NafisaEmmanuel Fernandez produced another impressive performance as Rangers swept aside Celtic 3-0 in a one-sided Premier Sports Cup quarter-final at Ibrox.
Dan Neil stole the headlines with a stunning brace, while Kevin Kelsy also opened his Rangers account as Derek McInnes’ side secured a fifth consecutive victory in all competitions.
But amid a dominant afternoon for the hosts, there was one first-half moment that left Celtic legend Pat Bonner furious — and he made his feelings known immediately.
Rangers had already begun to establish control when Fernandez became involved in an incident that Celtic felt should have resulted in a free-kick.
The Nigeria international was involved in a physical battle with Sebastian Tounekti and appeared to drag the Celtic winger to the ground.
Referee Nick Walsh allowed play to continue, however, prompting an immediate reaction from Bonner on BBC Radio Scotland’s live coverage.
Nick Walsh called out over Emmanuel Fernandez incident
Fernandez was one of several Rangers players who impressed as McInnes’ side delivered arguably their best performance of the campaign.
The centre-back helped Rangers keep Celtic at arm’s length for long periods, with the visitors struggling to create the kind of sustained pressure required to get themselves back into the contest.
There was one moment, though, when the defender appeared to leave Walsh with a decision to make.
As Celtic attempted to work their way forward, Fernandez got involved with Tounekti and pulled the winger down.
The referee saw enough to allow the match to continue, but Bonner was far from convinced.
The former Celtic goalkeeper reacted with an emphatic “oh my word” after Walsh failed to award a foul.
And Bonner was not alone in believing Celtic should have been given the decision.
Former Rangers favourite Peter Lovenkrands also felt the challenge crossed the line, insisting: “That’s 100 per cent a free kick.”
The exchange quickly became another talking point surrounding Walsh’s performance, particularly given the importance of the fixture and the intensity of the Old Firm atmosphere.
Fernandez would ultimately play his part in a Rangers clean sheet, but the incident showed there were still plenty of moments for Celtic to feel aggrieved about.
How did Nick Walsh perform in Old Firm?
The officiating became a talking point throughout the afternoon, with both sets of supporters having moments when they felt Walsh had made the wrong call.
Rangers, for example, were unhappy when Fernandez appeared to have scored shortly after the hour mark, only for the offside flag to rule out the effort.
Kelsy’s goal also came under scrutiny before ultimately standing, while Celtic had their own reasons to question some of the decisions.
One of the biggest came in the first half when Olwethu Makhanya brought down Kasper Høgh inside the Rangers penalty area.
Celtic appealed for a penalty, but Walsh was unmoved.
There was also another contentious moment involving Ryan Naderi, with the challenge on the Rangers forward potentially worthy of a red card depending on how the incident was assessed.
Yet despite those flashpoints, the sheer scale of Rangers’ victory meant the officiating was unlikely to dominate the post-match conversation among the home support.
McInnes’ side were simply too good for Celtic.
Neil opened the scoring in the first half before Kelsy doubled the advantage after the interval. Neil then produced a superb finish for his second of the afternoon to complete a memorable 3-0 victory.
Fernandez’s disallowed goal would have added another layer to the afternoon, but Rangers did not need it.
The clean sheet was just as significant as the three goals, with Celtic unable to seriously trouble Ivor Pandur despite enjoying spells of possession.
For McInnes, it was the perfect way to mark his first Old Firm derby as Rangers boss.
For Celtic, meanwhile, the defeat brought their perfect domestic start crashing down in emphatic fashion.
And for Walsh, the Fernandez incident was just one of several controversial moments from an afternoon when the referee found himself under the microscope.
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