Celtic 2-4 Rangers

Aug 31 2008 by SundayMail.co.uk

KENNY Miller scored twice against his former side to secure victory for Rangers in a frenetic and fiery Old Firm clash that saw both sides end with 10 men.

The ex-Celt grabbed his first goal for Rangers after 52 minutes to put the Ibrox side into a 2-1 lead after an even first half, before capitalising on a blunder by Hoops keeper Artur Boruc to make the score 4-1.

Sandwiched between his goals came two sendings off in the space of a minute, and a stunning 30-yard strike by new Rangers signing Pedro Mendes.

It was a case of history repeating for the Scotland star, who scored his first goal for Celtic against Rangers in 2006.

Miller's powerful right foot volley bounced up in front of Artur Boruc and past him across the face of goal into the Celtic net.

But he could have opened the scoring for Rangers after blazing a header over in the 15th minute.

Walter Smith handed Daniel Cousin a surprise start alongside Miller in Rangers' front line, and was repaid with the opening strike in the 36th minute, when the Gabon international's mazy run down the right hand side saw him cut past Wilson and rocket home a shot from a tight angle past Artur Boruc.

But Celtic were back on level terms just three minutes later.  Georgios Samaras taking advantage of a bungled clearance by Sasa Papac which dropped the ball in front of the former Manchester City hitman, handing him an easy opportunity to stroke it home past Allan McGregor.

Early into the second half Shaun Maloney, in his first Old Firm game since his return to Celtic, could have handed the Hoops the lead with a neatly curling ball from the left hand edge of the box, but it just edged past the far post - and just two minutes later Miller grabbed his chance, volleying home a well-weighted cross from Kevin Thomson.

And just after the hour mark Pedro Mendes, in plenty of space, hit home a blistering strike that sent the Rangers fans into rapture.

Then came the flashpoints. Firstly Daniel Cousin was given his second yellow card after leading with his elbow during a aerial challenge for the ball with Gary Caldwell, then just a minute later, Celtic sub Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink was handed a straight red by referee Dougie McDonald after reacting violently to a Kirk Broadfoot challenge.

And just four minutes later came Miller's second, as Boruc spilled a cross from the right hand side by Broadfoot.  Miller scrambled the ball home to make it 4-1, the first time Rangers have bagged four goals at Celtic Park in 14 years.

As the clock ticked into stoppage time, Shunsuke Nakamura stepped up to curl a free kick through the gap left by Steve Davis and Broadfoot in the Rangers wall to make it 4-2, but it was to be little more than a consolation.