Hesselink reignites Celtic's title hopes

SOCCER/Celtic 2 Rangers 1:SO IT is not over yet. Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink's header, three minutes into stoppage time after Scott McDonald had nodded a Gary Caldwell cross into his path, cut Rangers' lead at the summit to a single point on a night of epic drama in the East End.

McDonald had looked set to become the fall guy, the striker seeing a second-half penalty saved by Allan McGregor as Gordon Strachan's team clung to the faint hope of winning a third title in succession.

Shunsuke Nakamura had given them a well-merited lead which was cancelled out by Nacho Novo before Carlos Cuellar saw red for the handball which led to the spot-kick.

Rangers have two games in hand but they felt this defeat, as demonstrated by the actions of their captain Barry Ferguson, who became embroiled in a furious and ugly exchange with his opposite number, Stephen McManus, at the final whistle.

If an element of desperation was not prevalent in the minds of Celtic's players and supporters before kick-off, such emotion was surely not far away. Without a goal, never mind victory, in four Old Firm encounters - a run which spanned 19 months - Rangers' relentless pursuit of four trophies had further heightened tensions. It took only 20 seconds for the home side to display their desire, although in a more fierce manner than was necessary as Barry Robson flattened Christian Dailly on the halfway line. The scene had been set.

Vennegoor of Hesselink should have put Celtic in front within 10 minutes, the Dutch striker failing to control a wonderful pass from Nakamura eight yards out.

Recent evidence has suggested the team who score first in the Glasgow derby go on to win, a factor Strachan has regularly emphasised and perhaps an explanation for his side's bullish opening. Nakamura duly bettered his earlier assist with a sublime finish, collecting a Caldwell pass in midfield and curling a majestic shot beyond McGregor from 30 yards.

The Japanese has been legitimately criticised for failing to impose his talent on matches such as these; on this occasion he supplied a moment of class which confirmed why the manager holds him in such esteem. Rangers spent the remainder of the opening half in a state of shock, Kirk Broadfoot summing up frustrations with a desperate lunge on Aiden McGeady to earn himself a booking. McGregor then saved smartly from McDonald while his opposite number, Artur Boruc, had been all but redundant, although Jean-Claude Darcheville did screw wide his goal a minute before half-time.

Yet Walter Smith has made such a habit out of retrieving reward from games in which Rangers had seemed second best that it would have been unwise for Celtic to relax. And so it proved as Novo, a half-time replacement for the toiling Broadfoot, rounded off a scrappy period of play in midfield by angling a half-volley home for the equaliser. The title, once again, was within Smith's grasp.

McDonald passed up a fine opportunity to reply instantly, but worse was to come for the Australian. Nakamura was again the architect as Carlos Cuellar conceded a penalty, the defender knocking a shot on to his own crossbar 20 minutes from time. A red card was the inevitable consequence, but McGregor dramatically denied McDonald his 28th goal of the season by clawing the penalty on to his left-hand post and the defenders scrambled it clear.

Celtic introduced Georgios Samaras in a bid to bolster a flagging attack, but it was Vennegoor of Hesselink who produced his 19th goal of the season to send the crowd into raptures.

The Celtic hero said: "The result was very good for us. One-nil in front you think you are in control, then they score a goal, but you score in the last minute.

"It's great for the team. It was like Ibrox (where they lost 1-0), but it didn't go for us.

"Today maybe we had a bit of luck in the end but I think we deserved it.

"(I thought we must) go on and try and score another because they were with 10 men. It may be last minute but it can't be sweeter. The gap is still there but I think they can feel the pressure a little bit."

CELTIC: Boruc, Hinkel, Caldwell, McManus, Naylor (Wilson 46), Nakamura, Hartley, Robson (Samaras 75), McGeady, McDonald, Vennegoor of Hesselink. Subs not used: Mark Brown, McGowan, Sno, Donati, Balde. Booked: Hartley, Vennegoor of Hesselink.

RANGERS: McGregor (Alexander 77), Broadfoot (Novo 46), Cuellar, Weir, Papac, Dailly, Whittaker, Ferguson, Davis, McCulloch, Darcheville (Cousin 83). Subs not used: Boyd, Naismith, Furman, McMillan. Booked: Broadfoot, Naismith, Weir.

Referee: K Clark (Scotland).