Scottish Cup Highlights - Celtic 1-0 Rangers

By Andy Campbell

Rangers had three players sent off as they lost an ill-tempered Scottish Cup fifth-round replay against Celtic.

Steven Whittaker was the first to go for a second booking after he fouled Emilio Izaguirre after 36 minutes.

Mark Wilson fired Celtic in front early in the second half and the visitors could not muster a response.

Madjid Bougherra got his second caution for a foul on Kris Commons and El-Hadji Diouf's dissent meant a second caution for the forward after full-time.

Neil Lennon's side will now face Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the quarter-finals and Celtic remain in contention to complete a domestic treble, a feat now out of Rangers' reach.

Rangers, who lost forwards Nikica Jelavic and Kyle Lafferty in the run-up to kick-off through a hamstring injury and tonsillitis respectively, struggled to get out of their own half early on and Sasa Papac escaped a booking after felling Wilson.

However, the visitors did carve out a chance when Diouf, deployed in a lone striker role, ran on to Whittaker's pass and goalkeeper Lukasz Zaluska, in for the suspended Fraser Forster, came off his line somewhat hastily.

Diouf rounded Zaluska near the byeline and crossed but Daniel Majstorovic headed away and Celtic eventually mopped up the danger.

Ki Sung-Yeung tried his luck from distance with a fierce left-foot shot but the attempt was always rising over the top.

Having shown leniency in the opening 27 minutes, referee Calum Murray's patience over scrappy fouls finally wavered when Whittaker was booked for tripping Ki.

And Whittaker received his marching orders when his reckless lunge on Izaguirre was punished with a second yellow and then a red card.

Wilson's second-half goal gave Celtic the edge

The incident provoked an angry exchange between Diouf and the Celtic bench and, after the Rangers dug-out got involved, Diouf was booked and Rangers assistant manager Ally McCoist and Celtic boss Neil Lennon were given a warning by referee Murray.

When the play re-started, a dreadful back pass by Maurice Edu allowed Georgios Samaras a free shot at the Rangers goal but goalkeeper Allan McGregor blocked well and the ball rebounded off Samaras and out of play.

Commons flashed a shot over from the edge of the box as Celtic continued to push.

Celtic captain Scott Brown joined team-mate Majstorovic in the book and Rangers' John Fleck was also shown a yellow card as an ill-tempered half drew to a close

But Ki still had time to send a free-kick narrowly over the visitors' bar.

But, though the action on the park had taken a break, there was more drama in the tunnel as players and backroom staff from both sides remonstrated while they trooped into the dressing rooms.

Celtic were on the front foot at the start of the second half and went ahead when Izaguirre's cross found Wilson at the back post.

The full-back's initial shot was superbly blocked on the line by the head of Papac but the ball broke back to Wilson and his second effort bounced over McGregor and evaded Bougherra on the line.

Papac was clearly hurt by his headed clearance and lay prostrate in the goal mouth for several minutes before being stretchered off to be replaced by Gregg Wylde.

Rangers were almost gifted an equaliser when Charlie Mulgrew's wayward header looped back towards his own goal and Zaluska had to retreat to clutch the ball under pressure from Diouf.

Bougherra was booked for catching Gary Hooper and the Celtic striker required treatment off the park before returning to the play.

Another vicious drive by Ki swerved just wide of McGregor's goal and Samaras blasted a shot against the base of the post after running on to Brown's incisive through ball.

Samaras had two more chances to score, his first header collected by McGregor and his next cleared off the goal-line by Wylde.

Rangers threw Kyle Bartley forward in search of a goal and a foul on the big defender gave the visitors their only real shot at goal but Diouf's free-kick was straight at Zaluska.

The Ibrox side were further depleted in injury time when Bougherra took out Commons and, after furious protests from the Algerian, the defender got his second booking and a red card.

And the same fate befell Diouf after the final whistle, the forward's dissent also incurring a second caution.

There was another clash on the touchline as Lennon and McCoist exchanged words and had to be held apart as a controversial night drew to a close.

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