Neil Cameron verdict: Was this the day Leigh Griffiths proves he could play in the same team as Moussa Dembele?

Coaches in these modern times warn against such folly but sometimes you have to rip up the rigid tactic sheet and give the punters what they want.

Dembele and Griffiths didn’t ruin riot, as last season’s recently disposed leading goalscorer predicted could happen, but they did combine superbly for this semi-final's winning goal, which took Celtic in the Betfred League Cup Final against Aberdeen.

Dembele’s finish was class. It is surely the dream of any footballer to pull off a back heel flick between the goalie’s legs with a minute remaining of a massive derby match. No wonder the Frenchman celebrated his 14th goal of an increasingly impressive season by jumping into the crowd for a kiss and a cuddle.

Even the most heterosexual men can go a bit Dale Winton at such emotional moments.

But it would not have happened had Griffiths, a substitute, not been given the chance to work in partnership with the big fella in a 4-4-2. Among all the talking points which always come of of these matches, their ability to work so wonderfully well in tandem is one which will have been discussed long into the night by supporters until the last drop of beer left their lips.

Celtic deserved to win. Nobody could argue that point. They had more chances, played better football and Erik Sviatchenko’s goal should have counted. But Rangers were right in this game all the way, and few could have begrudged them extra-time given how much work they put in, until the two Celtic strikers got together.

Griffiths almost set up a goal with all-but his first touch, a fine right footed low cross which fizzed across the goal, just waiting to be tapped over the line, but the ball was just beyond the Celtic players around the six-yard box.

But then with almost everyone having settled for another half hour, Griffiths got the ball in the exact same spot, picked out the run of Dembele and there and then is where this match was won.

Griffiths should have scored later on. You decide whether his finish was perhaps too clever or that Rangers goalkeeper Matt Gilks made another fine save. For me, it was more the former and that will annoy a man who lives for scoring goals.

However, Griffiths proved that he can play off Dembele and it’s going to be interesting to see whether Brendan Rodgers is at least tempted to go with both sooner rather than later.

That a partnership could be formed was not the only revelation for Celtic.

Stuart Armstrong was quite superb when he got on. From his first touch the born-again midfielder was alive to the ball, used his pace to get past defenders and wasn’t afraid to get into the important areas of the pitch. He was reluctant to do all of this last season.

Nir Bitton needs to be taken out of the action, for his own good as well as anything else. Armstrong deserves a run in the team.

And what about Rangers? They hugely contributed to an absorbing game of football and while defeat in this fixture is never anything short of agony, the supporters could see a bit of fight and passions from their players.

None epitomised this more than Andy Halliday who was nothing short of magnificent. That he began the season out of the team was a nonsense then and seems like madness now. This man loves his football club, not an unimportant stand, but don’t think he is only about sliding into tackles and kicking folk to get cheers from the fans.

Halliday is a fine ball-player, someone who can read the game in every area and whose attitude is never anything other than perfect.

I personally would pay good money to watch Halliday and Scott Brown. Just the two of them. Nobody else would be required.

These two gallous generals are a credit to their respective football clubs. They are proper footballers, real men and while the one wearing green and white came out on top this time, their battle was what this fixture should be all about.

James Tavernier did well on the right-side of midfield, while Jason Holt’s performance served as a reminder that Rangers are a far better team with this intelligent player picking holes and making ruins few defenders can read.

There have been better Old Firm matches – yes, I still use that phrase – but this was one of the more interesting going back a few years, because you have to, and the watching world would surely have been impressed by what Scottish football had to offer at the national stadium

And at the risk of inviting some whataboutery on an industrial scale, the bile which engulfed the match at Parkhead seemed to have been at least tempered. It’s still not an occasion to take your elderly Aunt to but this was better. That is something at least.

But in among all this positivity, there is a complaint. Goalkeepers can’t play football. Can we all just agree on this? If they could, they wouldn’t be goalies.

Craig Gordon had an easy enough day but his passing, always high looped balls to Mikael Lustig, were never going to lead to anything apart from the Swede being forced to pass back as a blue shirt closed in.

And in the first-half it did seem as if Matt Gilks and the Rangers back four were determined to set-up a goal for Celtic. For the love of God, could everyone stop this obsession with the keeper being able to pick a pass like Glenn Hoddle.

But this was the only complaint. I don’t care what anyone says, despite the nonsense it is great this match is back. Remind me, when’s the next one again?