CELTIC manager Brendan Rodgers said Adam Idah 'plays for the big moments' after the Irish striker secured a point against Rangers in the final derby of the season.
The Cork native's late goal against Rangers won the Scottish Cup for Celtic last season and he netted his third strike against the Ibrox side this afternoon.
In doing so, he prevented Celtic losing three consecutive derbies for the first time in more than four years, while condemning Rangers to a seventh home game without a win.
Brendan Rodgers praised Idah’s determination (Image: Craig Foy / SNS Group via Getty Images)Speaking after the game, Rodgers praised the striker for bouncing back after spurning a good chance to open the scoring in the first half.
"He plays for the big moments, Adam," the manager told Celtic TV.
"He's obviously disappointed he didn't score [in the first half] but he's always there and I thought second half he showed his mentality.
"He was really strong, took the ball in and it was a wonderful spinning finish for the goal."
Pride at stake
While the title had already been decided officially last week, Rodgers said before the game that his side were playing for pride, having lost the last two derbies.
However, the Hoops were given an early scare at Ibrox when Leon Balogun's header hit the crossbar in the opening minute.
Viljami Sinisalo was then called into action to tip a deflected Vaclav Cerny effort over the bar after nine minutes before diving low to save a Nicolas Raskin header on the goal line.
At the other end, Derek Souttar blocked an Idah effort in the box on 16 minutes after the Irishman was teed up Daizen Maeda.
Celtic's Cameron Carter-Vickers tested Rangers keeper Liam Kelly with a header (Image: Craig Foy / SNS Group via Getty Images)Celtic though hadn't heeded the early warnings and Raskin was again able to rise highest to turn a James Tavernier free-kick into the net, only to see his effort ruled out for offside.
The visitors did continue to create chances of their own, Cameron Carter-Vickers seeing his header tipped over the bar by Liam Kelly after 33 minutes.
The stopper then did well to rush off his line and block an Idah effort in Celtic's best chance of the half.
However, from the resulting corner, Rangers broke up-field, Cyriel Dessers pulling away from Liam Scales in the box before firing across Sinisalo to give the home side the lead just before half-time.
Idah fires home from the edge of the box to level the score (Image: Craig Williamson / SNS Group via Getty Images)Celtic started brightly after the break, Idah and Maeda linking up well on 52 minutes but the Irishman was crowded out before he could get his shot away.
However, he eventually got his goal five minutes later, pouncing on the ball on the edge of the box before turning and firing home via a slight deflection of Souttar.
Both sides had chances late on to win it, Sinisalo making himself big to block a Raskin shot at his near post after 80 minutes.
Meanwhile, Kelly again raced off his line to deny Celtic the win in the dying seconds, this time blocking Maeda's effort with his feet.
'Thoroughly deserved to get result'
Rodgers said after the game that he thought a point was the least his side deserved.
"I thought we had some good moments in the first half, played through their pressure quite well," he told Celtic TV.
"We had the [Idah] chance to go 1-0 up, it results in the corner and from the corner we obviously get done on the counter attack.
"But I felt at half-time, I just said to the players we just need to play the game that we've been playing, just keep building the game, keep moving them side to side, they're playing in a diamond so you've just got to keep moving the ball.
Kelly denies Daizen Maeda at the death (Image:Craig Williamson / SNS Group via Getty Images)"I thought we then thoroughly deserved to get the result.
“We had a moment at the end where it looks like we're going to win it but I think it's a great effort by the players and like I said, we never had too many moments where we were under real pressure.
"I've been here before where you maybe have a 10 or 15-minute spell where you're really under the cosh and you've got to be really strong but I never felt we had to defend that way."
Celtic are next in action at home against Hibs on Saturday, while Rangers host Scottish Cup finalists Aberdeen on Sunday.
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