Rangers 0-0 Celtic: McGregor saves late Samaras penalty as race for SPL title ... - Goal.com

Rangers manager Walter Smith had goalkeeper Allan McGregor to thank after the Ibrox stopper saved a late penalty from Georgios Samaras to keep the Scottish Champions at the top of the SPL on Smith's final Old Firm game.
 
Smith made one change to the side that defeated Dundee United on Tuesday as he brought back Greg Wylde to replace fellow youngster Jamie Ness, as the Ibrox side looked to record a final Old Firm victory for the departing gaffer.

Celtic had two changes from their thumping win over Kilmarnock in midweek as striker Anthony Stokes was once again left out of the Old Firm fixture, with Georgios Samaras replacing the Irishman. Midfielder Kris Commons was also suprisingly demoted to the bench, being replaced by Joe Ledley.

The home side started the brightest, with Kyle Lafferty being at the centre of the action as the Ulsterman looked to help his side gain an early advantage over their fierce rivals in the race for the SPL title.

As both sides continued in their usual frantic pace, which has been the case in each of the last six Old Firm encounters, Celtic had a penalty claim turned down by referee Craig Thomson. Ledley raced into the box and his route to goal was blocked by Steven Whittaker, but Thomson
waved away the protests of the Welshman.

Rangers then started to gain a foothold on the game, with chances coming, firstly from Nikica Jelavic, who got on the end of a Lafferty knock-down and Maurice Edu who had a strike from the edge of the area, but on both occasions the Celtic defence managed to clear in order to keep the sides level.

The visitors had their first clear-cut chance of the game as a ball from Mark Wilson that was intended for Gary Hooper arrived at the feet of Scott Brown, but as the Celtic skipper raced towards the Rangers goal, his shot went wide of Allan McGregor's left hand post.

For the remainder of the half both sides continued to press, in search of the opening goal, but neither could find the final ball that would put their side in front and both sides were forced to settle for a goalless tie going into the break.  

The Ibrox side started the second half as they had played in the first as Emilio Izaguirre needlessly gave away a corner, from which David Weir rose up to head, but the big central defender could not put it on target.

In their continuing efforts to get the opening goal, Smith's side continued to pile on the pressure, with Naismith having a strike from the edge of the area blocked by the Celtic defence out for another corner kick.

The best chance for the home side came five minutes after the break as both Daniel Majstorovic and Beram Kayal barged into each other allowing Jelavic to race away with the ball. The Croatian found Wylde on the left-hand side, who in turn found Lafferty racing in at the front post,
but his header went wide of Fraser Forster's goal.

Kayal then attempted to make up for his mistake that almost cost his side a goal as his unleashed a strike from the edge of the penalty box, but his chance went just wide of McGregor's goal.

But that attempt helped galvanise the visitors, who then started to pile on their own pressure, but not before Lennon was forced into a change as Ledley once again suffered a recurrence of the hamstring injury that forced him off during the Scottish Cup semi-final against Aberdeen last Sunday.

Then moments later Celtic should have gone into the lead as a corner from the right hand side was not dealt with by the Rangers defence and allowed Majstorovic to get a header towards goal and as it was sailing into the net, McGregor managed to get a hand to the ball in order to clear it.

Rangers were the next to go close as a long ball from Whittaker found Jelavic just outside the box and the Ibrox frontman then played the ball left to the onrushing Naismith, whose strike went just wide of the diving Forster's left hand post.

With a quarter of the game remaining, it swung back in the favour of Celtic as Charlie Mulgrew had an effort from a corner kick, but his header was once again saved by McGregor in the Rangers goal, as the Ibrox No.1 looked to keep his side on level terms.

Smith then decided to make his first change of the day as he took off Wylde and replaced him with fellow Ibrox kid John Fleck, as the Rangers boss looked for the winning goal in his final Old Firm game.

Then with a quarter of an hour left, Celtic were the next to change things as Gary Hooper, who had been ineffective for Lennon's side came off to be replaced by Stokes as Celtic looked to climb above the Ibrox side in the table.

Man-of-the match McGregor once again came to the rescue for Rangers after a smart one-two by Samaras and Izaguirre allowed the Honduran to get a shot on goal, but the Scotland international was there again to put the ball over for a corner.

With ten minutes left Celtic were handed a golden opportunity to win the match, and put one hand on the title. As Stokes burst into the box, the Irishman was barged into by Steven Davis, and although he went down very easily referee Thomson pointed to the penalty spot. From the spot-kick Samaras placed the ball to the left hand side of the goal, but McGregor sprung himself to get two palms to the ball in order to save his side.

As both sides continued to press for the winner, Stokes once again went down in the box from a Fleck challenge as the game entered injury time, but this time Thomson was not about to give the striker another penalty, but instead gave the former Hibernian striker a yellow card for diving.

Inside injury time, Rangers had a final opportunity as El Hadji Diouf, who had replaced Edu took a free-kick from the edge of the edge and as Forster scrambled the ball went wide of the post and both teams were forced to settle for a point as the title race now goes down to the wire.