Ibrox this afternoon in an SPL Reserve League fixture.
The visitors line-up was much more experienced,
underlining the lack of depth currently at Ibrox due
to both injuries and other players being out on loan.
The Dons struck early - taking the lead in the tenth
minute when Steven Craig cleverly chipped the
advancing Graeme Smith.
It was 2-0 in 25 minutes when a Richard Foster cross
was completely missed by Smith, the ball striking
Andrew Dick and rebounding into the net.
Rangers responded to these setbacks - Bajram Fetai
seeing his left-foot drive seven minutes later turned
behind by visiting goalkeeper Ryan Esson, then just
before the interval Graeme Watson saw his thirty-yard
drive flash just over.
Aberdeen should nevertheless have extended their lead
two minutes after the restart when Craig spun on a
Foster cross only to see his low shot come back off
the inside of the post.
The stronger and more experienced Pittodrie side might
have increased their advantage as the second-half wore
on - Dick clearing off the line from a John Stewart
shot folloing another Smith error in 73 minutes, but
two minutes later the 'Gers goalie redeemed himself
with an instinctive point-blank save, turning over
Foster's shot from a Fergus Tiernan cutback.
Almost immediately thereafter at the other end Esson
denied Watson when his 22-yard effort from a Brian
Gilmour pass was turned wide.
The game ended in a 2-0 win for Aberdeen, with perhaps
the biggest dissappointment for the home fans being
the poor performance from Dragan Mladenovic who
offered nothing to suggest he is ready to challenge
for a first-team spot.
RANGERS: G. Smith; Hutton, Dick; McColl, McLean,
Watson (Agnew 79); Johnstone, Mladenovic, Davidson
(Jacmot 55), Fetai, Gilmour (Lennon 84)
ABERDEEN Esson; Hart, Morrisson; Tiernan, Considine,
Buckley; Foster, Adams, Craig, Stewart, Muirhead