Celtic inch closer to the title

SCOTTISH PREMIER LEAGUE/Rangers...1 Celtic...1: Martin O'Neill's race to salute the Celtic fans, Neil Lennon's clenched fists and Johan Mjallby's jig of joy said it all at the end of an Old Firm fixture that at no stage lived up to its pre-match billing.

While the game proved entirely inconclusive, it simply confirmed that the Premier League championship is heading for Parkhead.

As Rangers' players trudged off for the sanctuary of the dressing-room, the celebration of Celtic's manager and players was ample illustration that they too understood the significance of this draw.

It is unlikely that Celtic's 10-point lead, with a game in hand and only seven games remaining, will be caught.

Even Rangers manager Alex McLeish endorsed that view when he declared: "I don't see Celtic being beaten by too many teams.

"We came back well in the second half and I was pleased with the belief, commitment and bravery we showed which was epitomised by Barry Ferguson who went through the pain barrier for us with his rib injury."

That was not enough, however, and although McLeish and Ferguson knew the team were drinking in the last chance saloon at Ibrox yesterday, it has to be said the performance of some of his players did not appear to suggest they shared that view.

Rangers, in the first half especially, lacked the expected urgency and thus handed the initiative to Celtic who gratefully accepted it with a Stilian Petrov goal after 22 minutes when the Bulgarian pounced on a pass from Henrik Larsson to leave Stefan Klos helpless.

It was precisely what Celtic wanted and exactly what Rangers feared.

Yet the Ibrox team might even have been a goal in arrears before that when John Hartson forced the ball home, again from a Larsson pass, after just 13 minutes and although it was ruled out for offside, television replays suggest it should have counted. The home team were more like Glasgow Strangers as they deployed Neil McCann in an unusual role in support of Tore Andre Flo and the frustration proved too much for Ferguson who was booked for persistent fouling five minutes after his team went behind .

The Rangers captain did however re-establish a measure of calm and in so doing dictated play after the interval when his side, with Shota Arveladze on for the ineffective Claudio Caniggia, at last upped the pace.

Arthur Numan's ferocious strike that sped past Robert Douglas after 58 minutes signalled something of an onslaught thereafter. Peter Lovenkrands shot over the bar, Douglas twice saved well from Ferguson and Arveladze had a header held by the goalkeeper.

Yet Celtic who pushed on Jackie McNamara for Steve Guppy after 75 minutes remained a threat and Klos, with a little help from Lorenzo Amoruso, thwarted Hartson while the goalkeeper relied on his own agility to touch over a fierce effort from Didier Agathe.

In the end a draw was about right, "We are now in a very strong position," conceded O'Neill. Celtic will do that without question, which leaves Rangers with the League Cup Final to look forward to next weekend and then, perhaps, one last Old Firm clash in the Scottish Cup final following the remaining league meeting at Parkhead.

Meanwhile, Berti Vogts, the new Scotland manager, has held discussions with Paul Lambert in a bid to persuade the Celtic midfielder to overturn his decision to retire from international football.

After watching the Old Firm match yesterday, Vogts also revealed that he hopes to speak to Tommy Burns today to invite the Celtic youth team manager to join him as part-time assistant.

Vogts also said that he has inquired about Liverpool's Gary McAllister, who has also retired from international football.

RANGERS: Klos, Ricksen, Vidmar, Amoruso, Numan, Ferguson, Konterman, McCann, Caniggia (Arveladze 46), Flo, Lovenkrands. Subs Not Used: McGregor, Kanchelskis, Wilson, Hughes. Booked: Ferguson. Goal: Numan 59.

CELTIC: Douglas, Mjallby, Balde, Crainey, Agathe, Lambert, Lennon, Petrov, Guppy (McNamara 76), Larsson, Hartson. Subs Not Used: Gould, Boyd, Moravcik, Smith. Goal: Petrov 23.

Referee: H Dallas (Scotland).