narrow but deserved 1-0 win over Kilmarnock at Rugby
Park, courtesy of an early goal from Shota Arveladze.
The Light Blues went into today's game without the
services of the suspended Nacho Novo, the victim of
one of the great miscarriages of sporting justice in
modern times.
Manager Alex McLeish, under pressure following
Wednesday's debacle, made three changes from Auxerre
with Alan Hutton, Alex Rae and Dragan Mladenovic
replacing Zurab Khizanishvili, Bob Malcolm and Novo.
Making a welcome return on the bench were Chris Burke,
Stephen Hughes and Steven Thompson. Craig Moore, an
inexplicable substitute in midweek, was nowhere to be
seen today.
There were huge gaps in the home support as Rangers,
wearing red jerseys, lined up against a Kilmarnock
side playing with three up front.
On a tricky playing surface Rangers took the lead in
fifteen minutes when Fernando Ricksen's cross was
blocked, Hutton seizing on the loose ball to centre
for Shota Arveladze who coolly netted from ten yards.
Killie were certainly creating chances - and should
have levelled matters on the half-hour when Kris Boyd
fed Danny Invincible who elected to shoot straight at
Stefan Klos with Colin Nish free on his right.
Rangers might have increased their lead just before
the interval when Arveladze, through on a Gregory
Vignal flock, hesitated allowing Smith to gather the
ball.
Shota was almost made to pay seconds later when, in a
swift counter-attack, Boyd miss-kicked in front of
goal from a Steven Naismith cutback.
Six minutes into the second-half in a lightning break
of their own, Arveladze released Dado Prso only for
the Croatian's twenty-yard shot to be touched behind
by Smith.
Alex Rae was inches away in 53 minutes with a 25-yard
shot, but the feeling was growing amongst the 11,156
crowd that Rangers were not killing off the game as
their superiority should have done.
The unease amongst the vast travelling support was
only strengthened ten minutes later when the Ibrox men
spurned two good chances to secure the game - firstly
when Fernando Ricksen's shot from a Jean-Alain
Boumsong pass was beaten out by Smith, the loose ball
being seized on by Prso who crossed for Hamed Namouchi
whose header was blocked on the line by Simon Ford
(nephew of former Ranger Mark Walters).
Thompson replaced Namouchi in 69 minutes, but five
minutes later Vignal's error almost presented Killie
with a gift equaliser - his passback going straight to
Boyd who shot straight at Klos.
Chris Burke replaced Dado Prso on 78 minutes, but
Rangers were content to play out time with a one-goal
lead - even if that made for nervous viewing amongst
the Light Blue legions,
Alex McLeish afterwards reflected on the win:
"We've played better and dropped points. We had a
reasonable control of the game, but can never relax at
1-0. A win today was vital after the midweek misery."
On Jean-Alain Boumsong 'Eck' emphasised:
"He has NOT asked for a transfer. We know there is
genuine interest from Newcastle, but at the moment
it's the status quo."
KILMARNOCK Smith; Greer, Dindeleaux, Ford, Hay;
MacDonald (Wales 45), Invincible, Leven; Nish (Dodds
72), Boyd, Naismith (Murray 59)
UNUSED SUBS Samson, Dargo, Johnston, Wolski
RANGERS Klos; Hutton, Boumsong, Andrews, Vignal;
Ricksen, Mladenovic, A. Rae, Namouchi (Thompson 69);
Prso (Burke 78), Arveladze
UNUSED SUBS G. Smith, Ball, Hughes, Malcolm, Ross
REFEREE Dougie McDonald
Attendance 11,156