Bitter rivals Celtic, Rangers brace for seventh clash

GLASGOW: Celtic and Rangers insis-ted yesterday that their rivalry remains as intense as ever despite the two Old Firm rivals having to face each other seven times this season.

Sunday’s Scottish Cup fifth round 2-2 draw at Ibrox guaranteed another match between the Glasgow giants with a Scottish Premier League fixture at Parkhead on Feb 20 to come before the Cup replay on March 2 and the League Cup final three weeks later.

Celtic boss Neil Lennon joked that it would be “absolute torture” to face Rangers so many times.

“I think sometimes it can be over-egged a bit but it’s just the way the fixtures have turned out,” Lennon added.

“These are the games you want to play in when you’re involved with the Old Firm. These are the games that define you.”

Rangers assistant manager Ally McCoist said the number of times the sides would clash wouldn’t take the shine off the fixture.

“It’s amazing and we’ll get the same hype before it and we’ll be sitting here talking here after it because, and I don’t care what anyone says, they’re wonderful occasions,” he said.

“I’ve been lucky enough to be involved in certainly a lot more than most and I still excited and thrilled to bits about them.”

Lennon praised the spirit of his Celtic side as they twice came from behind to seal a 2-2 draw with Rangers in Sunday’s fiercely-contested tie at Ibrox.

“I thought we were brilliant, absolutely brilliant,” said Celtic boss Lennon.

“They played with a lot of character and self-belief and scored two cracking goals and created a lot of chances.

“We were in control of the game, even when Rangers got the penalty we were the dominant team.”

Rangers assistant manager Ally McCoist was frustrated that his side hadn’t made the most of their extra man advantage in the second-half.

“The important thing at half-time was we kept our discipline and we didn’t go chasing the game as we were in front,” McCoist said.

“But at the same time there is a very fine balance and I don’t think we got that balance right because I thought we sat back a little bit too much second-half rather than go and force the issue.”

  

Rangers set up final date with Celtic

GLASGOW: Rangers beat Mother-well 2-1 at Hampden Park on Sunday to set up a meeting with fierce Glasgow rivals Celtic in the Scottish League Cup final.

Steven Naismith scored the winner for the Scottish champions in the 75th minute, heading in from close range following a cross by Nikica Jelavic.

United States midfielder Maurice Edu opened the scoring in the 20th minute, before Keith Lasley equalised for Motherwell in the 66th minute.

Celtic eased past Aberdeen 4-1 on Saturday to make the final on March 20.

In the Premier League, Dundee United moved up to sixth place with a 3-0 home win over second-bottom Hibernian. 

  

Celtic boss Lennon given six-match touchline ban

GLASGOW: Celtic manager Neil Lennon was given a six-match touchline ban by the Scottish Football Association on Tuesday.

Lennon had hoped to win his appeal against an automatic two-match ban and a charge of excessive misconduct after being sent to the stand during a game against Hearts on Nov 10.

But his appeal backfired as the SFA’s disciplinary committee opted to treble his original punishment.

During the 2-0 defeat at Hearts, Lennon reacted angrily to the dismissal of midfielder Joe Ledley, while Celtic were also frustrated when a penalty appeal for handball was turned down – prompting a furious protest from the Hoops chief.

With Lennon’s suspension beginning next week, he will still be in the dug-out for the game at Hamilton and the weekend trip to Hibernian.

However, he will be banned for the Scottish Cup fifth round tie against Rangers at Ibrox. 

  

Hearts upset 1-0 by St Johnstone in Scottish Cup

GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) - A late winner by substitute Peter MacDonald gave St. Johnstone a 1-0 away win over Hearts in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup on Tuesday.

MacDonald struck from close range in the 86th minute to inflict Hearts' first defeat since October.

The in-form home side, which is third in the Scottish Premier League behind Glasgow giants Rangers and Celtic, had the better of the chances at Tynecastle but failed to find a cutting edge.

In other fourth-round matches, Falkirk drew 2-2 with Partick Thistle and Brechin won 2-1 at Queen of South.

Celtic beat Berwick 2-0 on Sunday and Rangers was a 3-0 winner at home to Kilmarnock on Monday.

  

Rangers easily beats Kilmarnock 3-0 in Scottish Cup

GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) - Rangers eased into the fifth round of the Scottish Cup with a 3-0 win over Kilmarnock.

Star striker Kenny Miller may have been missing, amid rumors of his impending departure to Premier League side Birmingham or Fiorentina in Italy, but Rangers made light of his absence.

Lee McCulloch put the hosts ahead after 20 minutes with an emphatic finish from a lay-off by Kyle Lafferty, who made it 2-0 in the 37th with a fierce strike from just inside the box.

Steven Whittaker made sure of the win when he scored a penalty in the 71st after Kilmarnock defender Jamie Hamill had fouled substitute Vladimir Weiss.

Rangers received another boost when United States midfielder Maurice Edu came on as a second-half substitute to make his first appearance since picking up a knee injury on Nov. 10.

  

Dundee United held by County in cup final rerun

GLASGOW, Scotland (AP): Scottish Cup-holder Dundee United was held to 0-0 by second-tier Ross County on Saturday in a repeat of last season's final.

The underdogs put the ball in the net during the fourth-round match but Andrew Barrowman's goal was disallowed for a foul on the goalkeeper.

County has won just three First Division matches since being beaten by United in May's final at Hampden Park.

Despite its poor form in the Scottish Premier League, Aberdeen crushed East Fife 6-0, but another Second Division side - Ayr - held Hibernian to 0-0.

Hamilton, which is bottom of the SPL, secured its first home win of the season by beating 10-man Alloa 2-0.

On Sunday, SPL leader Celtic is at Berwick in the cup.