Story highlights
Celtic beat Rangers 1-0 in Old Firm clash at Parkhead
Second half header from Joe Ledley secures victory
Celtic leapfrog Rangers at top of Scottish Premier League
Hibernian gain first point under Pat Fenlon
Joe Ledley scored the only goal of the game as Celtic beat Rangers 1-0 in the Old Firm derby clash Wednesday night.
The Welsh international netted with a 52nd minute header as his team took over from their arch Glasgow rivals at the top of the Scottish Premier League.
Reigning champions Rangers might have scored with a header of their own by Lee Wallace in the first half but it was ruled not to have crossed the line.
On such tight decisions these often frantic affairs are decided and victory for Neil Lennon’s men saw them revenge defeat in the first Old Firm match of the season at Ibrox.
It has also seen them overturn a 15-point deficit at the start of November to lead Rangers by two points going into 2012 after their ninth straight SPL victory.
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Conditions at Celtic Park were hardly conducive to football, with strong gusting winds making control difficult, but both teams played their part in an entertaining game.
Wallace saw his seventh minute header from a Sone Aluko header clawed away via the post by Fraser Forster, but it was the home team who had the better of the chances and Rangers keeper Allan McGregor was kept busy.
Celtic made the breakthrough early in the second half as Ledley rose to head Charlie Mulgrew’s corner into the net.
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Scott Brown and Mulgrew came close to adding a second while Nikica Jelavic wasted a volleyed opportunity in a rare glimpse of goal for Rangers.
Elsewhere, St Johnstone beat Kilmarnock 2-0, St Mirren and Dundee United drew 2-2, Aberdeen and Hearts ended goalless while Pat Fenlon picked up his first point as Hibernian manager in a 1-1 draw with Inverness.