By the end of another day of anguish at Scotland's National Stadium Rangers could extract a slim, solitary crumb of comfort. The Scottish Cup relinquished, the league gone, this misery of a season is almost over now.
Under Brendan Rodgers, watching from the Hampden directors' box, Celtic bestrode Scottish football like a colossus, winning four consecutive domestic clean sweeps.
Beat Hearts at Tynecastle next weekend and the Parkhead side will retain the SPFL Premiership for a second season, claiming their eleventh title in 12 years. Beat Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the Scottish Cup Final on June 3 and Ange Postecoglou will go on to secure the club’s fifth treble in seven years.
For Rangers this felt like a bitter pill to swallow; an old, wearily familiar story. In five meetings with Celtic this season the Ibrox side have yet to win any. They’ll drink from last chance saloon at Ibrox in two weeks’ time, but by then it’s unlikely to matter much at all.
Michael Beale acknowledged that this was his team’s ‘last chance’ to make an impact on the season Winless in four Old Firm games, a three year deal for Norwich midfield free agent Kieran Dowell is unlikely to spare the Englishman some savage scrutiny in the days to come. For some supporters this will feel like one unpalatable defeat too far.
The Viaplay Cup Final on February 26 was marked by a Celtic goal before half-time caused by poor Rangers defending. Under a leaden sky on Glasgow’s south side history repeated itself and cost Rangers their last crack at silverware
In the days leading up to this game Beale emphasised the need for his players to cut out the cock-ups so often the demise of their hopes in these games. In football there’s an old maxim around playing to the whistle. Ignoring the most basic rule in the book after 42 minutes the Ibrox side were architects of their own downfall.
When Matt O’Riley cut inside Nicolas Raskin outside the area the Celtic midfielder appealed for a free-kick. Maybe Raskin himself expected the decision to go against him. That’s the only explanation for the Belgian stopping and throwing his arms in the air as Ryan Kent – his nearest team-mate- failed to come to his assistance.
This is a Celtic team which never stops. As Raskin threw his arms in the air and appealed to others to deal with the loose ball Daizen Maeda snapped up the loose ball and made for the byeline. Curling a delicious cross towards the back post Jota had come in off the left flank to head past Allan McGregor.
It was, in so many ways, a carbon copy of so many Celtic goals in Old Firm games over the season. Players in green and white lightning sharp, players in light blue switching off at key moments. Again.
Rangers could take no consolation from their strong, committed start to the game. When Raskin had a 20 yard shot deflected round the left hand post by a Cameron Carter-Vickers block it felt like a declaration of intent. A sign that the holders of this old trophy were hellbent on making a game of things.
Snapping into tackles, taking the game to their opponents Rangers looked the part for half an hour.
Alistair Johnston had a shot blocked by Allan McGregor. Jota allowed a Maeda cross to the back post to run under his foot. In contrast with the Viaplay Cup Final, however, Celtic chances were curtailed to a minimum. As in their 3-2 league defeat at Parkhead Rangers pressed and harried hard.
The loss of Malik Tillman after 35 minutes seemed to unsettle Beale’s side. Lunging into a late challenge on Greg Taylor the on-loan Bayern player pretty much injured himself. Playing on, he collapsed to the turf as Scott Arfield stripped for action.
The final 10 minutes of the first half saw Celtic take a grip on the game, the Rangers intensity of the opening half hour beginning to drain. Just how much became clear with the loss of a calamitous opener. Once again in a meeting of these old rivals, Celtic had drawn first blood.
Rangers now had 45 minutes to save their season. One half of football to prevent a campaign of ignominy.
They began the second half with a spring in their step. Four minutes after the restart a Todd Cantwell cross into a crowded Celtic penalty area bounced dangerously. Fashion Sakala, a half-time replacement for the half-fit Ryan Kent, poked the ball towards goal and forced Joe Hart to block with his thigh. It was the best Rangers chance of the game.
Celtic’s first real set-back came after the hour. Alistair Johnston, a tour de force since joining in the January window, crunched into a 50/50 with Borna Barisic. The Canadian was in clear distress from the instant he climbed back to his feet, leaving Hampden in crutches and a moon boot – his season clearly over. Anthony Ralston, in his first appearance since injury, replaced him.
After five goals in three games against Rangers Kyogo Furuhashi was having a quiet old game by his standards. Just as Rangers were giving thanks for small mercies the Japanese top scorer so nearly claimed his 30th goal with a cunning finish low to the left hand corner of Allan McGregor, the keeper saving well.
A second goal for Celtic would surely have killed it. With half an hour to go Rangers breathed again and had their best spell in the game.
Joe Hart saved Celtic again when he dived low to push Arfield’s fizzing strike from 20 yards round the post. After two goals in the recent Parkhead defeat James Tavernier was so nearly the Rangers saviour again when he swept onto a Fashion Sakala cut back and swept against the face of the post.
The rebound fell to Sakala and he absolutely had to score. As in the Viaplay Cup Final, from a similar position, the Zambian showed a complete absence of composure. He skewed the rebound into the side-netting and another Rangers chance was gone.
Celtic’s defending had a hint of desperation now. When Tavernier found himself unmarked at the back post from a Barisic cross and headed down into the turf and over the bar you began to wonder if this, like so many recent games, would be one decided by fine margins and one big mistake.
The sight of Alfredo Morelos leaving the fray to be replaced by midfielder Iania Hagi felt like a summary of the Rangers day. When they needed a finish, when they needed a hero, they couldn’t find one. The Colombian was miles short. They all were.