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Full Time After Extra Time This is a live match. Extra Time Half Time

Celtic vs Rangers. Scottish Premiership.

Celtic ParkAttendance58,000.

Celtic 2

  • L Naylor (8th minute)
  • M Fortuné (45th minute)

Rangers 1

  • K Miller (43rd minute)
  • L McCulloch (sent off 91st minute)

Old Firm joy for Lennon

Image: Lennon: A night to remember

Neil Lennon enhanced his credentials for the position as permanent manager of Celtic with a 2-1 victory over Old Firm rivals Rangers.

Naylor and Fortune give Parkhead a welcome reason to celebrate

Neil Lennon enhanced his credentials for the position as permanent manager of Celtic as he oversaw a 2-1 victory against rivals Rangers in his first Old Firm match as caretaker boss. First-half goals from Lee Naylor and Marc-Antoine Fortune either side of Kenny Miller's header helped Tony Mowbray's successor to bring a much-needed reason to celebrate to Parkhead. Since succeeding Mowbray in March, Lennon has been forced to watch on as Rangers have secured the SPL title with ease and he has admitted his desire to address the imbalance in Glasgow. A decision is not expected on Celtic's long-term manager until the summer, but Lennon has made it clear that he is eager to be offered the job after working at reserve-team level. And after a deflected Naylor free-kick hit the back of the net in the eighth minute and Fortune nodded the winner only 120 seconds after Miller's equaliser close to half-time, his cause will only have benefitted with a maiden win against the old enemy this season. Rangers' misery was compounded in the 90th minute as Lee McCulloch was sent off after receiving his second yellow card for a lunging challenge on Aiden McGeady. Lennon made five changes as Mark Wilson appeared to be preferred to Josh Thompson in the heart of defence after Glenn Loovens failed to recover from injury. Robbie Keane, Landry NGuemo, Lee Naylor and Diomansy Kamara were also drafted into the side for the visit of Rangers. The Scottish champions had a more familiar look after the weekend with Allan McGregor back in goal and Miller, McCulloch, Steven Whittaker, Kyle Lafferty and Steven Davis also starting. Rangers were dealt a blow early on when McGregor was injured while defending a Naylor corner and left the pitch on a stretcher after five minutes.

Fiery

Unfortunately for replacement keeper Neil Alexander, his first task was to pick the ball out of the net when Celtic took the lead three minutes later. Naylor stepped up for the free-kick after a Steven Naismith foul on Aiden McGeady and his low shot was helped into the bottom corner by a deflection off David Weir. Rangers could have hit back but Miller's cross from the left was stabbed wide by Lafferty. The game was becoming increasingly fiery and Kevin Thompson picked up the first yellow card before being followed into the book by McCulloch. Celtic were dominating and had the chance to pile on the pressure again with another free-kick but this time Alexander was able to gather Naylor's shot. However, Rangers pulled a goal back three minutes from the break when Miller threw himself in front of a Whittaker cross and nodded past Artur Boruc. Celtic were back in front on the stroke of half-time when Fortune met Naylor's cross and Alexander allowed the header to slip through his hands. Rangers could have been back on level terms again when Miller cut inside from the left but he dragged his shot wide with Whittaker just a yard too slow to connect and prod home.
Dangerous
Then, with 53 minutes gone, Celtic were also forced to change goalkeepers. Boruc had picked up a hand injury late in the first half which appeared to be causing a problem and he was replaced by Lukasz Zaluska. He did well to prevent Miller grabbing a second when he raced off his line to block after the striker was set up by Lafferty. Rangers were more dangerous now and Miller should have done better when he pounced on a Maurice Edu ball only to see his shot fizz past the post. The striker was then perfectly placed to rifle home at the back post but a wonderful block from Wilson prevented Naismith's pass reaching Miller. At the other end, a Naylor corner was nodded on by Keane for Kamara but he headed inches over from a few yards out. Zaluska then came to the rescue again with a great save to deny Davis, before Miller's shot crashed off the post. The match ended in controversy when McCulloch was dismissed in the last minute for a second yellow for a foul on McGeady.

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