Super Eagles striker Cyriel Dessers was on target for Rangers as the Blues battled to a hard-fought 1-1 draw with long time rivals Celtic in the Old Firm derby at Ibrox Stadium on Sunday afternoon, Footynaija.com reports.
Dessers gave Rangers the lead just before halftime with a strong, composed finish that sent the home crowd into a frenzy. However, Celtic responded in the 57th minute through Adam Idah, whose goal was confirmed after a lengthy VAR review.
The result means that Rangers have now gone four Premiership games without a win while Celtic maintain their 17-point lead at the summit. Speaking to Rangers TV after the match, Dessers admitted his disappointment with the result.
What Cyriel Dessers said
“It’s a bit of a disappointment because when you take the lead here, you just want to keep that and to get a draw was decent from us,” the Nigeria international said.
“I think we put a lot of effort into the game, made a few breakouts in the second half where we could’ve done more. Overall, I think we can be satisfied, but not happy with the performance and the result.”
Despite his disappointment, Dessers couldn’t hide his delight at getting his first Old Firm derby goal after six previous attempts.
“To score an Old Firm goal at Ibrox is an unbelievable feeling. I scored one last year, but it got chalked off. I do have it now, and it’s amazing, especially when it’s the opener,” he continued.
“It was a beautiful team goal. We broke out with speed. I saw Diomande, and he saw me, and he played a beautiful pass and read the situation very well. I was able to get hold of the defender and maintain touch with the ball and finish with my left. Very nice team goal.
“We felt a lot of ups and downs this season, but it would be nice to end on a positive note. It wouldn’t make up for the damage done, but it would be nice.”
Despite Rangers’ struggles this season, Dessers has enjoyed a fine personal campaign with 31 goal contributions (24G, 7A) in 51 appearances across all competitions for the Blues so far.