A Celtic supporter has shared incredible fan footage of Celtic’s late winner against Rangers in 2008. Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink scored a brilliant late header to win the game and keep Celtic’s title hopes alive.
Posting on Twitter, the supporter shared the clip from the Lisbon Lions Stand at Paradise as JVH popped up to score a diving header.
A fan's view of Jan Venegoor of Hesselink's 93rd minute winner against Rangers in 2008. Celtic were miles behind in the league that spring but that win was the springboard for a late surge to the title. pic.twitter.com/X9ExRroRrC
— Lisbon Lion (@tirnaog_09) June 9, 2024
It was a game that Celtic needed to win and Rangers could afford to draw. The Ibrox side arrived and looked to frustrate Celtic but a goal from Shunsuke Nakamura put Celtic in the ascendancy. From 30 yards out, Nakamura took the ball from a Gary Caldwell pass and struck it with enough swerve that it flew beyond a helpless Allan McGregor. Rangers were penned in, bar a few forays up the park, but Celtic couldn’t get the elusive second goal.
Celtic went in at half-time 1-0 up but could be ruing the chances missed. Gordon Strachan definitely would be when substitute Nacho Novo pulled Rangers level after the hour mark. Despite a foul in the buildup from Daly, Novo fired the ball passed Artur Boruc, who had his angles all wrong.
Celtic would get a chance to go ahead again when Carlos Cueller handled Nakamura’s goal-bound effort resulting in a red card and a penalty. Allan McGregor saved Scott McDonald’s penalty but injured himself in the process.
Rangers survived and set up in a defensive block, a draw was as good as a win for them. Celtic continued to push forward but as the game went on, it looked more and more as if the title was slipping away.
90 minutes were up and the injury time, for McGregor’s injury, were being eaten up by whistles from the away end. Celtic still kept going although it seemed to be in vain.
But then, Gary Caldwell controlled a knockdown from Samaras 40 yards out before floating the ball to the back post where Scott McDonald was lurking. McDonald instead of trying at the acute angle fired it back across goal where Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink awaited to nod the ball home.
A late late win that would be priceless in the run for Celtic’s third title in a row. The game ended but there were some sore losers in blue resulting in a scuffle as Celtic celebrated pulling the title back within reach.
