It's only three points, cautions McCoist as comeback sinks Celtic

Rangers 4 Celtic

(REUTERS)

Ally McCoist picked up his first Old Firm derby win as Rangers manager and then claimed the enthralling 4-2 victory was not about him.

The former striker boasts plenty of experience in the fixture as a player and as assistant to former boss Walter Smith before taking over the helm at the end of last season. He was the happier of the two managers after Celtic manager Neil Lennon watched his side reduced to 10 men and return to Parkhead empty-handed.

McCoist said: "It's not about me – it's about the players and getting the three points for the fans. That's the most important thing. You can prepare and do your planning before the game and hope things go to plan but the most important thing today was winning the game and I thought we deserved it."

Steven Naismith set the ball rolling with a superb opener that was cancelled out by an equally impressive goal from Gary Hooper, before Badr El Kaddouri took advantage of an Allan McGregor blunder to mark his Old Firm debut with a goal.

Rangers fought back through goals from Nikica Jelavic and Kyle Lafferty before Naismith put the gloss on the win with an injury-time strike, after Charlie Mulgrew saw red for the visitors. The win allowed the Scottish champions to move four points clear of their Glasgow rivals.

McCoist added: "As big a three points as it is, it's only three points. It's the first Old Firm game of the season and it was a terrific game and I'm a lot happier tonight than Neil and his boys will be.

"But I've been around the block in Old Firm games long enough to know that it's swings and roundabouts. Today's three points were well-earned and they are a big three points – but no more than that."

Celtic had headed into the break with the advantage thanks to an uncharacteristic error from goalkeeper McGregor, who allowed El Kaddouri's long-ranger to slip through his legs.

But McCoist says the blunder simply acted as further motivation for his team as a whole. He said: "I had no job at all lifting Allan McGregor. Allan McGregor is an absolutely top class goalkeeper. You can make an argument for him going a long, long way to us winning the title last year.

"If anything, I said to the boys, maybe we were due Allan a wee turn in the second half and I'd have to say that the boys returned one or two favours today. Out of all the players I'm especially pleased for Allan because he doesn't like losing at the best of times and he wouldn't have liked losing today after losing that goal."

McCoist had words of sympathy for Mulgrew, both when the player was leaving the park and also in the post-match press conference. "Of course I felt for him. The one thing about Charlie Mulgrew is that he is a totally committed and fair player.

"I haven't seen the incident again but I guarantee that he was going for the ball. If he mis-timed the tackle, that's life and the referee maybe had to send him off. I just said he was unlucky and that I felt he was going for the ball ... Obviously it didn't help him because he was going off the park but Charlie is an honest lad."