Celtic secured their place in the Scottish Cup semi-finals on Sunday with an uncommon cup triumph away at Ibrox, as Rangers were beaten on penalties.
The second Old Firm meeting in the space of a week finished goalless after a tense battle and was ultimately settled by spot-kicks, with the Hoops emerging 4-2 winners. The result came ahead of some unsavoury scenes at the final whistle, as supporters from both sides entered the pitch and matters threatened to spiral into disorder.
While the chaotic moments at full-time will likely be what the day is remembered for, the match itself was an engaging spectacle as always. Rangers launched relentless pressure on their visitors with 24 attempts compared to just one across the 120 minutes, while both teams had goals ruled out for offside and handball respectively.
Celtic defender Auston Trusty has come under scrutiny from former referees’ chief Keith Hackett after the Bhoys centre-back went to ground following minimal contact from Youssef Chermiti shortly before the hour mark. The incident sparked criticism as the defender appeared to exaggerate the challenge, writhing in discomfort and triggering a flashpoint that referee Don Robertson handled calmly.
Ex-referee launches tirade on Trusty after ‘unacceptable’ incident
Ex-referee Hackett told Football Insider: “It’s cheating. It’s an action that nobody wants to see: a player going down to get an opponent sent off. It’s unacceptable.
“It’s excellent refereeing from Robertson, getting straight in at the beginning of a mass confrontation, with the assistant helping. There’s no overreaction. But these are the things happening in football that are frankly disgraceful. Let’s have a degree of respect for other players. No football fan wants to see this level of nonsense.
“In fairness to the player accused, he didn’t overreact. Some suddenly think that, if you think I’ve hit you, have one for real.”
Martin O’Neill reflects on fan clashes at full-time
Celtic manager Martin O’Neill, meanwhile, spoke after the match about the incidents involving both groups of supporters on the pitch at the final whistle, where flares were thrown in either direction as tensions intensified.
O’Neill said: “We have no idea what might happen. I think today, with the crowd and our crowd there, to me, it was a proper Old Firm game in that sense. We will see what develops. It’s a big derby game, and I think there was a lot of jubilation at us winning. The fans spilt over, and I suppose it is very difficult to quell that.
“As we were making our way back, there was some kind of fracas, and someone had tried to get on the field. It’s unfortunate [scenes at the end] but hopefully it doesn’t dilute the performance in terms of character.
As you say, maybe it does taint proceedings but I think there was an element of self-protection in that one. I am making judgements on things I only half saw. From my viewpoint, it was a great win for us. Rangers are very strong and had the full week to go at it.”