Celtic failed to capitalise on a dominant display in the Old Firm derby as Rangers held them to a 1-1 draw.
Celtic fail to make chances count as McCulloch punishes late on
Celtic failed to capitalise on a dominant display in the Old Firm derby as Rangers held them to a 1-1 draw at Celtic Park.
Substitute Scott McDonald finally handed the home side the lead in the 79th minute after a series of missed opportunities threatened a stalemate.
However, the lead lasted just more than two minutes as a lapse in concentration in the Bhoys' defence saw Lee McCulloch thump a header past Artur Boruc from a corner on 81 minutes.
Georgios Samaras thought he had won the game just four minutes later as he cut inside and bent an effort towards the top corner, only to see Rangers keeper Allan McGregor somehow get a hand on it to tip wide.
McGregor had earlier been very fortunate as Celtic had a goal disallowed in the first-half. Marc-Antoine Fortune appeared to legitimately out-jump the Scot to head into the net, only for the goal to be ruled out for a foul against the goalkeeper.
The result means Rangers maintain their seven point lead over the local rivals at the top of the Scottish Premier League, having played one more game.
Parkhead boss Tony Mowbray and the Celtic fans must be wondering how they failed to take a victory from this game.
Domination
The hosts dominated almost from first to last whistle, missing chances galore following the controversial decision by referee Steve Conroy to disallow Fortune goal after 19 minutes.
On the half-hour, with the Parkhead side in total control, midfielder Barry Robson volleyed high over from eight yards out after latching onto a Fortune knockdown.
Moments later, Rangers striker Kyle Lafferty was perhaps fortunate only to be booked for a late challenge on Celtic right-back Andreas Hinkel.
As the game became increasingly hostile, Light Blues skipper David Weir brought down Georgios Samaras on the edge of the box and would have been happy to see McGregor making a comfortable save from Danny Fox's free-kick.
Then, in the 36th minute, Robson headed a Hinkel cross off the top of the bar with McGregor beaten before Aiden McGeady missed from even closer range after another inviting cross from the Hoops defender.
Minutes from the break, with the visitors reeling, Samaras burst through the fragile Rangers defence only to sidefoot his effort past the post before McGregor grabbed McGeady's cross at the second attempt to thwart another chance for the home side.
Davis was put into a supporting role behind Kris Boyd for the start of the second half.
But within two minutes of the restart the Hoops missed another half-chance when Samaras miscued his shot from the edge of the box as the visitors again failed to clear their lines.
Then, after Rangers skipper Weir lost possession when up for the Ibrox club's first corner of the game, Celtic broke with pace but the move ended when McGeady fired an angled shot wide of the target.
The theme of the first half continued.
In the 51st minute, Republic of Ireland midfielder McGeady missed another glaring chance, shooting high over from 12 yards after a Maurice Edu mistake had granted the home side easy possession.
Rangers had stemmed the tide a little but presented their hosts with an opportunity in the 67th minute when Sasa Papac fouled Robson 20 yards from goal.
However, the former Inverness and Dundee United player drove the resultant free-kick over the bar before Samaras, on the break, fired a weak drive at McGregor.
Breakthrough
McDonald replaced midfielder Marc Crosas with 20 minutes remaining and in the 79th minute the substitute showed his team-mates the way to goal.
McGeady twisted and turned on the edge of the box before floating a cross in and the Australia international headed past McGregor from less than six yards out.
It looked all over for Rangers but two minutes later McCulloch dramatically headed Davis' corner from the right past Boruc and sparked relieved celebrations among the travelling support.
Moments later, as Celtic pressed again, McGregor produced a world-class save from Samaras, tipping the Greek striker's goalbound shot over the bar.
The game fizzled out and it was those in Light Blue who celebrated a significant result.
