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Rangers clinch Champions League spot with Old Firm win
GLASGOW (AFP) - Rangers strolled to an easy 2-0 victory over champions Celtic to clinch second place in the Scottish Premier League at Ibrox on Saturday.
Kris Boyd grabbed his first ever goal against Celtic in the first-half and Charlie Adam doubled the Ibrox side's lead with a second half free-kick to ensure their qualification for next season's Champions League.
Rangers manager Walter Smith was delighted to have clinched the runners-up spot, after his second consecutive Old Firm win since replacing Frenchman Paul Le Guen in January.
He said: "I thought we played very well today. The most important thing about the win is we've now qualified for the Champions League so I'm pleased with that.
"Some people may think it was one-sided but I didn't. Celtic pegged us back at the end but we defended well and didn't give them many chances.
"I'm happy for the players as they've worked very hard since I came in and they deserved to finish second so I'm happy with the result for that reason."
Although Celtic had nothing much to play for in the final Old Firm match of the season, manager Gordon Strachan was not happy with his players' efforts, especially in the first half.
He said: "I'm very disappointed. The better team won, that's for sure. They overpowered us on the pitch and it was a lesson for us for next season.
"In the first half we were playing testimonial football and they were playing winning football and they deserved to get the win.
"I know what I'm going to do about it and that's the most important thing."
With Rangers already eight points clear of third placed Aberdeen before the match and Celtic champions, there was little at stake for either side and it took until the 14th minute for the first effort on goal.
Rangers' Kevin Thomson slid the ball in for Spaniard Nacho Novo and his low right-foot shot from 16-yards required Celtic's Polish goalkeeper Artur Boruc to save low to his right.
The Ibrox side who were enjoying most of the possession and in the 32nd they created the second chance of the match.
Novo pulled the ball back for Adam, who had driven in towards the penalty spot, but the midfielder miss-hit his shot from 18-yards and Boruc saved comfortably.
In the 34th minute Rangers took a deserved lead when Novo's lobbed pass wrong-footed the Celtic defence to leave Boyd in space. Although the striker's left-foot volley was not cleanly struck it bounced past the outstretched Boruc.
Strachan replaced Danish midfielder Thomas Gravesen with striker Kenny Miller at the break to switch from a 4-5-1 to a more attacking 4-4-2 formation.
The change almost paid off in the 53rd minute with Celtic's first real chance of the match.
Miller stepped over Lee Naylor's cross, allowing the ball to reach Dutch striker Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, who in turn played in Japanese playmaker Shunsuke Nakamura.
His shot was blocked by Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor and Miller was just unable to react in time to knock the ball into the unguarded net.
Celtic's miss was quickly punished at the other end in the 55th minute after Rangers captain Barry Ferguson was fouled by Paul Hartley on the edge of the visitor's penalty box.
Adam took the free-kick and struck a low left-foot shot underneath Celtic's defensive wall into the bottom corner of the net, leaving Boruc motionless.
Meanwhile St Mirren won 2-0 away to Dundee United to take a huge step towards Scottish Premier League survival and pile the pressure on bottom of the table Dunfermline.
St Mirren, with only two games left, are now four points ahead of Dunfermline, who play at home to Motherwell on Monday.
Falkirk were 1-0 winners at home to Inverness Caledonian Thistle, while Kilmarnock won 1-0 away to Hibernian
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