Celtic have clinched a CIS Insurance Cup after a tight win over Old Firm rivals Rangers at Hampden Park.
Extra-time double seals cup glory for Hoops over bitter rivals
Celtic clinched the CIS Insurance Cup after a tight win in extra-time win over Old Firm rivals Rangers at Hampden Park.
Extra-time goals from Darren O'Dea and Aiden McGeady secured the first trophy in the Scottish calendar.
Saturday's final was a new experience for both managers, who were appearing in their first final against their Glasgow rivals and it looked as though the respective bosses were not prepared to go out all guns blazing, as both sides started with just one man up front.
The first half offered little excitement as only Kyle Lafferty's blast on the brink of half-time caught the eye.
The second half picked up and there were numerous chances for both teams but it was not until extra-time that the tie would be decided.
The Bhoys came out like a force of nature at the start of the extended time, and 90 seconds in they were a goal to the good when O'Dea headed in Shunsuke Nakamura's free-kick.
Celtic continued to dominate and they settled the match in the last minute when McGeady was brought down by Kirk Broadfoot, who was dismissed for his challenge, and the Irish winger made no mistake from the spot-kick.
Strachan surprise
Celtic manager Gordon Strachan surprisingly dropped both his off-form strikers Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and Georgios Samaras, leaving McGeady to partner Scott McDonald.
Rangers defender Madjid Bougherra failed to recover from a calf injury, leaving Broadfoot to partner David Weir at the heart of the defence with Lee McCulloch protecting just in front.
Kris Boyd, who had patched up his very public rift with manager Walter Smith which had seen him sent home form training, started on the bench.
Stripped bare of the tribalism which poured down from the packed stands, the first half was little more than mediocre.
The tactical and personnel changes seemed to unsettle both sides and the newly-laid Hampden pitch, which began cutting up from the first whistle, did little to help the flow.
In the 25th minute, with the game slowly suffocating, Hoops' bustling midfielder Scott Brown came close when he sent a shot from 25 yards whistling over the bar.
Four minutes later Celtic stopper Glenn Loovens rose highest in a packed six-yard box to meet a deep Nakamura free-kick but directed his header just wide of the far post, seconds before the on-rushing Brown knocked a McGeady cross over the bar.
There was more heat than light generated but two minutes from the break, Celtic keeper Artur Boruc was called into action for the first time and he pulled off a terrific save from Lafferty's volley, after the Irishman had easily held off Hoops defender Andreas Hinkel.
Kenny Miller and Lafferty swapped positions for the second half and initially it made a difference.
In the 50th minute Miller set Steven Davis up at the edge of the box but the Ulsterman was inches wide with his right-footed drive.
Boruc fortunate
Seconds later Boruc almost cost Celtic a goal when, after taking a McManus pass-back, he tried to take on Lafferty.
The Ibrox striker read his intentions and the Poland keeper had to stretch to toe the ball out for a throw-in.
Then, at the other end, McGregor made a fine save from a Nakamura free-kick before O'Dea headed over the Japan international's subsequent corner.
The Hoops came even closer in the 71st minute when, following a Paul Hartley corner from the left, Loovens stabbed the ball in at the far post only to see Pedro Mendes clear off the line.
Boyd came on for Lafferty in the 76th minute but as the game refused to improve in terms of quality, Mendes fired over from distance.
Extra time came as no surprise but it took little more than a minute for the breakthrough to come through the unlikely figure of O'Dea.
After Whittaker was adjudged to have fouled McDonald just outside the Rangers box Nakamura's curled free-kick was met by the Irishman who headed high past the helpless McGregor.
Gers rattled
Rangers were clearly rattled and McDonald and Samaras both missed good chances to finish the game before Brown drove over again from the edge of the box.
As the Ibrox side wilted further McGregor made a decent save from Samaras and then Rangers skipper Barry Ferguson was involved in a needless touchline spat with Celtic coach Neil Lennon.
The second half of extra time saw a limited response from the Govan side and in the third minute of added time, after Broadfoot conceded the penalty with a trip on McGeady to earn a red card, the Celtic midfielder sent McGregor the wrong way with a perfect spot kick.
