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Rangers defeated Celtic 3-0 at Ibrox in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-final, with skipper Dan Neil scoring twice and Kevin Kelsy adding another.
Rangers secured a dominant 3-0 victory over Celtic in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-final at Ibrox, with skipper Dan Neil scoring twice and Kevin Kelsy adding the other.
The win gives manager Derek McInnes his first Old Firm victory as Rangers boss and extends their winning run to five matches. Neil, signed on a free transfer from Sunderland in the summer, opened the scoring in the 22nd minute with a guided finish from the edge of the box. It was his first goal for the club.
Kelsy, a new striker, fired in the second in the 59th minute from 14 yards, his first in Light Blue, after a deep cross from James Penrice. Neil then added his second and Rangers' third in the 75th minute, curling a loose ball high past goalkeeper Sam Johnstone from the edge of the area. The win sends Rangers into the semi-finals and marks Celtic's first domestic defeat of the season.
Away fans were banned from the match at Ibrox due to a ticket allocation dispute between the two Glasgow clubs. The entire stadium was filled with Rangers supporters, who celebrated the three goals in a partisan atmosphere. Before kick-off, there was a brisk trade in Graeme Souness flags and boiled sweets. Inside the ground, the Union Bears ultras unveiled a tifo depicting the 1993 moment when Rangers' Ian Ferguson grabbed Celtic's Mike Galloway by the lapels.
The banner set the tone for an intense performance from McInnes's side, who showed unbending physical commitment and relentless sprinting throughout. Rangers started brightly and should have taken the lead in the fourth minute when a hurried clearance from Celtic goalkeeper Sam Johnstone went straight to Kelsy, but he shot wide from six yards.
Johnstone, on loan from Wolves, made an unconvincing start and flapped at a corner in the 15th minute, leading to a Kim Min-Su shot that Liam Scales had to turn behind. Celtic had a chance in the 12th minute when Kasper Hogh slipped as he took a pass from Colby Donovan, and Emmanuel Fernandez poked the ball to Camilo Duran, whose drive went past Ivor Pandur's left-hand post.
But the visitors rarely threatened and struggled to get a foothold in the game. Both teams made changes for the first derby of the season. Rangers brought in Kim Min-Su for Badredine Bouanani, while Celtic recalled Cameron Carter-Vickers, Kieran Tierney, Benjamin Nygren and Camilo Duran, with Johnstone keeping his place after his debut against St Johnstone in midweek. Rangers' opening goal came from Ryan Naderi battling Carter-Vickers and playing the ball to Kelsy, who moved it on to Neil.
The 24-year-old's assured finish gave Johnstone no chance. Celtic manager Martin O'Neill made a change at half-time, replacing Sebastian Tounekti with Egypt international Haissem Hassan, and switching Duran to the left, but the impact was negligible. Johnstone made amends for his earlier errors with a terrific save from Kim's powerful drive in the 49th minute and an easier save from Naderi's header following a Penrice corner.
But Rangers doubled their lead in the 59th minute when Kelsy fired in off the post from 14 yards after another Penrice delivery, a goal that survived a VAR check for offside. Rangers thought they had a third shortly after when Nicolas Raskin got the last touch on another Penrice delivery, but offside was called.
Celtic were rocked as their rivals pressed, and in the 74th minute Naderi limped off to be replaced by defender Ben Godfrey, with winger Bouanani replacing Kim. Any doubts about the outcome ended moments later when Neil picked up a clearance at the edge of the box and curled the ball high past Johnstone, sending the Copland stand into delirium. The Gers supporters serenaded their side to the final whistle.
It was perhaps just as well for O'Neill that his supporters had been denied access to this match, as Celtic began with a calmness that ultimately reflected timidity. The visitors were unable to get a foot on the ball in the second half, and the big-money signing Hogh looked lost at the tip of the Celtic attack before he was substituted on 65 minutes.
Celtic will not have long to wait for revenge as the two sides meet in the William Hill Premiership next Sunday. Visiting fans are again banned, although after five wins in a row for Rangers, they will travel with confidence. The quality of the football may have been patchy, but the commitment was enough to get the 51,212 home fans at the top of their voices and lay down a marker for the season.
McInnes's Rangers could perhaps usefully deploy the spirit of Ian Ferguson again this season. The win showcased a nascent identity for McInnes's side, one defined by unbending physical commitment and lots and lots of sprinting.
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The42_ie:This story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
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