There were dreams and songs to sing - that pretty much sums up the fantastic afternoon we have just enjoyed at Celtic Park.

Had even the most optimistic Hoops fan dreamt last night that we would put six past Rangers, he would have would have surely woken up this morning shaking his head at himself.

But that's just what happened, and oh Bhoy does it feel good!

We all know that this famous fixture has treated us cruelly in the past, but that wounded look we so often have to adopt after these occasions has been replaced by a massive grin which will most likely need to be surgically removed.

And for those among you who have stood faithful through and through, despite all the bad times - enjoy tonight, because God knows you deserve it.

Celtic, to a man, were just fantastic, and as every one of the hooped heroes worked tirelessly and effectively, Rangers didn't know what had hit themÉ

For, while it may have been the Old Firm, the Rangers' defence seemed to be populated by the old and infirm judging by the way they were torn to shreds by the Celtic attack.

It was great to watch, and the 60,000 colourful Celts certainly didn't have long to wait long for their magnificent backing to be rewarded.

With less than a minute on the clock, Alan Stubbs knocked Lubo Moravcik's inswinging corner into the path of Henrik Larsson, and with the Swede's attempt at a shot appearing to be trickling wide, Chris Sutton was on hand to fire the ball low into the net.

Celtic Park erupted in a wave of joy, but few in attendance would have realised that they had just witnessed history being made, for Sutton's 43-second strike is the fastest Old Firm goal to be scored in the Premier League, overtaking the record of 86 seconds held by Danny Crainie.

Martin O'Neill's side had made a dream start, but with the decibel level rising to a deafening roar, they had to calm themselves or risk falling victim to the sucker punch.

After five minutes, our worst fears were almost realised when Billy Dodds headed Giovanni Van Bronkhorst's free-kick across the face of goal, but fortunately no-one was there to add the finishing touch.

At the other end, Lubo Moravcik's corners were causing the Rangers' defence no end of problems, and after seven minutes, some good play by Bobby Petta allowed the Slovak the chance to inflict more damage.

Again, Lubo flighted over a tantalising cross, and again Dick Advocaat's side were caught napping as Stilian Petrov launched himself at the ball to head powerfully into the top corner of the net.

Seven minutes gone and two goals up - surely it couldn't get any better than this?

But it did, just six minutes later, when Lubo Moravcik linked with Bobby Petta before weighting a perfectly judged cutback for Paul Lambert to smash an unstoppable low right-foot drive into the corner of the net.

It was absolute bedlam in Paradise by this stage, and when the goalscoring trio ran to what used to be the jungle to celebrate, you never would have guessed that the famous terracing was gone.

And, with 60,000 hearts thumping along to the beat of the Celtic Song, Henrik Larsson even had the opportunity to explode a few pacemaker by making it 4-0 just two minutes later.

Jonathan Gould started the move with a long kick-out, and when Lubo knocked a brilliant ball over the top for Larsson to run clean through on goal, there was surely only one outcome likely.

However, the Swedish superstar seemed to have too much time on his hands, and although he attempted to round the advancing Stefan Klos, the German keeper smothered the ball at the striker's feet.

Nevertheless, the fans didn't seem too upset - after all, we were three up already so we didn't need another goalÉ did we?

Well, the nerves certainly began to jangle when Rod Wallace crossed for Claudio Reyna to bullet in a header that Jonathan Gould just couldn't prevent crossing the line.

However, Henrik Larsson again had the chance to prolong the lives of a few fingernails but, after Bobby Petta's shot had been saved, the Swede snatched at the rebound and sent his shot wide of the target.

After the break, the Titans recommenced their battle, and within five minutes of the restart, Larsson more than made amends for his first half misses with a stunning goal.

Chris Sutton did well to chest Jonathan Gould's long clearance into the Swede's path, but from then it was all Larsson as he drove forward, played the ball round one side of Bert Konterman, sprinted past on the other and dinked a sublime chip over Klos to make it 4-1.

And, while we are still only in August, take note - the goal of the season competition has closed.

Larsson's strike was simply poetry in motion, and with Celtic Park now bouncing, surely there would be no more surprises.

However, it wouldn't be Celtic without a wee scare, and when Stephane Mahe was adjudged to have bundled over Rod Wallace in the box just four minutes later, Billy Dodds slotted the ball away to give us another attack of nerves.

Nevertheless, despite a million heart-breaking experiences, we should have known to have faith in Martin O'Neill's side, because they have never given anything less than 100% since the Irishman arrived at the club.

And true to form, when Johan Mjallby's persistence forced Tony Vidmar to bring him down, Bobby Petta curled over a perfect free-kick for Henrik Larsson to glance a header into the far corner of the net.

With the Ranger supporters' poisonous repertoire now silenced, it was left to the Hoops faithful to enjoy taunting their unfortunate opponents with chants of 'Always Look on the Bright Side of Life'!

However, there were few tears shed when Berry Ferguson was rightly sent off for a second bookable offence in the closing minutes.

And Chris Sutton heaped on more glorious misery in injury time with a sixth goal, the first time we have put more than five past Rangers since that famous 7-1 cup final 43 years ago.

Bobby Petta played a delightful reverse ball to set Stephane Mahe free on the left flank, and when the Frenchman drilled a low ball across the face of goal, there was Sutton to fire home and make history.

Of course, all this means that Martin O'Neill is now the best friend of every Celts fan around the world.

And with his career as Celtic manager off to a storybook beginning, let's hope that it will have a fairytale ending come May.

Website Man of the Match: BOBBY PETTA

CELTIC (3-5-2): Gould, Mahe, Valgaeren, Stubbs, McNamara, Petta, Lambert (Mjallby 36), Petrov, Moravcik (Boyd 55), Sutton, Larsson (Burchill 86)

RANGERS (4-4-2): Klos, Ricksen (Tugay 25), Amoruso, Konterman, Vidmar (Kanchelskis 66), Ferguson, Van Bronkhorst, McCann (Lovenkrands 77), Reyna, Dodds, Wallace.