THE facts of this fixture – the eleven goals, the red card and the victory for Celtic – will enter the Hampden record books as a footnote.
Written in black and white, they only tell part of the story of this remarkable evening. In the end, it was the green and white ribbons that adorned the Scottish Youth Cup.
This was a final that now has its own unique place in the history of the Old Firm. It turned out to be a match that was befitting of the stage.
The silverware that was won in Mount Florida will reside in Parkhead. Yet this was a night of experiences, both good and bad, and of talking points as Celtic earned the Old Firm bragging rights.
This derby duel was never going to resonate in the same way as Sunday with supporters, but those that tuned in to watch the Hampden action would have done so with a degree of expectation. It was just a shame that there were not more here to witness what was an entertaining, end-to-end affair.
The only supporters in attendance were the friends and families of academy players at both clubs and there was no public sale of tickets. Given that occasions such as this are supposed to help prepare players for the step up the ranks and ultimately into the first team, it was a counter-productive move to keep the respective fan bases locked out of the National Stadium.
The opening seconds set the tone on a night of clinical finishing, defensive mistakes and goalkeeping howlers. Jamie Meikle was the main culprit in that regard as he endured a difficult evening with the ball at his feet and between the sticks.
His first mistake inside the opening minute didn’t cost Celtic but the Hoops were soon behind as Archie Stevens got the ball rolling. This turned into an eleven goal thriller.
Kerr Robertson had the vision to cushion a loose ball over the top of the Celtic defence and set Roberts free. He only had Meikle to beat and a low finish was a reward for Rangers’ encouraging start.
It was the first time that Meikle had to collect the ball from his net. He was fortunate that he hadn’t been required to do it sooner, though, after twice playing himself into trouble.
There was a feeling that the scoring was not done for the night. Few would have predicted how it would unfold, though, and a quickfire turnaround saw Celtic net twice in as many minutes to take the lead.
The Hoops had threatened on several occasions by turning the Rangers defence and getting in behind. When Daniel Cummings picked out Mitchel Frame after 25 minutes, the finish that followed was emphatic as keeper Jacob Pazikas was beaten from close range.
Rangers barely had a chance to regroup or recover. The touch from Corey Thomson to take him away from Kristian Webster was deft and showed confidence and vision and the finish left Pazikas helpless as Celtic turned the tables in stunning fashion.
The next three goals arrived in a 13-minute flurry. Roberts converted at the far post after Zak Lovelace collected a Bailey Rice pass and picked out his forward partner from the right flank.
His final act of the first half was to pull Rangers level once again. This one was made and finished by the man himself as Roberts drove at the Celtic defence and found the far corner of the net with a low finish.
Meikle had to retrieve the ball for the third time. It was to prove to be the last time as his night came to a premature end and he was replaced by Marcus Gill at the end of a first half that can be put down to a harsh learning curve.
Meikle was not the only one to have that experience. His opposite number also had a moment to forget as Daniel Cummings caught Pazikas in possession and almost scored from a tight angle. His next effort was only parried and Kelly converted from close range.
The interval offered respite but didn’t interrupt the pattern of play. Findlay Curtis was next to get himself on the scoresheet as he slotted a composed penalty beyond Gill after Lovelace was fouled by Josh Dede.
It was inevitable that the next goal arrived soon afterwards. Celtic once again exposed Zander Hutton at right-back and a Frame cross was put into his own net by Leyton Grant.
A lull in the scoring followed. There were still chances at both ends but it was five minutes from time when the next key moment arrived.
Lovelace had been booked for diving shortly after winning the spot kick that Curtis converted. That claim looked even stronger than the one that was awarded, and his third shout was the clearest of them all.
It resulted in Lovelace being sent off rather than Rangers being given the chance to win the tie, though. The challenge from Kyle Ure sent the striker tumbling to and his disbelief was understandable as referee Sean Murdoch produced a second yellow and a red.
Five minutes into extra time, Celtic had their fifth goal. It was Cummings that got it as he drifted between a static Rangers defence and produced a neat finish from six yards.
On this night of all nights, Celtic needed one more just to make sure. The effort from Lewis Dobbie was classy and decisive, a neat flick leaving Pazikas scrambling and ultimately beaten.
The same could be said for Rangers as a Tyler Pasnik effort proved to be irrelevant. In the end, it was Celtic who had the heroes at Hampden once again.
