By Keir Murray

Celtic took a significant step towards the Scottish Premier League title with a clinical defeat of their old rivals.

Gary Hooper delighted the home fans with the opening goal in 17 minutes, accelerating past David Weir and firing through keeper Allan McGregor's legs.

Then Emilio Izaguirre's surging run and delicious cross set up Hooper to fire home from six yards on 28 minutes.

Rangers rarely threatened and Commons' swerving shot from 22 yards sealed a comprehensive win.

The teams scarcely needed familiarity to breed contempt but, with this being their fourth of seven meetings this season in league and cups, there was a danger that tempers could flare.

Predictably, the match began at breakneck pace.

Kyle Bartley was one of three players brought into the Rangers team by manager Walter Smith - Steven Naismith and Nikica Jelavic the others - but the on-loan Arsenal youngster was in referee Iain Brines' book after only two minutes for a late sliding challenge on Celtic captain Scott Brown.

El Hadji Diouf was the instant target of goading from the home fans and the occasional Celtic player and he was part of a five-man midfield that helped to force Celtic on to the back foot in the opening exchanges without ever threatening Fraser Forster's goal.

Georgios Samaras was re-instated to partner Hooper up front for Celtic. The Greek had scored twice at Ibrox on 2 January but was on the bench for the 2-2 draw in the Scottish Cup two weeks ago.

Yet it was the English striker who had the Celtic fans in raptures with two goals in 11 first-half minutes.

The first was a prime example of control and finishing.

Twenty yards from goal Hooper took a pass from Commons on the left and with one touch knocked it past veteran defender David Weir, the contrast in pace described by Radio Scotland commentator David Begg as being "like an express train going by an old puffer".

One-on-one with McGregor, he cracked a low shot through the Rangers keeper's legs to put his team ahead.

Hooper connects with Izaguirre's cross to double Celtic's lead

Rangers pushed Celtic back briefly after the goal and Diouf's dangerous ball from the left into the six-yard box, though narrowly missed by Maurice Edu and Nikica Jelavic, offered the visiting fans some hope.

But in 28 minutes Hooper slid the ball home to double Celtic's advantage.

Izaguirre broke clear down the left and delivered an inviting ball across goal that was met by Hooper on the six-yard line.

Rangers were stung and their play was disjointed. Steven Davis and Maurice Edu were their central midfielders and while the former's crosses into the box lacked accuracy, the American's performance was below par.

At half-time Smith replaced the injured Steven Naismith with Kyle Lafferty and the Northern Ireland striker set up his team's best chance of the game up to that point when in 50 minutes he cut in from his left-midfield berth and floated a ball on the toe of Diouf, now playing up front.

The on-loan Blackburn striker controlled the ball beautifully and tried to lob Fraser Forster but the 6ft 7in keeper managed to tip the effort away from goal.

That chance followed one for Celtic, when Samaras's cross was flapped away by McGregor on to the head of Brown, whose nod towards goal was cleared off the goal-line by Sasa Papac.

Rangers' attacking pairing threatened again when, in 56 minutes, Diouf crossed from the right but the Croatian Jelavic headed a yard wide.

Smith sent on David Healy to replace Diouf, who had been looking more dangerous in an advanced role.

Within moments, though, Commons secured the points with 20 minutes to play.

Hooper supplied the pass for the Scotland international who switched the ball from his left to his right, evading Madjid Bougherra, and hit a swerving shot past the wrong-footed McGregor from 22 yards.

As the din cascaded round the ground, Lafferty set up Jelavic but he knocked a shot wide of Forster's goal from 18 yards.

Ki Sung-Yeung, who had replaced the limping Kayal on the hour mark, stung McGregor's palms with a rasping shot as Celtic looked to intensify their rivals' suffering.

In the final minutes Commons and Hooper took the applause of the home fans as James Forrest and Anthony Stokes were given a run-out.

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