.
With Novo now on for Miller, Smith was trying to lift the tempo further but back came Gordon Strachan’s team and they were presented with a good chance to score themselves.
Weir was penalised by referee Dougie McDonald for a foul on McGeady 20 yards out and Nakamura lined up to shoot from the free kick.
As he did so, Novo was cautioned for dissent and when the set piece was eventually taken, McGregor did well to tip wide.
From the resulting corner, O’Dea headed his Japanese colleague’s cross over and with that, the onus was on Rangers to turn the screw again.
Instead, however, they gave away another free kick in a dangerous area when Weir lunged in on McGeady and was cautioned as well.
A frantic goalmouth scramble ensued, with the Light Blues just doing enough to keep the scoresheet blank.
Smith’s men were hanging on for their lives and it took another good save by McGregor to deny Brown as Celtic were allowed to keep piling on pressure.
Loovens thought he had finally netted when he headed towards the far post but Mendes made a crucial clearance on the line to keep him out.
With less than 20 minutes of normal time to go, Strachan went for the jugular and threw on striker Georgios Samaras for Paul Hartley.
But instead it was Rangers who forayed upfield and after Boruc saved a Novo piledriver, McCulloch headed inches over the woodwork.
Smith responded to the introduction of Samaras by replacing the tiring Lafferty with Boyd.
Now both teams had two players in attack and play was opening up more as a result – with nerves starting to kick in too.
After Mendes’ rising effort flew just too high, Christian Dailly came on for the injured McCulloch and Gers were soon on the back foot.
Weir’s fantastic block stopped Gary Caldwell’s rasper in mid-flight and McGregor was alert enough to meet a Nakamura free kick when others couldn’t.
From that point, Rangers gave it everything they could to win it before extra-time was needed but they couldn’t prevent the game carrying on.
The additional 30 minutes got off to the worst possible start as Celtic went ahead 60 seconds in.
After a clumsy free kick was given away on the left, Nakamura swung it in and O’Dea rose highest to nod in unchallenged at the far post.
That clearly took Gers for six and as they tried to find their feet again, Brown was afforded the space to shoot from 20 yards and McGregor tipped over.
Samaras and McDonald also broke the offside trap but McGregor again stood up well to keep out the Greek striker.
It was a first half to forget for Rangers and with just 15 minutes of the contest left, they needed something special to haul themselves back into the game.
But they were tiring and as the clock kept ticking down, they found it harder and harder to lift themselves.
Whittaker shot over on the turn 18 yards from goal with two minutes still on the clock and given it was his side’s only real chance to that point, their hopes were fading fast.
Celtic made sure of their win in the dying seconds when Broadfoot brought down McGeady in the box and received a red card for his troubles.
The Parkhead winger converted the resulting penalty and now Rangers’ focus is on the title.