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By David Sharp
1750: Phew! Well, it wasn't the prettiest spectacle but I hope you enjoyed our coverage. Thanks for sticking with me. Bye for now.
1748: Scott Brown, who frolicked around like a hyperactive spring lamb, has been named the sponsors man of the match. Hard to argue with that; the former Hibs player was outstanding in a Celtic midfield that oozed vim, vigour and oodles of energy. Who was your top dog today?
1746: Walter Smith's men really missed the presence of Madjid Bougherra this afternoon. In saying that, their main problem was a lack of oomph up front. The impressive Kyle Lafferty toiled valiantly but couldn't muster a finishing touch.
1743: "Great final 30 mins, well done Celtic!" JordanBlack68 on My Sport
1741: Celtic fans bounce with joy in the stands as their heroes go up to collect the Co-operative Insurance Cup. Victorious captain Stephen McManus lifts the trophy above his head to a din of delight.
1740: A miserable gaggle of Rangers players troop back down the Hampden stairs with their runners-up medals.
1738: "The first goal was always going to settle this game. And after O'Dea's goal Celtic defended higher up the pitch." BBC Radio Scotland's pundit Craig Paterson
1735: Full-time: Celtic 2-0 Rangers It's all over and Celtic are deserved winners in the end. They took the game to Rangers in extra time and reaped the rewards.
1734: GOAL! Celtic 2-0 Rangers Aiden McGeady brushes clods of Hampden turf from his shorts and spits out a mouthful of grass before dispatching the spot-kick past McGregor with aplomb.
1732: Twinkle-toed McGeady dances past a sleepwalking Kirk Broadfoot and, as he homes in on goal, the Rangers defender clips his heels and McGeady nosedives onto the turf. Penalty! Ref Dougie McDonald brandishes a red-card at the dejected Broadfoot, lying flat-out, prone on the deck.
1731: Samaras hobbles off as three minutes of stoppage time are announced by the tannoy guy at Hampden.
1730: This trophy is slipping from holders' Rangers grasp...
1728: Whittaker, off-balance and on his wrong foot, swivels on the edge of the Celtic box and wellies the ball wildly over the bar.
1726: "This is the most boring Old Firm game in the past 20 years. Neither of the teams have shown any real threat in attack and it goes to show modern football is all about not losing rather than taking the game by the scruff of the neck and going all out for victory. Sad to say Scottish football is drifting into mediocrity and our best would struggle in any other league in the world. The quicker the season is over the better." 1Wattie on My Sport
1724: Rangers are trying in vain to claw themselves level but Celtic are standing firm. Five minutes to go. I think the engraver will be safe to start putting Celtic's name on the trophy.
1722: Samaras takes the sting out of a Celtic counter-attack when he tries to be too cute. The big Greek then needlessly runs into David Weir. That was idiotic.
1720: Boyd is ruled offside when he was clearly on, but his dreadful attempt at a Hollywood volley from the edge of the box peters out before it even reaches Boruc.
1718: Nowt much happening at the moment. It's gone flat. Again.
1716: Christian Dailly playing for Rangers!! - they're really having a laugh. No disrespect to Dailly (he had his great days) but this shows a great lack of ambition, or money!!" bjbean on My Sport
I'd say both. No ambition and no money. It's a poor show that Dailly still gets a game in a Cup final when eager youngsters such as Aaron and John Fleck don't even make the bench...
1715: A quick turnaround and the second half of extra time is underway.
1713: Celtic coach Lennon, a magnet for trouble, and Ferguson, who is running about with the unhinged, faraway look in his eyes of The Manchurian Candidate , indulged in a pathetic touch-line tussle for the ball. Deary me, this is getting worse.
1712: "Schoolboy stuff there. Barry Ferguson and Neil Lennon wrestled for the ball when it went out for a throw-in. A piece of nonsense!" BBC Radio Scotland pundit Chick Young
1710: Boyd meets Davis' cross but Boruc falls on his header with nonchalant ease.
1707: Samaras can wrap it up here! He races through on goal, mano-a-mano with McGregor but his weak shot is well saved by the Rangers goalie's legs.
Just to clarify that McGregor was controlling his legs their: they weren't working independently of his brain, as I appeared to suggest.
1706: Boyd's lame attempt at gaining a penalty is ignored by ref McDonald.
1705: Rangers have gone to sleep. They're walking around in a zombie trance as Celtic cut them open at will. Ferguson, like an on-field spectator, ambled back just there and watched Nakamura set up Brown for a pot-shot that McGregor did well to tip over the crossbar.
1703: "Former Rangers centre-half Dave McPherson is surprised at the result so far. He thought it was going to be 4-3!" BBC Scotland's Keir Murray
1701: I dunno, you wait 90 minutes for a goal and then one comes in the opening 90 seconds of extra time!
1659: McDonald, clean through on goal, spurns a gilt-edged chance before Samaras leans back and sends a casual shot over the Rangers bar. Dreadful miss from the cocky Greek. Celtic are threatening to run riot here.
1657: GOAL! Celtic 1-0 Rangers Nakamura's glided free-kick is met by Darren O'Dea and the defender loops a powerful header over the despairing Allan McGregor.
1656: And we're away again for the third time this afternoon!
1655: "The tension is incredible! There are supporters of both sides covering their eyes!" BBC Scotland's Keir Murray
Perhaps they're averting their gaze from the horror show on the pitch...
1653: "Another match that has been a BIG BIG Let-down!....Honestly Celtic and Rangers have gone down hill!" Where's Robinho? on My Sport
It's been dismal fare.
1652: Boyd races clear but his powder-puff effort gets caught in the long grass and that's it: the 90 minutes is up.
1651: We're into two minutes of stoppage time. Extra time looms.
1650: Ferguson's cross-cum-shot foxes Boruc but sails agonisingly wide. That was very close...but still no cigar.
1649: Novo drifts down the left wing but stands on the ball and tumbles to the ground. He tripped himself up there. What a goon!
1647: Caldwell goes close at one end before Novo arcs his header over the Celtic crossbar. The little Spaniard was marginally offside anyway.
1646: With five minutes left we've officially entered squeaky-bum time...
1644: Caldwell's right-foot volley is blocked as Celtic enjoy a good spell of possession. I'm sure they'll lose the ball again soon; neither side has been able to hold onto it for longer than 30 seconds.
1642: The rarely seen, curly-topped, lesser-spotted Christian Dailly comes on for McCulloch. Old legs for wooden legs.
1640: Rangers have the upper hand and Mendes almost makes the pressure pay off but his pinged drive from 20 yards drive fizzes over Boruc's bar.
1638: Arch clugger Lee McCulloch piles into McGeady. He presents the ball to the ref as if that makes up for his Sunday pub league approach to this match. Or any match for that matter...
1637: A gaggle of Rangers fans spit their Wagon Wheels out in an apoplectic fit as Boyd is flagged offside. He was half a yard off.
1636: "I'm not sure the roof came off the stadium, but the Rangers fans cheered Kris Boyd as he came on." BBC Radio Scotland commentator Richard Gordon
1635: Boyd replaces Lafferty. Rangers' controversial goal-machine has 15 minutes to go from zero to hero in Walter Smith's eyes.
1634: "Novo lets fly and Boruc did really well to tip it over the bar." BBC Radio Scotland pundit Craig Paterson
1633: Kris Boyd is readying himself to leap off the bench as Novo's arrowed drive is clawed away by Boruc.
1632: Rampaging headless chicken Samaras comes on for Hartley.
1629: Then, dramatically, Mendes boots the ball off the goal-line from Loovens header as Celtic flirt with scoring...but fail to consummate the bout of extended attacking foreplay...still no goals.
1628: Brown bamboozles two Rangers defenders on the right before firing a shot across McGregor's mainsails but the Gers keeper flaps the ball away for a corner.
1626: This is like an Under-10s game. A stramash in the Rangers box and the ball ricochets around a sea of bodies, striking flailing arms, legs, noggins and backsides before pinballing clear off McGregor's right flipper.
1624: "Why is it when McCulloch plays we are crap??? Oh yes because Lee McCulloch is crap!" BristolCity_1985 on My Sport
Lee McCulloch is a lumbering lump of wood. I'm baffled by Smith's loyalty to him. He isn't a football player by any definition of the term.
1622: Nakamura curls a trademark free-kick round the Rangers wall and McGregor stretches to tip the ball past the post. Great save. Now Celtic are on the ascendancy again.
1619: McManus plays a hospital pass-back to Boruc and the Polish keeper has a rush of blood to the head, attempting a Johan Cruyff-esque turn past the onrushing Lafferty in his six-yard box. The gaffe-tastic goalie gets away with it and blooters the ball out the park.
1618: A visibly angry Kenny Miller trots off with Novo filling his boots up front. I don't know what Miller has to moan about - he's contributed very little to the game.
1616: "The pitch probably looks fine on TV but although it is flat, the surface itself looks heavy. Expect Walter Smith and Gordon Strachan to freshen things up later in the half." BBC Scotland's Keir Murray at Hampden
1614: According to BBC Radio Scotland's Chick Young, Nacho Novo is preparing to enter the fray for Rangers. Will the diminutive Spaniard replace the effervescent Lafferty or the largely anonymous Miller?
1613: Despite being forced onto his knees by the attentions of Papac and Broadfoot, McGeady somehow heroically manages to keep hold of the ball, but he finally succumbs to the physical pressure on the edge of the Rangers box and the Ibrox defence hoofs the ball clear.
1611: "Steven Davis just didn't get enough on his shot there." BBC Radio Scotland pundit Craig Paterson
1610: Miller slides a sideways pass to Davis but he sclaffs his shot wide of Boruc's right-hand post. Another terrific chance squandered.
1609: Lafferty appears to be partnering Miller through the middle as Rangers revert to a 4-4-2 formation. And they have Celtic pinned back in their own half.
1608: Broadfoot slips and McGeady pounces but his centre is too close to McGregor who gathers the ball on the deck.
1606: McManus clambers up Lafferty's back as the pair tussle for the ball in midair. Ref McDonald ignores Rangers players' pleas for a free-kick.
1604: And we're away again!
1600: Rangers emerge from the tunnel onto the pitch for the second half of the first domestic cup final of the season. They are made to wait for a few minutes before Celtic join them.
1558: "Re: David Sharp's comment at 1522. I can remember JFK being assassinated. Sheesh!" Rabster on My Sport
Did that happen in an Old Firm Cup final?! I know these games from the bygone days were wild, but I didn't know anyone got assassinated!!!
1556: Celtic have not beaten Rangers in a cup final since 1989 when Joe Miller grabbed the only goal as the Parkhead men lifted the Scottish Cup. Who will lift the Co-operative Insurance Cup this afternoon? You've been awful quiet. C'mon, 'Join me', as Alan Partridge would say: My Sport
1554: "Celtic are winning the Hampdo-vision song contest. They are mocking their oldest foes with "Can you hear the Rangers sing? No-o-o-o." Followed by "Ssshhhhh." This stirs the Ibrox faithful into an outburst of an...um..."hymnal." BBC Scotland's Keir Murray at Hampden Park
1452: "It took a long time for Celtic to find any sort of pattern. But they started to play short passes and began to threaten more, but it has been very much a stalemate so far. Both sets of supporters have made it exciting, but the teams have not made it exciting." BBC One Scotland pundit Mark McGhee
1549: I can't say I agree with Craig's analysis of that opening 45 of this Cup final. The first 20 minutes were poor with neither side imposing themselves on the other. Indeed, Celtic spent the first 10 minutes launching ludicrous punts in the direction of the two smallest men on the pitch: McDonald and McGeady. Bizarre tactics.
Midway through the half, Celtic found fluency with their passing game, with Scott Brown particularly prominent and McGeady and Nakamura coming to the fore.
But Rangers soaked up the pressure with relative ease and broke at speed, with Lafferty and his amazing telescopic legs proving to be a right handful for the Celtic rearguard.
1548: "Rangers were dominated in that first half and won't want more of the same after the break." BBC Radio Scotland pundit Craig Paterson
1546: Ref Dougie McDonald toots his whistle to signal the end of a less than riveting first-half stalemate.
1545: Superb long ball from Broadfoot is cushioned by Lafferty on his chest and he spins before volleying a fizzing shot aimed at Boruc's top left-hand corner - but the Pole leaps high and paws it over the bar. Wonderful save!
1543: Hinkel scythes Lafferty on the edge of the D. The German is booked. Mendes steps up...and leathers the ball into the solid Celtic wall.
1541: Good run from Papac, who has been bombing forward with gung-ho abandon, tees up Steven Davis but the little midfielder lashes his drive into row ZZ.
1539: Talking of Mr McCoist's touch-line rage: it's the 25th anniversary of the Rangers coach scoring a hat-trick in the 3-2 win in the League Cup final. Sounds like he's chomping at the bit to get on the pitch and replicate that feat today. The portly McCoist couldn't do any worse than Kenny Miller so far.
1537: A reversal of roles as Whittaker nutmegs McGeady and then balloons the ball out of the stadium. That was absurd! From the sublime to the ridiculous from the former Hibs man.
1535: "Rangers assistant boss Ally McCoist has surely been watching some WWF wrestling. His antics, when Ferguson fails to find Miller with a ball are theatrical. I'd say he was like The Hulk - but he's green." BBC Scotland's Keir Murray at the national stadium
1533: Rangers heed the advice of wise sage Murdo and get their skipper on the ball, but Ferguson chooses the wrong option in feeding Lafferty in an offside position to prematurely deflate a promising attacking move involving Miller and Lafferty. Poor play from the experienced midfielder there.
1532: "Rangers are hanging on just now. They have to get Ferguson and Davis on the ball." BBC Radio Scotland pundit Murdo MacLeod
1531: Suddenly it's all Celtic. McGeady finds the rampant Brown careering into the Rangers box but he directs his volley off target.
That was a great chance for Celtic to open the scoring. Brown, McGeady and Nakamura - Celtic's creative triumvirate - are becoming more and more influential as the half progresses.
1530: Loovens leaps above the Rangers defence but his header flashes wide with McGregor rooted to the spot.
1527: "Great strike from Scott Brown. He's one of the few players who has looked likely today." BBC Radio Scotland pundit Murdo MacLeod
Likely to do what Murdo? Does he mean 'lively'?
1526: Neat one-touch possession by Celtic and Scott Brown unleashes a 25-yard piledriver which rises a foot over Allan McGregor's crossbar.
1524: A lot of hopeful long balls being punted back and forth by both sides. I'm afraid it's disappointing fare so far.
1523: Our man at Hampden, Keir Murray, is lapping up the gala occasion: "McCoist and Strachan are out in the technical areas the whole time. Both have gone for the tracksuit look, as opposed to the "rosette-in-suit-lapel-for-Hampden-final."
"The good thing about sitting at the halfway line is that my ears can take it in turns to be assaulted by the noise as each side protests about a throw-in awarded the wrong way."
1522: By the way, BBC Scotland football pundit Murdo is the last Celtic player to score the winning goal in a League Cup final - his spectacular strike decided a 2-1 victory in December 1982. Anyone old enough to remember that one?
1520: "The tempo and the quality of the game has dropped after a promising 10 minutes." BBC Radio Scotland pundit Murdo MacLeod
1518: Both sides have been uber-cautious so far, in keeping with the last two Old Firm games. The whole thing is a tad flat at the moment.
1516: Nakamura stretches to set McGeady free down the left but his cross is too high for McDonald who strains his neck muscles to connect with a header, like a tortoise emerging from its shell, but can only send it high and wide.
1514: This game continues to flow and ebb, back and forward, from one end of the pitch to the other. Papac gambols through on goal but is flagged narrowly offside.
1513: Brown and McDonald link up on the edge of the Rangers box but their neat one-two is intercepted by Papac. Good defending from the unsung Bosnian.
1511: "It's only the Scottish league Cup BUT, a title is a title nonetheless. I think Celtic will win but I have trepidation! C'mon the bhoys!" corkjohnny on My Sport
1510: Scott Brown tumbles in slow motion in his own box like a geriatric gymnast. His attempted clearance travels all of two yards to Mendes but the Portuguese playmaker fails to capitalise.
1509: Loovens piles into Lafferty after the Rangers forward eludes Hinkel with a neat lob over the German's head. The free-kick comes to nothing but Rangers are still on the offensive.
1508: Will the little Irish international be able to weave some magic on the bowling-green Hampden surface?
1507: When he's in the mood, Celtic's mercurial winger Aiden McGeady is as elusive as a firefly, but Gordon Strachan has left him out of the last two Old Firm games and he's been criticised for failing to shine in these traditionally rough and tumble encounters with Rangers.
1506: "You can see Aiden McGeady has the edge on Steven Whittaker in terms of pace." BBC Radio Scotland pundit Craig Paterson
1505: "Atmosphere is utterly electric at Hampden. Madjid Bougherra is sitting just in front of me, lost in his thoughts. This is incredible!"
BBC Scotland's Keir Murray at Hampden
1504: Then McGeady breaks at speed and hurtles down the left flank but Whittaker tracks him all the way and times his sliding tackle to perfection to thwart the darting winger.
1503: Nervy start from Celtic. Rangers immediately have them on the back foot.
1502: To borrow rugger parlance, Ferguson launches an up-and-under in the direction of Miller, but Boruc leaps to pluck the ball from the air with ease.
1501: And we're off! Hold onto your hats!
1500: Celtic descend into their traditional huddle. I wonder what they say in there? Probably language not appropriate for this family-friendly coverage...
1459: Rangers skipper Barry Ferguson is looking to complete what I've christened a "Bo Derek", or a perfect 10, after winning his nine previous domestic cup finals.
1458: Rangers players and gaffer Walter Smith work their way along the line of Celtic players shaking each of their hands. Terribly sporting pre-match rituals.
1457: The teams are in the tunnel. Referee Dougie McDonald leads them out to wild roars from the packed Hampden stands.
1456: "I am on the fence. Looking at the recent form of both teams, you don't know what to expect. If I am pushed, I would say extra time and Celtic winning it" BBC One Scotland pundit Pat Nevin
1456: "I think Celtic have to win it in the first hour. If they don't then Rangers will win." Motherwell manager and BBC One Scotland pundit Mark McGhee
1455: "David, Any idea where Fleck is? Is he injured?" Shetland_James on My Sport
No idea James. The wee man has been unceremoniously bumped.
1454: Celtic are slight favourites with the bookies at 13/8 with Gers 7/4. Who is your money on? Lemme know your predictions: My Sport and text on 80295
1453: A few minutes ago a glittering pot-pourri of Old Firm legends were introduced onto the Hampden pitch and were simultaneously booed by each side of the massed support. Don't you just love old-fashioned tribalism at it's most neanderthal?!
1452: In the last two weeks Celtic have horsed St Mirren 7-0 but then lost to Gus MacPherson's side in the cup while Rangers stumbled to defeat at home to Inverness before putting five past Hamilton.
1451: Strangely, defeat at Ibrox in December seemed to revitalise a Rangers side who clawed their way back into the title race as Celtic's strikeforce went AWOL.
1450: Old Firm games are notoriously hard to call at the best of times but this one is even tougher due to both teams inconsistent form of late. A 4-2 defeat in the first Old Firm clash of the season saw Celtic embark on a 12-game winning streak that left Rangers trailing in their wake.
1448: More pre-match chat from Strachan: "It won't be a big tactical thing. You saw that with Man United and Liverpool yesterday. Two similar teams with slightly different tactics.
"Man United beat them before with the same formation, but the better players on the day won the game."
1447: The Hampden pitch has been relaid after it was more suited to shire-horses than footballers in the semi-finals of this competition. I must say, it's looking Eden-like in it's plushness this afternoon.
Gordon Strachan seems to agree: "It is lush. The ball itself might be slow moving across the pitch, but the players are looking forward to it."
1446: Here are those teams in full:
Celtic: Boruc, Hinkel, Loovens, McManus, O'Dea, Caldwell, Nakamura, Scott Brown, Hartley, McGeady, McDonald. Subs: Mark Brown, Vennegoor of Hesselink, Samaras, Crosas, Wilson.
1445: "We believe we are the better team and, if we play at our best, I think we will win." Super confident Rangers assistant manager Ally McCoist
McCoist would not reveal the Ibrox side's formation but says it is not a 4-1-4-1...intriguing? Any thoughts? Hit me here: My Sport
1444: The last time big lump Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, who drops to the bench today along with Georgios Samaras, scored dodos still walked the earth.
I'm exaggerating of course: it was actually way back in September against Aberdeen when most people thought the 'Credit Crunch' was a breakfast cereal. It could be primed for the former PSV Eindhoven striker to enter fray at some point and end his scoring drought.
1443: McDonald has bagged three goals in six Old Firm games and with neither of his goal-shy scoring partners pitching in of late the little Aussie is Celtic's talisman.
1442: At least Rangers fans can console themselves with the fact that Charlie Adam can't be summoned back from his loan spell at Blackpool to make his customary Old Firm appearance!
Bafflingly, the lumpen, snaggle-toothed midfielder was a favourite of Walter Smith's for Glasgow derbies despite being, well, to be perfectly frank, utter guff.
1441: Scott McDonald is playing up front on his own too. Aiden McGeady could partner the little Aussie or perhaps Strachan has set the team up to play 4-5-1?
1440: On the Celtic team news front: Glenn Loovens is recalled to the centre of the defence with Gary Caldwell moving into a holding midfield role. Hmmm, strange one that from wee Gordy.
1439: "We always said we would pick the best team on the day for the particular game of football. So Kris starts on the bench, but you shouldn't be surprised if you see him come on at some stage." Rangers assistant manager Ally McCoist
1438: Moody blue Kris Boyd is relegated to the bench after his spat with Gers gaffer Smith. Regardless of his tiff, I don't think he would have started today anyway. With his lack of work-rate outside the box Smith doesn't fancy him for these games.
1436: Kenny Miller and Kyle Lafferty start but Miller ploughs a lone furrow up front with Lafferty switching from centre forward to the left flank. The gangly Northern Irishman is less effective out on the wing.
1434: Big Bambi Broadfoot, who himself passed a late fitness test, deputised on that last occasion Bougherra missed out and Rangers fans won't need reminded what happened: Scott McDonald rolled round the former St Mirren defender with ease to notch the only goal of the game.
1433: Bougherra has been an ever-present at the fulcrum of the Ibrox back four since missing Rangers' home defeat to Celtic in December. He leaves a gaping hole in the defence that will be filled by Kirk Broadfoot.
1432: Madjid Bougherra has been ruled OUT of today's showpiece final. The Algerian has been struggling with a calf strain and limped out of last weekend's Scottish Cup victory over Hamilton.
1430: This is the one! Ooooooh! I'm not biting my fingernails with excitement. I'm biting my knuckles. I finished the fingernails hours ago...
Rangers lock horns with arch rivals Celtic for the first silverware of the season in the Co-operative Insurance Cup final at the famous old Hampden Park. Given the last two Old Firm eyesores here's hoping for a game jam-packed with thrills, spills and belly-laughs...and goals galore.
Stay with us all the way and send in your rants and raves as the throbbing action unfolds via: My Sport and text on 80295.
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