Celtic beat Rangers 3-1 as Aasgaard red card sparks referee row

Callum Osmand celebrates scoring Celtic's winning goal in extra-time against Rangers (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images) Getty Images

Celtic defeated Rangers 3-1 after extra time in a dramatic Premier Sports Cup semi-final at Hampden. Goals from Johnny Kenny, Callum McGregor and Callum Osmand sealed victory for interim manager Martin O'Neill's side, who will face St Mirren in the final on December 14.

The match turned on a controversial first-half red card. The referee dismissed Rangers midfielder Thelo Aasgaard seven minutes before halftime for a high challenge on Anthony Ralston, leaving Danny Rohl's team to play more than an hour with ten men.

Kenny opened the scoring after 25 minutes, but Rangers fought back spiritedly in the second half despite playing a man down. James Tavernier equalized from the penalty spot in the 81st minute after Ralston handled Djeidi Gassama's goal-bound shot. The tie went to extra time, where Celtic's superior fitness told. McGregor restored the lead three minutes after the restart with a 25-yard strike, before substitute Osmand sealed victory with his first goal for the club.

Refereeing controversy

The match sparked fierce debate over referee Nick Walsh's decisions. Rangers captain James Tavernier questioned the consistency of how officials made decisions after Celtic defender Auston Trusty escaped with only a yellow card for kicking goalkeeper Jack Butland's head in first-half stoppage time. "A decision like that [Aasgaard], fair enough, but then decisions throughout the game, you have to carry the same approach," Tavernier said. "Jack gets stood on the head, it has to be levelled off."

Rangers manager Danny Rohl refused to criticize the officials, focusing instead on his team's performance. "I haven't watched the red card back yet but that's the ref," he said. "It's not my part to speak about this. My focus is always on myself." He praised his players' bravery with ten men: "But what we put into it, how brave we were, how we ran - it was outstanding for me."

O'Neill, who managed Celtic to great success between 2000 and 2005, expects his interim spell to end soon. "[...] I would actually think the club would probably be making inroads into getting someone in," he said after the victory. The 73-year-old appeared uncertain about the final date, asking: "I don't even know when the final is. December 14?"

Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).