Sun Apr 27 10:10:28 2008

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Celtic topples Rangers to extend lead to five points

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Glasgow, Scotland (Sports Network) - Scott McDonald scored two goals and Barry Robson converted from the penalty spot with 20 minutes to play to help Celtic earn a 3-2 win over Rangers at Celtic Park on Sunday.

McDonald put the home side in front after only four minutes, but Rangers answered with two goals from corner kicks as both David Weir and Daniel Cousin headed crosses home to put the visitors up 2-1. McDonald then netted his league-leading 24th goal of the campaign with two minutes to play in the first half, and the Australian also had a hand in the winning goal in the 70th minute as he drew a foul inside the area that allowed Robson to convert from the spot.

The win pushes Celtic's lead at the top of the standings to five points, however Rangers still has three games in hand and controls its own destiny.

Celtic won the last match between the two teams just 12 days ago as Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink scored in the game's final minutes to give the Hoops a 2-1 win.

Sunday's match also started well for Celtic as McDonald found the net just minutes into the match. A long ball from Andreas Hinkel was headed down by Vennegoor of Hesselink into the path of McDonald, and although he appeared to be offsides, the flag stayed down and he fired past Rangers goalkeeper Neil Alexander to make it 1-0.

It was the start of a thrilling first 45 minutes, as a pair of Steven Davis corner kicks in the next 25 minutes allowed Rangers to seize a one-goal lead.

Davis' first cross was driven into the six-yard box, but Celtic keeper Artur Boruc failed to come up with the ball and Weir was left to nod it home to level the match.

Walter Smith's side then took the lead in the 29th minute through another corner that found Cousin at the near post for a glancing header that beat Boruc.

Celtic was able to go into halftime on level terms when McDonald's shot from the top of the box took a deflection off of Rangers defender Christian Dailly and skipped over the head of Alexander to make it a 2-2 game.

The hosts looked more dangerous in the second half, and that pressure paid off in the 70th minute when McDonald was pulled down by Kirk Broadfoot inside the area, earning the Hoops a penalty.

Robson then sent his penalty past Alexander, and Rangers was not able to create any real danger for the hosts over the final 20 minutes.

Rangers defender Steven Whittaker showed his frustration as he was sent off in the 90th minute for a foul on Celtic's Shunsuke Nakamura, but the visitors had no way back at that point anyway.