Spence is the goal hero as youth side beats Rangers.

A golden goal from the prolific Grieg Spence earned Celtic a 1-0 win over Rangers to put Stevie Frail's u-19 side into pole position to lift the SPL title.

With just seven minutes left to play the former Alloa striker timed his run to the front post perfectly to connect with a Richie Towell cross to give Celtic a richly deserved win at Murray Park.

The result puts Celtic seven points clear of Rangers with just four games left to play and although the Ibrox side have got two games in hand the destination of the championship is in Celtic's hands.

Youth coach Stevie Frail said: "We're delighted with the win, it's a tough place to come but we had a game plan, the players stuck to it and we're thrilled with the three points and also the performance.

"At times we had to be more direct, you can't play football all the time but ultimately we got three hard earned points.

"We've told the boys that nothing is won today, the game is over, we've picked up three points and we'll be in tomorrow working hard for the Falkirk match next week.

"They are young boys and they'll naturally be high after coming to their rivals ground and winning well. They need to temper things however and make sure that they are ready for the next match.

"We got three points today and we have to focus now on the game at Falkirk which will be just as tough."

Celtic started with the team that had beaten Livingston in midweek to reach the final of the SFA Youth Cup and enjoyed the bulk of possession throughout the first half.

Rangers were content to defend in depth with only two inswinging free kicks from Sean Fitzharris causing them any real concern.

The best chances of the first period came in the final minute when a snap shot from the Rangers Rhys McCabe came back off the post before Celtic raced to the other end of the park with Spence turning well onto a Paul Slane pass but finding his shot held by the Rangers 'keeper.

Within a minute of the restart James Keatings struck the post with Celtic upping the tempo and forcing Rangers further back without carving out much in the way of clear cut chances.

The match was following a familiar pattern with Celtic finding it almost impossible to break through the well organised Rangers defence.

With sixteen minutes left to play Darren McCauley replaced Keatings who seemed to take a bad blow on the ankle with Rangers almost snatching the lead in the 78th minute when Archie Campbell escaped from Declan Gallagher only to find Towell heading his net-bound shot round the post.

In the 83rd minute Celtic made the decisive breakthrough thanks to Spence.

After being forced across the Rangers 18 yard box Callum Bagshaw exchanged passes with Towell on the right with Spence timing his run to perfection to slide in at the front post to net before being mobbed by his jubilant team-mates.

"It was a well worked goal and something that we've been working on," Frail explained.

"We knew that the Rangers goalkeeper is good coming out for crosses so we wanted balls played in hard and low.

"Richie Towell put in a good cross and it was a great finish from Greig Spence. Greig did well to get across the front and get his touch in.

"We had a similar incident on Wednesday against Livingston when Richie opted to shoot rather than square the ball to Greig, but he put across a fantastic ball today and it was a great finish from Greig.

"The overall manner of the performance was great and I felt that Greig was exceptional playing up on his own.

"He held the ball up well, led the line and scored a well deserved goal.

"If we had lost today we'd have been hoping that Rangers slip up, we won the match and that is part of players development.

"Part of a players development is being involved in games like this where it is all about gaining the three points."

Celtic played out the remaining minutes expertly with the ball played into the corners to eat up precious time. 

RANGERS: Adam; Durie, Cole, Scott, Wylde; McCabe (Dick), Wiktorski, Hutton (McAusland), Ness, Naismith (Wright); Campbell

Subs: Weir, McGeouch, McNeil

CELTIC: Guardino; Towell, D Gallagher, Hughes, Lowden; Bagshaw, G Gallagher, Keatings (McCauley 74); Slane, Spence, Fitzharris.
SUBS: Kennedy, F Twardzik, Marsden, Jones, McGregor, O'Donell 

Testing times for McStay at Ujpest

Former Celt Willie McStay takes Ujpest Dozsa to face third bottom Haladas this afternoon facing the toughest times of his management career.

Four defeats out of five since the end of the winter break, and a first leg defeat in the semi finals of the Magya Cup, have saw Ujpest slip out of contention for the title and battling for a European spot.

While their rivals strengthened their squads during the three month winter break hoping to follow Debrecen into the Champions League Ujpest had to make to do attempting to hold on to their players.

A run of injuries and suspensions has had a major impact on McStay's options.

Captain Peter Kovac's goals helped drive the club up the table in the first part of the season but McStay is looking for the rest of his side to roll up their sleaves and grind out some wins before the return leg of their Magyar Cup semi-final away to ZTE on April 14.

He said: "Things have been tough since the season resumed, there has been a few factors but the only way to resolve things is to work harder on the park.

"We've got a small group of players and we've asked a lot of them but to be successful they have to push themselves further.

"There hasn't been much luck around recently but you have to keep working hard and believing in yourselves to turn things round.

"Every mistake seems to be getting punished but we have to be sharper in front of goal and tighter at the back, we've had chances to win matches but haven't been decisive enough.

"Against Haladas we need 100% concentration and determination, we need to fight for everything.

"They have some good attacking options but we need to win to pick things up again for the league and cup."

Celtic u-19s v Rangers 1pm today!

Frail's bhoys ready for Rangers title crunch

Youth boss Stevie Frail isn't planning to change his side's attacking instincts for tomorrow's Murray Park clash with Rangers.

Celtic lost 2-1 to Rangers at home last month despite having the bulk of possession giving Rangers a slight edge in the title race.

The Ibrox side put up an impressive defensive barrier in front of goalkeeper Grant Adams and took their chances with second half goals from Archie Campbell and Kane Hemmings before Bahrudin Atajic scored a late goal for Celtic.

It was almost a re-run of some classic mid-nineties clashes between the teams at first team level when Tommy Burns side tended to emerge with a moral win with the points going to Ibrox.

Frail's side is geared towards attacking football with the former Hearts boss convinced that only some minor changes are required to succeed tomorrow.

He said: "There are one or two small things that we need to take from the last game with Rangers.

"But looking at it from an attacking point of view we don't think that there was a great deal wrong.

"Anyone who was at the game can see that we were a unfortunate not to win it. Rangers had a game plan, they stuck to it and got the points. We need to make sure that we have a game plan for Saturday and we take the points from them."

Frail added: "This is a huge game for us but it's a match that we feel we are eqipped to win.

"Rangers have had a few extra days to prepare after playing on Sunday but we'll be up for the match and ready.

"We only have ourselves to deal with, we believe that we have a group of young players who will take enormous heart from the win over Livingston in terms of confidence.

"It'll be tough going to Murray Park but whenever the lads put on a Celtic strip people are out to knock them down and it's the same for Rangers."

Captain Matty Hughes previews the match

Earlier Celtic-Rangers league match

SPL u-19 table

Matty Hughes prepares for double challenge

Youth team skipper Matty Hughes is primed for a double head-to-head with Rangers.

Tomorrow at Murray Park (kick-off 1pm) Celtic face their Ibrox counterparts with the teams neck and neck in the league and meeting in the final of the SFA Youth Cup.

Celtic go into the match four points ahead of Rangers who have two games in hand with the the finishing line in sight.

Both teams are on the back of winning their SFA Youth Cup semi final clashes with Hughes looking to inspire his side to victory.

"This is a massive game for us, we know that we need to win to push on for the league," admitted the former Rochdale defender.

"We have got business to settle with Rangers after they beat us at home last month, we're switched on for it after enjoying our win against Livingston.

"Both teams are in the same position looking at a potential double, it's make or break on Saturday and hopefully it will go our way, we're going into the match positively.

"We're playing really well just now. The coaching staff has got us going and the team has bonded really well, there's a great togetherness and that's what's pushing us through to the end of the season."

Hughes missed the first half of the season through injury but was given the captain's armband when he returned in February and has formed an instant partnership in central defence with Declan Gallagher.

Last season was something of a write-off for the young Englishman due to injury but after regaining full fitness he's loving the cut and thrust of the double chase.

Hughes added: "I injured my ankle ligaments in pre-season then came back after the winter break in a few friendly matches and played against Dundee United in the quarter-final of the SFA Youth Cup.

"The injury was frustrating but we have a great medical staff that have worked with me and gave me some light at the end of the tunnel.

"They made sure that I came back when I was ready and now there are a couple of big prizes to play for.

"It's been a while since we were in a cup final, that was the target when we started in the competition.

"The team was on fire at the start of the season but I've got a good level of fitness and hope to keep pushing on till the end of the season."

Hughes added: "I need to keep pushing forward now in my career and get established in the reserve side and go further.

"I've been at Celtic for 18 months and it seems to have flown by, I've enjoyed it thoroughly and see my future here."

SPL u-19 table