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.
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.
“We knew that the Rangers goalkeeper is good coming out for crosses so we wanted balls played in hard and low.
“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.
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
That'll do for me Joe…..thanks.
Spence seems a bit of a goal-scorer…we've maybe got a wee diamond there??
Spence has certainly caught fire in the last month.
Moving from Alloa to Celtic u-19s is a completely different challenge.
He looked no more than ok in the first half of the season but has really come on loads in the last month.
His last two goals, against Livi and Rangers, were real instinctive stikers goals, sniffing out a chance, gambling on where the ball might go and 'mysteriously' being in the right place at the right time.
There isn't much to him physically but he can take the treatment and is always getting himself between defenders and the ball looking to turn and create an opening.
Hopefully there will be a big crowd at the Youth Cup Final on April 28 to give the bhoys some backing and a flavour of what it means to be a Celt.