Mikey Moore scored his seventh goal of the season on Sunday afternoon when he put Rangers ahead at Celtic Park in the opening minutes.
Mikey Moore was at the heart of the action when Celtic stormed past Rangers in the Old Firm derby on Sunday afternoon. The Tottenham Hotspur loanee broke the deadlock inside the opening quarter of an hour, but, despite his best efforts, Danny Rohl's side couldn't hold onto the lead, conceding three without further reply.
Moore tucked away his seventh goal of the season, and first of the Scottish Premiership split, pouncing on a loose ball in the six-yard box. After a mazy run into the penalty area, Youssef Chermiti had a shot blocked by Liam Scales, which ricocheted into the path of the 18-year-old winger.
He reacted quickest, beating Viljami Sinisalo from close range. The lead didn't last long, however, with Yang Hyun-Jun levelling proceedings at Celtic Park before the half-hour mark.
Shortly after the break, Daizen Maeda scored twice in quick succession, giving the Bhoys a two-goal advantage. Despite the efforts of Moore, Rangers couldn't get back in the tie, meaning they can now only finish third, which hasn't happened since 2018.
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Meanwhile, with two games still to play, Celtic slashed Hearts' lead at the top of the split table to just a point. Rohl's side may feel slightly aggrieved with the result, knowing Alistair Johnston only received a booking for a controversial tackle on Moore.
During the first half, the Bhoys right-back was shown a yellow card for a challenge which, at first, was applauded by Sky Sports pundits, having won the ball.
But upon a second viewing, opinions changed when they were presented with another angle, showing Johnston's studs make contact with the top of the Tottenham loanee's lower shin.
"It’s maybe a little bit high, but I’ll need to see it from this angle," said Kris Boyd before taking a second look at the tackle. "Oh, 100 per cent [red card], when you see it like that, yes, 100 per cent when you see it like that.
"That’s the first time I’ve seen it, but when you see it like that there, I mean he hits him above the ankle, you can quite clearly see it there. That’s a red card all day long."
James McFadden agreed, adding: "I must admit, when I saw the foul at real speed, I thought it was a good challenge. But now, I think he’s very fortunate, Alistair Johnston."
And Neil Lennon said: "Me too."
Despite the controversy, which could very well have changed the outcome of the game had Johnston been sent off, Rohl admitted that his side made costly mistakes. Speaking to BBC Scotland after the game, the Rangers boss said: "It is a very disappointing result.
"It was very competitive from both sides. We started well, but then it's football and to take something, everything has to be perfect, and in some moments we made some wrong decisions."
On the second half collapse, Rohl said: "It is a side who can be on the front foot at home - they scored at the right moment and created the energy and we lose 3-1.
"We had a great position before the split and this is hard to take and we have to improve and develop quick. We have to learn in these key moments to be clinical and play without mistakes.
"We will learn from this. I will take a lot from the last three games to be prepared the best way possible. I will lead this group and I am clear about what we have to improve."
Moore will hope to lead Rangers back to winning ways on Wednesday evening, when they host Hibernian in the penultimate clash of the Scottish Premiership split phase. The Tottenham loanee has established himself as a key player in Rohl's side, staking a claim for a similar role under Roberto De Zerbi next season.