RANGERS were victorious in the Old Firm Glasgow Cup final for the second running after winning on penalties following a 1-1 draw at Firhill Stadium this evening.
After a closely contested first half Nana Kasanwirjo marked his first start in Gers colours since November 10 with a goal as he put Rangers in front before Rhys Dargie levelled up proceedings in stoppage time. The second period saw openings at both ends before the game headed straight to spot kicks.
Rangers then went on to claim the trophy after winning 5-4 on penalties with Eadie, Hutton, Wark, Burnside and McCallion all finding the target, with Lewis Dobbie seeing the decisive kick go past the post as Smith’s side got their hands on the cup for the second campaign on the spin.
The Gers went into the evening as the competition holders after a dramatic 3-2 win over their rivals in last season’s edition of the competition back in December. Head coach Stevie Smith was able to call upon the services of the likes of Findlay Curtis, who captained the side, as well Paul Nsio and Zander Hutton as the relative elder statesmen in the young team.
There was a boost for the club prior to kick off with defender Neraysho Kasanwirjo being named in a Rangers side for the first time since November last year following a serious knee injury.
It was a closely contested start in the opening exchanges at Firhill but it was Celtic who should have gone ahead with the game's first chance after edging the early possession. Rhys Dargie, operating on the right flank, shifted the ball onto his left foot and fired in an inviting cross seeking out fellow winger Jude Bonnar round the back, but the number 11 couldn’t make contact with the ball as the chance went begging.
That was the only real opportunity inside the opening quarter of an hour at the home of Partick Thistle. Celtic did look the more threatening when they made way in the final third without testing Rydnn McGuire between the posts, whilst the Gers were limited to counter-attacks to try get themselves up the pitch early on.
The Gers’ first sight of goal came via a corner kick delivered in by Aiden McCallion. The young midfielder clipped an outswinger into the area as Paul Nsio rose highest, but his glancing header went wide of the target.
Celtic got another sight of goal moments later and it was frontman Daniel Cummings who popped up in a dangerous area. The striker worked a chance for himself inside the box after evading McGuire, he tried his luck from the angle but Kasanwirjo did well to get round on the cover and make the block with the ball seemingly heading goalwards.
After the theme of the match continued, Rangers made the most of a period of possession in the final third and it was defender Nana Kasanwirjo who marked his long-awaited return by popping up with the opening goal of the evening. The Light Blues probed outside the box with the Dutchman well advanced, he did well to persist and get the break of the ball before finishing it impressively with the outside of his right-foot to put his side ahead.
Stevie Smith's side took a renewed confidence from taking the lead but it was Celtic who threatened to score the next goal. A corner kick delivery was met by the head of Kyle Ure inside the area, but McGuire was level to it after he didn’t make the desired contact.
In the first half stoppage time, Celtic did find their response to level up proceedings before the break. Bonnar was set free down the left flank as he cut inside onto his right foot, his initial shot turned into a cross for the arriving Rhys Dargie who diverted the ball beyond McGuire as the two rivals went in 1-1 at the interval.
Rangers looked to get back into their stride after suffering the setback just prior to the restart. Captain for the evening, Findlay Curtis, created a promising opening for himself as he carried the ball into the Celtic half, but he was shown wide of the target before lashing a left-footed effort well over the top.
The Light Blues had their best chance in the second period just moments later as Paul Nsio had a glorious opportunity to put his team back in front. He popped up in a dangerous position inside the area as he worked the ball onto his left side, he looked to place it beyond Marcus Gill in the Celtic goal but ended up hitting it with his right before his left as the chance went wide.
Dargie thought he turned the game on its head single-handedly before being denied by the assistant’s flag on the far side. Cummings stood up to half-time substitute Jack Wyllie, who had replaced Kasanwirjo, before firing a shot goalwards. It ricocheted beyond the Rangers shot stopper into the net but from an offside position as the game remained one apiece.
After a long stoppage in play due to a head knock sustained by full-back Cameron Scott play got back underway. Straight away, Rangers had a chance after a long kick from goalkeeper McGuire saw Chris Eadie run in behind. The striker was one-on-one but slightly off balance as he tried to finish the bouncing ball over the onrushing Gill, but sent it over the top of the target.
At the other end, a break in the middle of the park saw Sean McArdle send a ball wide towards Bonnar after it was missed by the covering Zander Hutton, but the winger got his left-footed finish all wrong with the keeper in control of the situation at his near post.
The game went flat in the final exchanges of the original 90 minutes, but there was a minimum of 16 minutes of additional time after the long injury break as both sides went in search of a late winner with the game going straight to penalties if the sides couldn’t be separated.
The game was on a knife-edge after over 10 minutes of stoppage time as the teams looked to claim the cup glory before spot kicks. Nsio did brilliantly to carry the ball over 40 yards evading several challenges. He looked to pick out Eadie inside the area, but just overhit the pass as the chance went astray.
After 106 minutes of action, the game went to spot kicks to decide this year’s Glasgow Cup winner at Firhill. Eadie fired the Gers one up before McGuire denied Cummings to give the Light Blues the early advantage.
Zander Hutton stepped up to make it 2-0, before Ure got Celtic off the mark in the shootout with the Rangers goalkeeper getting a hand on it, but just couldn’t keep it out. Paul Nsio then saw his kick saved, as Bonnar levelled it up at 2-2 and back all square.
Lyle Wark cooly dispatched the ball into the bottom right-hand corner before substitute Corey Thomson followed suit. Callum Burnside superbly fired his kick into the top left-hand corner before captain Mitchell Robertson sent it to sudden death.
Aiden McCallion saw his effort go in off the underside of the crossbar before Lewis Dobbie saw his spot kick fly wide of the post as the Gers got their hands on the trophy for the second season running.
CELTIC: Gill, Bonetig (Kyle, 90+10), Frame, Robertson, Borland, Ure, Dargie, McArdle (Dobbie, 80), Cummings, Turley (Thomson, 90+5), Bonnar
SUBS: Shaw, Davidson, Cannon, Daly, Obidiwe, Pickford
RANGERS: McGuire, Hutton, Kasanwirjo (Wyllie, 45), Campbell, Scott (Wark 73), McCallion, Adamson (Smith, 57), Curtis (Kerr, 86), Nsio, Burnside, Eadie
SUBS: Halliwell, Goodbrand, Fernie, Stewart, Christie