FOOTBALL in Scotland might just have a bright future after all.
The youth players of Celtic and Rangers, all of whom are under 20, put on a fine show at Hampden Park last night. It's just a shame that past indiscretions from a minority of supporters prevented a bigger crowd watching this time.
The match was shown live on YouTube, which is exactly what you would like to say to any of those who felt the need to cause trouble at a youth game.
Anyway, Celtic won - deservedly and easily - in the end. They always had a bit more than Rangers who themselves played some lovely football before running out of gas. It was enough to make you feel optimistic about the players who are perhaps a year or so away from making a proper breakthrough.
It was a good night all round, especially for Stevie Frail's Celtic. There is clearly a lot of talent in that team. The watching Ronny Deila would have been impressed. So, too, Scott Brown, the club captain, who was in the technical area - at least some of the time - as he was also on the touchline shouting encouragement.
Although it was Rangers who were first to threaten when after eight minutes, Darren Ramsay, who was a full 30 yards from goal, hit a right-foot shot which sailed too close to the crossbar for the liking of the Celtic goalkeeper Jordan Hart.
Kevin Mbabu, one of the Newcastle five, came close to a goal when he misdirected a header from six yards. He was made to regret not scoring.
On 21 minutes, Kieran Tierney's free-kick was deflected wide for a corner, which he took. His cross wasn't dealt with by anyone in blue, which meant Sam Wardrop could bundle the ball over the line.
The lead was to last less than a minute. The small numbers of Celtic fans were still cheering when left-back Calum Waters and his goalkeeper Hart confused one another and an attempted headed back-pass rolled into the net.
However, by the 33rd minute, Celtic were two goals to the good. Firstly, the impressive Aidan Nesbitt made space for himself on the right hand side of Rangers' box and found the opposite bottom corner with a fine shot.
Their third goal was even better. Paul McMullan's cross from the right was taken out of the Hampden sky by Luke Donnelly who then spun past two defenders to get off his shot which went low under Liam Kelly.
It was just about all Celtic in the second-half. Jamie Lindsay was a stud away from connecting with Nesbitt's cross and then before the hour, McMullan's shot from outside the box was just wide.
Celtic were always liable to get a fourth and when it came it was simply superb. The Rangers backline could only hold out so long and on 72 minutes, Nesbitt held up the ball, and then played a perfect pass into the path of Nesbitt who sent his shot into the top corner.
A bad night for Rangers got worse 90 seconds later when Craig Halkett tripped Tierney a fraction inside the box. A penalty was awarded and the excellent Nesbitt sent Kelly the wrong away for a hat trick he might remember for some time.
However, Rangers did get a second in the last minute thanks to substitute Dylan Dykes.
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