Rangers gave new boss Pedro Caixinha a boost after a late Clint Hill goal earned the Light Blues a 1-1 Scottish Premiership draw with Old Firm rivals Celtic at Parkhead.
The Portuguese coach, who agreed a three-year deal on Saturday, watched from the stands and he saw Martyn Waghorn miss a great chance for the Ibrox men before midfielder Stuart Armstrong put the home side in front in the 35th minute with a fine strike.
Brendan Rodgers’s men had started to get into their stride just before the break and they dominated most of the second half, which offered little in the way of clear-cut chances until the 88th minute.
That was when Rangers finally found a breakthrough as Celtic goalkeeper Craig Gordon parried a drive from Emerson Hyndman allowing veteran defender Hill to slam a shot into the net from close range.
It was only Celtic’s second draw in 28 league games, taking them 25 points clear of second-placed Aberdeen while maintaining the 33-point gap over Rangers.
Caixinha, 46, who joins Rangers from Al Gharafa in Qatar, will have noted his new side’s battling qualities in a high-octane Old Firm clash yesterday but should not be fooled as there remains a tangible gap in quality between the two squads at the moment.
Under-20s coach Graeme Murty was in charge of Rangers again and he had to do without the suspended defender Rob Kiernan and had striker Joe Garner suspended.
Celtic stepped up the pace and on the half-hour mark, after Hill had fouled Forrest 25 yards from goal, Wes Foderingham dived low to his right to tip Armstrong’s free-kick on to the post and out for a corner, which the visitors survived.
However, the Light Blues goalkeeper could only flail a few minutes later after hesitant Rangers midfielder Jason Holt failed to clear his lines adequately, Armstrong took a pass from Forrest at the edge of the box and lashed a left-footed drive low into the corner of the net.
In a frantic finale, Moussa Dembele sliced a shot wide but there was to be drama at the other end when Hill popped up with the equaliser, and then a late penalty claim for a last-gasp tackle by Hill on Leigh Griffiths was waved away by referee Bobby Madden.