Soccer

Rangers hold nerve to beat Celtic on penalties at Hampden

Mark Warbuton’s side reach the Scottish FA Cup final after tense Old Firm renewal

Rangers players celebrate their penalty shootout win over Celtic at Hampden Park. Photograph: Reuters
Rangers players celebrate their penalty shootout win over Celtic at Hampden Park. Photograph: Reuters
Ewan Murray at Hampden Park
Sun Apr 17 2016 - 15:30

Rangers 2 Celtic 2 AET (Rangers win 5-4 on penalties)

Rangers ended four years of frustration on a raucous Hampden afternoon.

This semi-final success, against a Celtic team who have now lost five from their last seven such ties, marked Rangers’ greatest day since the financial implosion of 2012 which saw them consigned to Scotland’s lowest football tier. They will return to the top flight next season; with a live opportunity now to take the Scottish Cup with them. Hibernian lie in wait in next month’s final.

Rangers won the penalty shootout 5-4, after a 1-1 draw at 90 minutes and 2-2 at the end of extra-time.

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This defeat will likely have grave consequences for Celtic's manager, Ronny Deila. There was a serious doubt over him remaining in office past the end of this season already – and a wounding loss to a Rangers team with only a fraction of Celtic's resource will do nothing for the Norwegian's case.

Damningly for Deila, despite the penalties nature of Rangers' win, the Ibrox side merited their triumph. As Tom Rogic ballooned the crucial spot-kick high over the crossbar, epic blue and white celebrations began.

Rangers had opened as the brighter side by far. Kenny Miller endorsed that superiority with a clean finish, Scott Brown having inadvertently knocked an Andy Halliday pass into the veteran striker's path.

Deila seemed to rally his players during the interval, five corners within six minutes of the re-start offering evidence of that. From one of them, Erik Sviatchenko brilliantly headed home an equaliser.

Rangers again led, early into extra-time. Barrie McKay, one of few players on the pitch to display creativity, lashed home from 25 yards; leaving Craig Gordon helpless. Celtic restored parity once more through Rogic after terrific build-up work by Kieran Tierney.

Celtic had closed as the more threatening team – Leigh Griffiths denied by a combination of Rangers goalkeeper and woodwork after Rogic had passed up a glorious chance for his team's third.

An understandably tense shootout ebbed and flowed before Rogic, with Celtic’s seventh penalty, blazed over.

(Guardian service)