Peter Lovenkrands headed home a last-minute winner as Rangers completed a cup double at the expense of champions Celtic.

Rangers, who earlier this season won the CIS Insurance Cup, twice came back from behind to lift the silverware and protect their unbeaten Old Firm record under manager Alex McLeish.

That run now extends to four derbies but Lovenkrands' own personal tally against his side's bitter rivals is even more impressive.

The Dane has now netted five times against Celtic this season, including his side's first equaliser on Saturday.

The man who could legitimately claim to be the fastest in Scottish football can now book a World Cup place, although team-mate Claudio Caniggia's own dream is over, having sustained knee ligament damage early on.

The first chance of the game fell to Rangers when Lorenzo Amoruso was granted a free header from a Barry Ferguson free-kick into the box but could not hit the target.

The last Old Firm derby, a league encounter at Parkhead less than two weeks ago, had seen three sent off and the tackles were soon flying in this time.

Alan Thompson received a warning from referee Hugh Dallas for a challenge on Fernando Ricksen and John Hartson was granted the same after being late on Ferguson.

Caniggia's moment of disaster was not long in coming when Chris Sutton, playing in a back three, sent him crashing into the turf.

It was immediately apparent that his knee had been seriously damaged and although he was not immediately replaced it was clear Argentina would be going to Japan and Korea without him.

Rangers continued with 10 men and fell behind in the 19th minute from a Thompson corner.

The giant Bobo Balde got up ahead of Amoruso and his downward header bounced up to where Hartson was lurking in the six-yard box and although Ronald de Boer was nearby, the Welshman had little difficulty in heading into the net.

It took Rangers two minutes to equalise however and Lovenkrands was the man on target.

Sutton and Johan Mjallby both went for a long ball and the Swede ended up heading it only a few yards back towards where it had come.

Lovenkrands needed no invitation to pick up the loose ball before turning to beat Rob Douglas with a low near post drive.

The striker almost netted again seconds later when a Ferguson free-kick found him in the box but this time Douglas was behind his volley.

Shota Arveladze had come on for Caniggia and Hartson appeared fortunate to escape when he thrust an arm in Craig Moore's face.

But someone had to be booked eventually and it was Balde who received the game's first yellow for clattering Ricksen.

Neil McCann fired a pacy cross to the back post where it just evaded the unmarked Arveladze before, at the other end, the Celtic fans were baying for a penalty when Larsson went down under Amoruso's challenge.

It would have been a soft award as the Swede had appeared to have lost his footing.

Celtic captain Paul Lambert had been carrying an ankle injury into the game and had to be withdrawn in the 44th minute, with Jackie McNamara coming on.

The second half began with tackles flying in and Hartson was booked after sending Arveladze flying.

Amoruso was shown the yellow card seconds later for climbing over Larsson and Celtic used the free-kick to restore their lead.

Neil Lennon floated the ball into the box and, just as he had done for the first goal, Balde won his physical challenge with Amoruso.

This time he claimed the goal himself with his header flying past Stefan Klos as the Italian fell helplessly to the ground.

Rangers survived another penalty claim - this time with Hartson going to ground under Arthur Numan's challenge - before Amoruso headed a good chance wide at the other end.

The luck was with Celtic when Ferguson brought the ball forward and sent a shot arcing away from Douglas only to see it bounce back into play off an upright.

But there no reprieve when Balde recklessly flattened Amoruso 20 yards in front of his own goal and Ferguson curled the free-kick past the wall and beyond the diving Douglas.

It was a superbly struck free-kick of international class.

Moore was the next to be booked - for tripping Hartson right on the edge of the area - but Larsson's free-kick could not match Ferguson's and the wall was in the way.

The booking count continued when Lennon was late on Lovenkrands.

Mjallby saved his side in the 83rd minute when Douglas came out to catch a cross from the left and spilled it.

Arveladze tried to get on to the loose ball but it was Ricksen who was there first and he poked the ball goalward only to be denied by the Swede.

There were plenty of tired legs out there by this stage but Rangers were now clearly the stronger side.

Fortune favoured Mjallby in the final minute when he appeared to be climbing all over Lovenkrands in the box.

No penalty was given but when McCann crossed from the left seconds later the Dane was there to head home a remarkable winner, with Sutton having nodded off for the first time of the afternoon.

At a time when Scottish football has been engulfed by a cloud of financial depression, this had been a spectacle to savour.

Teams

Celtic: Douglas, Mjallby, Sutton, Balde, Agathe, Lennon, Lambert (McNamara 44), Petrov, Thompson, Larsson, Hartson.

Subs Not Used: Gould, Boyd, Moravcik, Guppy.

Booked: Balde, Hartson, Lennon.

Goals: Hartson 19, Balde 50.

Rangers: Klos, Ross, Moore, Amoruso, Numan, Ricksen, de Boer, Ferguson, Lovenkrands, McCann, Caniggia (Arveladze 20).

Subs Not Used: McGregor, Vidmar, Nerlinger, Flo.

Booked: Amoruso, Moore.

Goals: Lovenkrands 21, Ferguson 69, Lovenkrands 90.

Att: 51,138

Ref: H Dallas (Scotland).