The Ibrox men had gone into the fixture fully
aware that victory would see them draw level with
Celtic at the top of the SPL, with two games in hand
for good measure, but given the way today's events
transpired few could grumble at this relative
shortfall.
Manager Walter Smith made two changes from last
Saturday with Kevin Thomson and Daniel Cousin
replacing Brahim Hemdani and Kris Boyd. The Dons
meanwhile made one chage from Thursday night's
European heroics with Richard Foster coming in for
Sone Aluko.
Exactly one year ago to the day, Rangers had emerged
from the Granite City triumphant following a 2-1 win,
and whilst there were just four survivors from that
day in the visitors starting line-up the home side
could count nine in their ranks.
The home fans added a unique (to British grounds)
atmosphere with deafening klaxon blasts prior to
kick-off, but once the teams appeared the instruments
became of secondary use as abuse, bile and hatred
poured forth in the direction of those wearing Light
Blue. Clearly the season of goodwill did not apply to
visitors from Glasgow.
A bitingly cold wind swept in off the North Sea as the
game kicked off - and it was Aberdeen who were first
to threaten in ten minutes when Scott Severin's pass
to Jamie Smith on the right was intercepted by Steven
Whittaker, the loose ball being pounced on by Richard
Foster whose twenty-yard drive flashed over.
Three minutes later Rangers split the home defence
wide open when a Lee McCulloch - Barry Ferguson move
found Alan Hutton homing in on goal, his drive being
blocked by goalkeeper Jamie Langfield.
In the very next attack Langfield again kept the
scoresheet blank when he clawed out Steven Naismith's
header from a Hutton cross.
Cousin should have done much better in nineteen
minutes when, in the clear in front of goal, he failed
to hit the target - skying over the bar a Whittaker
cutback.
It was one-way traffic - and the opening goal duly
arrive on the half-hour mark when Hutton's cross was
played across goal to the far post by McCulloch,
allowing Charlie Adam to net.
Two minutes later the game boiled over when, at the
corner flag, Hutton won the ball in a tackle on Chris
Clark. Referee Kenny Clark however reacted to the home
fans and yellow-carded the Ranger.
If that was bad enough, Chris Clark exacted revenge on
Hutton with a shocking tackle in 36 minutes that
received the same punishment. It should have been a
straight red card for what was a horrendous assault,
but Kenny Clark bottled it. However in the melee that
followed McCulloch clashed with Scott Severin and was
red-carded for his troubles, yet incredibly Severin
walked away scot-free. This after the referee had
consulted not one but both linesmen…one of whom,
George Drummond, had run half the length of the park
to ensure that McCulloch was ordered off.
Despite their numerical disadvantage, Rangers were by
far the better team as the interval approached, with
Naismith's volley from an Adam chip in 39 minutes
being touched over by Langfield.
Three minutes later Adam's twenty-yard free-kick was
held by Langfield.
Totally against the run of play Aberdeen equalised on
the stroke of half-time when Richie Byrne played a
one-two with Zander Diamond down the right before
seeing his driven cross turned out by Allan McGregor,
Lee Miller heading the rebound into the net.
As in the Lyon game at Ibrox, the goalkeeper had been
proven culpable and a vital goal conceded.
Rangers continued to control the game despite being a
man short, although six minutes after the restart
substitute Karim Touzani tested McGregor with a
25-yard shot that the goalkeeper held.
Steven Naismith had been the outstanding player
afield, and in 63 minutes he released Cousin through
on goal with a delightful pass only for Langfield to
dispossess the Gabon International all too easily.
Ten minutes later Kris Boyd replaced Cousin.
Naismith continued to provide the main Ibrox threat -
and in eighty minutes his low cross from the right was
sliced over his own crossbar by Diamond.
Eight minutes later another penetrating run down the
right by Naismith saw the former Kilmarnock player
send over a low cross that the inrushing Boyd was
inches away from converting.
The game finished level at 1-1, a result that
underlined the commitment, work ethic and passion of a
team that wore the Light Blue with pride - with
Naismith and Whittaker the most impressive.
ABERDEEN Langfield; Hart, Diamond, Considine (Maguire
45), Byrne; Nicholson, Severin (Touzani 45), Clark
(Mair 77), Foster; J. Smith, Miller
UNUSED SUBS Soutar, Lovell, D. Smith, Aluko
RANGERS McGregor; Hutton, Cuellar, Weir, Whittaker;
Naismith, Ferguson, Thomson, Adam; McCulloch, Cousin
(Boyd 73)
UNUSED SUBS Carroll, Ehiogu, Papac, Hemdani, Furman,
Efrem
REFEREE Kenny Clark