BarryLFC

After a glorious double from Raffaele Palladino snatched the unlikeliest of draws in Amsterdam, despite facing a 2-0 defecit when Didier Drogba scored early in the second half, a record crowd of almost 64,000 packed into Ibrox to watch the match with Real Betis which could see Rangers secure progress to the knockout stages of the competition.

Pre-match injuries to Andy Webster and Steven Hammell threatened to destabilise the back four, but Ian Murray and Mario Eggimann were able to deputise and played pretty well in the circumstances. Barry Ferguson opened the scoring after twelve minutes, but it was in the second half that things got interesting.

Arzu was dismissed with twenty five minutes to play, and Raffaele Palladino broke away to make it 2-0 less than ten minutes later. The game wasn't done there though as Edú scored a fantastic late goal and Benedict Vilakazi had an injury time strike chalked off for offside.

With Inter drawing in Amsterdam it meant that the Glasgow and Milan sides had qualified and a draw in the San Siro would see Rangers crowned group winners on the basis of the head-to-head comparison. In any event both sides could rest some key players with suspension worries without fear of reprisal. It was a good day in Govan.

BarryLFC

The fact that Celtic's 3-1 defeat in Kyiv eliminated them from the Champions League was unfortunate, but in Maciej Zurawski's glorious 50-yard lob-volley over Olexandr Shovkovskyi they had the goal of the tournament to console themselves with, and the prospect of a head-to-head at Celtic Park with Benfica for the one UEFA Cup slot on offer.

Domestically the League Cup was reaching a climax with Rangers and Celtic set to square off in one semi final, whilst upstarts Rothesay met Dundee United in the other. Throw in the dramatic capture of Dimitris Eleftheropolous to tend goal for Ayr and it's been a dramatic period lately. For what it's worth, Rothesay retained the Challenge Cup with some ease.

retired_embartl

This is excellent Iain :thup:

Looking forward to all 4 clubs being in the SPL, and absolutely shocked Bosko Balaban knows how to score goals :eek:

Btw, do you find it easier writing for some clubs than others? I think I'd find it difficult trying to be equally as 'loyal' to 4 clubs.

Here's to a Rothesay v Old Firm Cup Final

BarryLFC

It comes and goes, you know. I was really excited about the way the Rangers team were performing in season one, with kids and a tight budget, but then they collapsed, and it was mostly Ayr that I was interested in as the season reached its climax.

This second season there are lots of little individual stories to love - Raffaele Palladino being the new Kris Boyd, Henrik Larsson's barrowload of goals on his return, three Rothesay players over 20 goals by Christmas, Ayr trying to integrate some big signings, but finding Craig Bryson from Clyde is the best of the lot, performance-wise. Then there's Rangers sensational results in Europe and Rothesay's League Cup run. There's always something to get excited about.

I do wonder though whether my interest in the Old Firm clubs may wane if Ayr and Rothesay are up at the top of the SPL and in Europe. Time will tell.

Cheers.

shannon2007

I would think it probably should, it's always more satisfying with a 'smaller' team.

BarryLFC

Five wins in seven league games for Celtic would be applauded in normal circumstances, even the draw at home to Falkirk could have been forgiven had it not been for the 6-1 capitulation at Ibrox. European elimination came at Celtic Park as Benfica snatched a 3-3 draw, but at least hope remained in the arena of the Scottish Cup as Rothesay were swept aside 2-1 in Glasgow.

Interestingly Rangers matched Celtic's 5-1-1 record in league action, needed a replay to pass Brechin in the cup and lost 4-0 at Inter Milan, but the fans were far, far happier. A nine point cushion atop the SPL and progress to the Champions League knockout stage were enough to keep the faithful in good spirits and surely now second place could be avoided in one competition at least!

Ayr could be said to be the form team with four straight league wins pulling them four points clear atop the First Division and, Raith having been brushed aside, the Fourth Round of the Scottish Cup beckoning. Two words explain the progress: Craig Bryson.

Rothesay managed to go thirteen matches between a 5-2 win over Morton on 28th October and the 2-1 defeat at Celtic Park on January 6th without losing a goal, storming to a thirteen point lead at the head of the league, just four points having been shipped - in back-to-back draws at Clyde and Partick early in the season.

2007 held a lot of promise, and things were just about to get very interesting. Somewhere in the ether four very impatient ladies were watching very carefully indeed.

BarryLFC

With three of the four sides in which our friendly deities had an interest participating in the semi finals of the League Cup it seemed certain that change was established. When Taianan scored the only goal to oust Dundee United in the second semi final a showpiece occasion had been set up.

The day before the stage was set as Celtic and Rangers squared off at Hampden. Two goals in two minutes midway through the first half from Matteo Ardemagni eased the league leaders through and the cast list for the final was set.

BarryLFC

An improbable 2-1 win over Bayern in the first leg of the Champions League knockout round seemed somehow fitting for a rampant Rangers side, sweeping all before it to establish a near 20 point lead in the SPL. Sasha Iakovenko struck twice, either side of Michael Ballack's long range effort for the German side.

The second leg began sensationally as Rafaele Palladino fired the visitors in front from close range, but by halftime the tie was level, Dimitar Berbatov and Ballack, with another stunning long range effort, cancelling out the Italian's strike. The Bulgarian striker seemed to have finished Rangers off on the hour when he scored again, particularly after the Scots' top goal threat Palladino was carried off with 18 minutes to play. One player had other ideas though, and after starting the move off in his own half it was left back Steven Hammell who unbelievably popped up on the six yard line to head home Felice Piccolo cross and put Rangers ahead on away goals with just 13 minutes to go.

Alas it took just four minutes for Claudio Pizarro to score the clinching goal and send the home side through. Rangers were deflated and back-to-back 1-0 SPL defeats to Celtic and Hearts, whilst barely denting their lead in the Championship, meant they entered the League Cup final against Rothesay off three consecutive losses.

On the other hand, the islanders were just days removed from clinching the Second Division title and coming into the game on a massive high, save for a controversy over who deserved to start at left back, with both Steven Campbell and Räzvan Rat performing spectacularly in extended runs. Campbell got the nod.

Suspensions for Piccolo and Andy Webster and Palladino still unavailable through the injury he picked up in Munich meant Rangers made a few changes to their ideal lineup. Contract rebel Craig Gordon continued in goal, with Ian Murray deputising at right back. Steven Hammell remained a fixture on the left and Mario Eggimann came in for Webster to partner Andrea Masiello at the back. Barry Ferguson, Alberto Baggio, Sasha Iakovenko and Yaya Touré made up the midfield quartet, whilst Matteo Ardemagni was rushed back from injury to partner David N'Gog up front.

Rothesay were looking familiar with Andreas Isaksson in goal, Campbell, Vincent Kompany, Tobias Hübschman and Mark Wilson across the back, Lucas Bernardi, James McFadden, Kim Källström and Taianan in midfield and Robert Davidson partnering Mikola Zigic up front.

If anyone had expected the Second Division champions to start tentatively they hadn't thought things through. Good things come in threes and after Mark Wilson opened the scoring in 24 minutes Kim Källström made it two in 28. Sasha Iakovenko was frustrated by now and his 31st minute red card seemed to kill the final as a contest. Matteo Ardemagni was sacrificed for Alex Pederzoli. It would be a fool though who wrote off this Rangers side, and Yaya Touré pulled a goal back just before the break to balance things up a little more.

Kompany was struggling with injury and Taianan was playing badly, so Rothesay sent on Rat and Denny Landzaat, a switch that saw Campbell move in to centre back, an unfamiliar position for the youngster.

Rangers came out unchanged, but with half an hour to play Julien Cetout was brought on for Ian Murray, switching inside with Eggimann going to right back. It worked. Yaya Touré's 15th goal of the season tied the game up with fifteen minutes to go and suddenly Rangers were favouries, even with ten men.

Iván Gonzalez replaced Robert Davidson as Rothesay looked to regain some momentum, but the game went to extra time.

Just as in normal time it was Rothseay who came out fastest and Nikola Zigic restored the lead against a tiring Rangers side before Mark Wilson grabbed his second goal of an outstanding individual performance. It was surely too much to ask the SPL side to come back again with ten men, even with Kris Boyd on for N'Gog, and so it proved as the final fifteen minutes ticked away without a real threat to Isaksson's goal.

Rothesay had won the cup!

BarryLFC

Yet another second place would have been dispiritng for Rangers had they not already been eliminated from the Scottish Cup by Aberdeen well before the final, ending their hoodoo. Unconvincing, but much needed wins over Dunfermline and Kilmarnock cemented their league position, but with Craig Gordon still refusing to sign a new contract it was far from happy days at Ibrox.

Ayr United, meantime, were storming away with the First Division title, having picked up a couple of great deadline signings in Kenny Miller and Theo Walcott, the latter on loan. Seven points from the final four games would secure the title and that seemed inevitable.

Celtic knew that a Rangers win at home to Falkirk in the last game before the split would clinch the title, and with Hearts twelve points further back the cup semi with Inverness took on new importance. A week previous it was the Highland side who took the plaudits in a 2-2 draw, salvaged by a late goal from Henrik Larsson, who reached 200 league goals for the club in the 1-0 Old Firm win.

The semi was a nip-and-tuck affair, with neither side committing too much to attack, but Henrik Larsson was again the man in the spotlight as he opened the scoring with a neat finish in the moments before half time. With Gianluca Pagliuca rolling back the years to turn in one of the most impressive campaigns of his career there was confidence that the win was now likely, but any remaining doubt was removed just before the hour as Larsson struck again. After a sticky patch early in the season where he struggled for form and fitness the Swede returned to the level of performance he was remembered for and the goals flowed. On the other hand it wasn't until the 65th minute of this, his eleventh game for the club, that Bonaventure Kalou opened his account. The goal was no less welcome for that though, and the key aim of reaching the cup final had been achieved.

BarryLFC

After a 3-1 home win over Falkirk clinched the title with five games to spare the media swarmed around Joél Garçon, determined to make a story of the incredible fact that his first team squad averaged just 22 years of age. It seems someone, at least, has been paying attention to his MO.