The Under 20 squad is missing close to 12 members through loans and first-team duty so it was a young and depleated side which turned out.
Gers performance was a turnaround from the one they put in when defeated 3-0 in the reverse fixture last month.
It was Rangers who started the brighter and really had control over the game in the main until Celtic struck in the 72nd minute through former Inverness striker Ryan Christie.
Rory Currie had a chance inside the first minute after he’d been threaded through the middle but he shot into the side netting.
Five minutes later Mekhi McLeod picked up a lopping ball from left to right on his toe and dinked into the box. The flighty forward looked to have an eye on goal but as he let the ball slip away from his grasp he was brought down. The referee waved away Gers half-hearted cries for a spot kick.
Once again Gers pushed forward and on 14 minutes Max Ashmore picked up a loose ball from a corner to shoot over from distance, just outside the box.
Celtic then mounted a spell of pressure on the young Light Blues goal – they couldn’t create a clear chance out of though and Ian Durrant’s team recovered well to regain some control.
In the 19th minute Currie spread the play to Gibson out on the left and the Midlands born boy cut inside to shoot low into Leonardo Fasan’s arms. Moments later, at the other end, Tom Lang made a superb saving tackle to block Calvin Miller’s strike.
Currie once again came close on 27 minutes, turning in the six yard box to turn and send a powerful shot at the keeper. It was straight at Fasan though and the chance went begging as he collected it in.
Tensions were starting to flare as Gers frustrated Celtic in midfield. Ashmore hustled Joe Thomson off the ball as the visitors shouted at one another assessing the blame.
Celtic should have done better when their forwards all but lined up to take the shot on 33 minutes. With plenty of limbs in the box they couldn’t get a clean strike away and eventually Gers conceded a free-kick. Tyler Blackett took the resulting set piece and cracked it off the top of the crossbar.
With seven minute until the turnaround the Hoops had a superb chance to open the scoring when Ashmore felled their forward in a great position. Ryan Christie lined up the central free-kick but drilled it into the Light Blues wall. Despite all the pressure from Celtic’s good spell the young Gers had absorbed it well.
Miller managed to out muscle Lang on 44 minutes and burn inside him to side foot a shot on target. Robby McCrorie got down quickly though and gathered confidently as he dived to his left.
Then on the stroke of half-time Rangers had their best chance of the half, Currie cut back off the by-line straight into McLeod’s path. The former Wolves youngster was blazing into the box, maybe with too much pace and fired inches over.
Rangers started the second-half brightly and like the first half, Currie nearly scored inside a minute. He went alone, tearing through on goal to slip into the box and drill a shot at Fasan.
Celtic tried to respond immediately and McIlduff charged down the left flank from his full-back position to put a cross into a dangerous position. Miller was waiting just shy of the penalty spot but didn’t shoot in time as Gers defence cleared the danger.
On 56 minutes Sinnamon whipped a superb ball across to the left to pick out Gibson perfectly. The attacker powered an effort at Fasan and the keeper did well to get a strong palm to the ball to deny him. It was probably Gers best chance of the game.
Just after the hour mark McLeod should have been better rewarded by his teammates for a fantastic delivery. The pacey wide man stormed to the by-line to outwit the Celtic defence and then fizzed a ball along the line but there were no Rangers waiting in the perfect spot to tap home.
Christie tries to curl one inside McCrorie’s left post on 66 minutes but it went inches wide and then four minutes later he drilled one from outside the box but again it was wide.
Celtic’s bench cried for their players to make the next 10 minutes count and they did so when they opened the scoring on 72 minutes. Thomson slid in Christie who took it calmly and side footed past the grounded McCrorie.
The game became an end to end affair but neither side could make their further half chances turn into something solid. The young and depleted Rangers squad gave a good account of themselves in a game when they were on top for the majority.
RANGERS: McCrorie, Sinnamon, Mills, Barjonas, Lang (Krones 45’), Brownlie, McLeod, Lyon, Currie (Rudden 62’), Ashmore, Gibson
Subs not used: Wright, Dykes, White, Brandon, Houston
Yellows: Ashmore 37’
CELTIC: Fasan, Wardrop, Blackett, Kelleher, McIlduff, Hendry (Murray 90’), Thomson, Hill, Archibald (Aitchison 53’), Miller, Christe
Subs not used: Hazard, McCart, Kerr, Lafferty, Kidd