Celtic 1 Rangers 0 – Hail Hail Mariah Lee, Full of Grace, Class and No Little Composure | OneFootball

Hail Hail Mariah Lee, full of grace, class and no little composure….

Celtic defeated theRangers at Celtic Park tonight to make it three wins in three games and to force themselves right back into both Champions League qualification contention and set their sights on and SWPL1 league title contention to boot.

Substitute Mariah Lee’s late, late show aided by a brilliant assist from Chloe Warrington handed out a second Glasgow Derby defeat of the season for big spending  theRangers as penny pinching Celtic completed the home and away double over an very expensively assembled rival.  The visitors went into tonight’s match as firm favourites, but one who perhaps didn’t learn the lessons from their meeting earlier this season and underestimated the resolute, determined and organised Celts.

It was in truth a game of few chances, Celtic remained in the second half in particular, firmly on the back foot but with a game plan to match up and ultimately limit their opponent, frustrate them and eventually hit on the counter attack.

It was a tactical approach that certainly paid off with ten minutes to go as Celtic broke on an overcommitted to attack theRangers down Celtic’s left-hand side. Chloe Warrington broke across the half way line to find Maria Lee latching on to the perfectly weighted through ball before beating the onrushing Fife, and despite a connection from theRangers ‘keeper in the Rangers goal and picking out a superb finish into the bottom corner.

theRangers certainly had their chances, particularly Emma Brownlie who invoked the spirit of Peter Van Vossen to scoop the ball over the bar from a couple of yards out with 20 minutes gone and the goal gaping, whilst the impressive Bala Devi and Kirsten Reilly both hit the Celtic woodwork within six second half minutes of each other, but Fran Alonso’s tactical nous paid off in spades tonight as did the Celtic team’s sheer hard work, organisation and belief in their head coaches counter attacking game plan and each other.

Their reward was a fantastic Glasgow Derby victory played out at Celtic Park and a title race blown wide open.

The plaudits tonight will all go to supersub and lucky number seven Mariah Lee, but the celebrations at the end and the delight for all involved, including a very emotional Fran Alonso showed a togetherness and a genuine belief in this Celtic side that the sum of their parts is more than enough to deal with any expensively assembled ensemble on offer from either of the other Glasgow rivals.

Celtic remain five points off the top of the league, but they are now breathing down the neck of theRangers for a Champions league spot and thoughts of a genuine title challenge won’t be far from anyone’s mind in the Celtic camp now.

The Celts have confidence, they have momentum and they have a player in Mariah Lee who will be champing at the bit for a starting berth and the chance to put that famous number seven shirt to good use. There is also a team and squad behind her greater than the sum of their parts, and Glasgow City should now be on notice that their period of dominance won’t be continuing without a hell of a fight from Glasgow’s east end.

Celtic 1 theRangers 0. The comeback is on. She moves like she don’t care, Smooth as silk, cool as air. Mariah, you’ve gotta see her!

Niall J

https://youtu.be/VoOG7LEyUJ0