GLASGOW, Scotland,— Adam Idah’s dramatic last-minute goal earned Celtic a 1-0 victory over Rangers in the Scottish Cup final at Hampden Park on Saturday.
Rangers striker Cyriel Dessers missed several chances during a goalless first half, and substitute Abdallah Sima found the back of the net in the 59th minute, only for referee Nick Walsh to disallow the goal due to a foul on Celtic goalkeeper Joe Hart.
Celtic, rejuvenated by their speedy substitutes, appeared more likely to break the deadlock. Their persistence paid off when Rangers keeper Jack Butland spilled a long-distance shot, allowing Idah, on loan from Norwich, to pounce and score the decisive goal.
“I said I’d come here to try and score as many goals as I could, but I didn’t think I’d score a goal like this in front of all these fans,” Idah told BBC Scotland. “It’s an amazing feeling.”
Despite eight minutes of stoppage time, Rangers were unable to recover from the setback.
This victory secured another domestic double for Celtic, following their third consecutive Premiership win last week. Although Rangers performed better over the 90 minutes, Celtic managed to secure the win, further enhancing manager Brendan Rodgers’ impressive record against Rangers. Rodgers has only one defeat in 18 Old Firm matches during his two tenures as Celtic manager, leaving Rangers manager Philippe Clement to reflect on how to improve for next season.
“It’s a game you don’t need to be perfect, you just need to win, and we did that by the end,” Rodgers told the BBC. “We found an energy and a will and desire to keep pushing. Thankfully, we got a winner. The players, their mentality and professionalism has been unbelievable.” – AP
