the SPL with a less-than-convincing 4-2 win over
struggling Gretna at Ibrox this afternoon - but it was
a poor, poor game for the Ibrox legions to witness
despite the six goals.
This had been a most difficult week for all connected
with Gretna Football Club, but at least today they
could leave Govan with their pride intact
Manager Walter Smith, celebrating his sixtieth
birthday today, made five changes from Athens with
Steven Whittaker, Chris Burke, Steven Naismith,
Jean-Claude Darcheville and Daniel Cousin replacing
Sasa Papac, Nacho Novo, Brahim Hemdani, Charlie Adam
and Kris Boyd.
There was just a small band of visiting fans in one
corner of the ground as Rangers attacked from the
start with Whittaker's curling fifth minute effort
being held by goalkeeper Gregg Fleming.
The opening goal duly arrived seven minutes later when
Cousin streaked through on a long headed clearance
from David Weir, rounding Fleming to net from a narrow
angle.
Naismith made it 2-0 in 21 minutes with a close-range
flick from a Barry Ferguson corner.
Despite all of their problems, Gretna were not simply
here to go through the motions, illustrated firstly
when Nicky Deverdics' 22-yard free-kick was held by
Allan McGregor, then on the half-hour mark Paul Murray
saw his header from Brendan McGill's cross come back
off the base of the post.
The remainder of the half was very much a non-event,
as Rangers, cushioned by a two-goal lead, took their
foot off the accelerator.
The third goal in fact did not arrive until just
before the hour, when Burke rifled the ball into the
roof of the net after Darcheville had raced down the
left-wing before cutting the ball across the face of
goal.
Immediately afterwards Rangers made a double
substitution when Boyd and Novo replaced Cousin and
Darcheville.
Boyd almost had an instant impact when his header from
Ferguson's corner was headed off the line by McGill in
63 minutes.
Eight minutes later at the other end Gretna reduced
the deficit when Kenny Deuchar headed home following a
Buscher corner. It was the first goal conceded by the
Light Blues in Scotland since 16 January - when the
very same player had netted at Motherwell.
Suddenly the SPL's basement club had found new life -
and might even have made it 3-2 in 83 mnutes when
Mikael Buscher's 25-yard free-kick was beaten out by
McGregor.
Any remaining doubt about the outcome of the game
disappeared four minutes later when Boyd, through on a
slide-rule pass from 'Man-of-the-Match' Steven Davis,
rounded Fleming to make it 4-1.
Astonishingly however in the very next attack Deuchar
again netted when he nodded home from close range
after another Buscher corner was headed on by Meynell.
That ended the scoring, and afterwards Walter Smith
summarised:
"I was delighted to win, but frustrated at the manner
in which we lost two goals due to slackness in
defence. I don't like to concede goals like that. Our
two early goals took the edge off the game."
Gretna Director of Football, and current Acting Boss
Mick Wadsworth was brutally honest in his comments:
"We competed well, and I must give credit to everyone.
We will carry on for as long as we can, but are
reliant on Brooks Mileson's wealth and health. I would
love to see us get through this season, but it's a
tough task ahead."
RANGERS McGregor; Broadfoot, Cuellar, Weir, Whittaker;
Burke, Davis, Ferguson, Naismith; Darcheville (Novo
60), Cousin (Boyd 60)
UNUSED SUBS Alexander, Dailly, Faye, Furman, Fleck
GRETNA Fleming; Barr, Hall, Meynell, Naughton; McGill,
Kissock (Buscher 69), Murray (Wilkinson 69), Skelton,
Deverdics (Baldacchino 76); Deuchar
UNUSED SUBS Krysiak, Makinwa, Eklund, Griffiths
REFEREE Calum Murray
Attendance 48,375