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South Korea World Cup midfielder SUNG-YUENG KI (18) of Glasgow Celtic, who was signed from FC Seoul in December of 2009 for 2.1 million English pounds, distributes a pass ahead of Glasgow Rangers’ Northern Ireland international midfielder STEVEN DAVIS (8) during the 392nd Old Firm Derby at Celtic Park in the Parkhead district of Glasgow. (David Moir/Reuters)
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Two goals from English striker GARY HOOPER inside the first half hour sent table-toppers CELTIC on the way to a decisive 3-0 Scottish Premier League victory over RANGERS in the 392nd installment of the always-riveting OLD FIRM DERBY.
The purchase of 2.4 million English pounds from Scunthorpe United this past July gave Celtic the lead in the 17th minute with a smart shot through the legs of Rangers’ Scotland international goalkeeper ALAN MACGREGOR. The 23-year-old striker, whose shirt number indicates his year of birth, doubled the home side’s advantage with a sliding finish to a handsome ball from Honduras international fullback EMILIO IZAGUIRRE. With the brace against Rangers, Hoover boosted himself into the Celtic club lead with 13 league goals this season.
Newly-arrived winger KRIS COMMONS, who set up Hoover for the first goal of the game, achieved a unique hat trick of his own in the match.
After his acquisition from English Football League Championship (old second division) side Derby County for 300,000 English pounds at the end of January, the Scotland international needed just six minutes to score his first Celtic goal on his official club debut against FC Aberdeen in the Scottish League Cup. The 27-year-old followed that up with a strike against Rangers to celebrate his Old Firm Derby debut during the 2-2 FA Cup draw a couple of weeks ago. A 70th minute goal against Rangers in the Scottish Premier League on his first-ever appearance at Parkhead capped a noteworthy triple play for Commons.
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Greece World Cup winger GEORGIOS SAMARAS (9) of Celtic, who scored both goals for the Bhoys in the Old Firm Derby just after the New Year, has the ball tackled away by Rangers’ sliding Algeria World Cup defender MADJID BOUGHERRA during the latest intra-city clash at Celtic Park in the Parkhead district of the Scottish capital city, Glasgow. (Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images)
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It should be noted that, while Commons’ shot did swerve a bit at the end, the ball was far from unstoppable. It was, however, quite indicative of the Rangers performance. Scotland international goalkeeper ALLAN MCGREGOR and his Glasgow club constituents, coming off the 1-1 draw with Sporting Lisbon of Portugal in the UEFA Europa League, certainly had a below-par match against their eternal nemesis, Celtic.
The convincing 3-0 win over Rangers was critical in that Celtic stretched their lead at the top of the table to eight points. This renders the two games Rangers have in hand incapable of making up the margin between the two arch-rivals. The Bhoys, managed by former Northern Ireland international midfielder NEIL LENNON, do have one Old Firm Derby in the league yet to be played this season.
The one-sided result also marked Celtic’s 99th all-time triumph in the Scottish top flight for the great, historical intra-city fixture with Rangers.
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(Russell Cheyne/Reuters)
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CELTIC : Forster – Wilson, Majstorovic, Mulgrew, Izaguirre – Brown, Kayal (Ki 60′), Ledley, Commons (Forrest 82′) – Samaras, Hooper (Stokes 85)
RANGERS : McGregor – Whittaker, Bougherra, Weir, Papac – Bartley – Naismith (Lafferty 46′), Davis, Edu, Diouf (Healy 67′) – Jelavic
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(Russell Cheyne/Reuters)
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(Russell Cheyne/Reuters)
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(Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images)
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(Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images)
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(Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images)
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(Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images)
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(David Moir/Reuters)
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(David Moir/Reuters)
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(Russell Cheyne/Reuters)
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MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
