Celtic 1 Rangers 0 – Hoops make it a Double as Idah nets priceless goal after Sima goal ruled out after VAR check
RANGERS fans couldn’t Adam and Eve it.
Celtic supporters didn’t care.
At Hampden, Brendan Rodgers side put on arguably their worst Old Firm performance of the season.
But for the Hoops faithful that only have made this Scottish Cup victory all the sweeter.
Philippe Clement’s Ibrox outfit were the dominant team with extra-time fast approaching.
They had a goal disallowed after a VAR check which left them raging.
But crucially Adam Idah’s 90th minute strike was the big, decisive moment which saw the Hoops clinch a domestic double.
The history books won’t show how it happened. Just that it did.
And 57 years to the day since the club’s great day – when the Lisbon Lions lifted the European Cup – there was more trophy glory so celebrate.
You have to hand it to Rodgers’ team and their sheer will to win.
But for Rangers, this becomes the first time since the 2017-18 season that they have failed to beat their rivals even once.
They had their chance.
There were no goals scored by the time the half-time whistle was blown by referee Nick Walsh.
ery few clear-cut chances either.
But when the two teams dragged themselves up the tunnel at the break there was absolutely no doubt which set if players was happy for the chance to regroup.
Celtic went into this final as big favourites.
But the Premiership’s three-in-a-row title winners were made to work in a first 45 minutes which had the Rangers fans believing.
Cyriel Dessers had their one and only chance and was blocked by Cameron Carter-Vickers.
And it wasn’t like Rodgers’ defence was dragged all over the place.
But there was an aggression in Clement’s team that had to be admired.
Not the type of aggression that saw John Lundstram stupidly sent off in the last derby.
An aggression that saw him start this clash on the bench, basically because his manager couldn’t trust him not to be so brainless again.
No, Rangers pressed and harassed their opposition from the first whistle and they got their balance spot on.
Mohamed Diomande and Nico Raskin were tigerish in the middle of the park with Todd Cantwell dropping off the front to back them up whenever he had to.
Celts skipper Callum McGregor did his usual shuttle runs to get on the ball and at times he was able to thread passes forward.
But crucially he didn’t get to run the show as he has done in previous derbies.
Rangers also had a trojan in Dujon Sterling who grafted endlessly on the right of midfield.
The energy he brought to the team was just outstanding as he proved again he’s a player for the big occasion.
Late in the first-half he should have been awarded a free-klick right on the edge of the Celtic penalty box after being tripped by Liam Scales but the officials missed it.
Rangers just didn’t have a proper threat in the final third with Dessers always half a yard off the pace.
Celtic’s main dangerman before the interval was Daizen Maeda who gave Rangers skipper James Tavernier a torrid time at various moments.
But overall, Rodgers had real work to to do when his men trudged into the changing room at half-time.
Their fans had a big appeal for a penalty when the ball struck Rangers defender Ben Davies on the arm in 24 minutes.
But it would have been a travesty had any of the officials looked at that incident and deemed it a spot-kick.
The ball flicked off Kyogo Furuhashi the hit Davies from point-blank range. He knew nothing about it and his arm was in a completely natural position.
You just wondered if Rangers would be able to sustain their level of intensity.
And it seemed certain that Celtic would raise their game after Rodgers sat them down and gave them a firm reminder of what was at stake.
But nothing changed.
Clement’s decision to take off Dessers and replace him with Abdallah Sima gave Rangers a more dynamic edge to their attack.
The substitute didn’t waste any time in getting involved, either.
After clashing with Alistair Johnston on the touchline, he went into the ref’s book.
Seconds later he was wiped out by Scales as he tried to support Cantwell bursting forward on the break.
But it was in 58 minutes that Sima was involved in the game’s biggest moment of controversy.
A corner delivered into the mix reached the back post where he knocked the ball over the line with his knee.
The Rangers team and supporters went wild thinking they were half an hour away from glory.
But they were soon raging when a VAR check ruled out the goal with Raskin found guilty of shoving Joe Hart in the back inside the crowded six yard box.
Even them, Celtic didn’t show signs of waking up.
Clement did more tinkering with Cantwell and Fabio Silva taken off when they were still having an impact.
The same with the immense Sterling.
Cantwell even picked up a yellow card on his way off after reacting to something Greg Taylor said to him when his number went up.
With extra-time looming, Rodgers must have been thinking about what he was going to say to life his players because whatever he said at half-time hadn’t worked.
But in the 90th minute there was no need.
Rangers sub Scott Wright failed to read a threaded ball through to him and suddenly the break was on for Celtic.
Paulo Bernardo burst forward and drilled a shot which swerved so much Jack Butland could only parry.
Idah the reacted quicker than anyone around him to slam the ball into the back of the net.