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Celtic pays penalty Late Hartson miss hands League Cup to RangersPosted: Sunday March 16, 2003 12:56 PMUpdated: Sunday March 16, 2003 6:27 PM GLASGOW (Reuters) -- Celtic striker John Hartson missed a stoppage-time penalty as Rangers lifted the Scottish League Cup for a record 23rd time on Sunday with a 2-1 victory over their fierce Glasgow rivals at Hampden Park. Hartson, who scored the winner against Rangers in a premier league match eight days ago, pulled his spot kick agonizingly wide of the post to hand Alex McLeish's side the cup for the second season in a row. Earlier Danish forward Peter Lovenkrands, who has a habit of scoring against Celtic, made one and scored another as Rangers roared into a 2-0 halftime lead. Swedish striker Henrik Larsson headed one back for Celtic early in the second half and, in a torrid finish to the game, Celtic midfielder Neil Lennon was sent off before Hartson, who also had a goal harshly disallowed for offside, missed from the spot.
Rangers manager Alex McLeish was delighted with his side's response to their 1-0 league defeat at Celtic Park last weekend. "We're pleased to win after that hairy second half," McLeish told Channel 5 television. "But we've played ever so well first half, the way that I expect my team to play. I know that they can do that. We deserved to go into the lead. "It was great to bounce back. People were writing us off. That's the way with Rangers and Celtic. You lose one, you're a dud, you win one and you're fantastic." Celtic will now try to regroup for Thursday's UEFA Cup quarter-final second leg at English rivals Liverpool, although they will wait anxiously on the fitness of striker Chris Sutton, who suffered a suspected broken wrist in the second half. Rangers, who lead Celtic by three points in the title race and are through to the Scottish Cup quarter-finals, have their eyes on a domestic treble. Chaotic opening A typically chaotic opening offered few clues to the eventual outcome, until Lovenkrands broke clear on the left for Rangers after 14 minutes. The 23-year-old Dane lobbed advancing Celtic goalkeeper Robert Douglas but Belgian defender Joos Valgaeren got back to clear off the line. The warning went unheeded and nine minutes later Rangers scored. Lovenkrands again bore down on goal and although Douglas blocked his shot, the ball ran kindly to Argentine striker Claudio Caniggia who slid it into an empty net. Lovenkrands made it 2-0 after 35 minutes when he collected a Michael Mols pass and swept the ball low past Douglas with Celtic's defense nowhere to be seen. Lovenkrands's goal maintained his amazing record of scoring against Celtic -- he netted five times against Martin O'Neill's team last season. Celtic were blowing hard after the exertions of their 1-1 UEFA Cup quarter-final first leg draw with Liverpool on Thursday. But Larsson, playing only his second game since breaking his jaw, grabbed them a lifeline when he dived to head in Alan Thompson's corner after 57 minutes. Five minutes later Celtic should have been level but Hartson's goal, from a perfectly timed Larsson pass, was wrongly flagged offside by the linesman. Celtic poured forward and had two penalty appeals rejected before Lennon lashed out twice, first at Fernando Ricksen after 86 minutes, and then at Shota Arveladze two minutes later, to earn a needless red card. The drama was not finished, though, and when Rangers defender Lorenzo Amoruso tripped Bobo Balde it gave Hartson the perfect chance to equalize, only for the burly Welshman's nerve to fail him when it mattered most. O'Neill, though, had nothing but praise for his shattered Celtic players. "My heavens, they exceeded all expectations," he told Sky Sports. "They went for it. On Thursday night they had a massive game
and yet they showed drive and determination and commitment
beyond the call of duty."
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. |
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