Attendance 49,279
Manager Alex McLeish - away on a scouting mission -
had selected a team that showed three changes from
Wednesday with Allan McGregor, Mikel Arteta and Chris
Burke replacing Stefan Klos, Ronald De Boer and Paulo
Vanoli against a visiting team that included
loan-Ranger Billy Gibson.
Despite the appalling conditions the pitch looked in
remarkably good condition as play commenced with five
Scots in the Rangers’ starting line-up.
Jamie Langfield produced a superb save in nine minutes
to touch a Michael Mols header from a Michael Ball
cross over the bar, then from the resultant Arteta
corner Zurab Khizanishvili’s header was blocked on the
line.
Four minutes later there were loud shouts for a
penalty when Grant Murray appeared to handle the ball,
but Referee Mike McCurry appeared to be unsighted.
Rangers were controlling play without displaying
either any great urgency or a sharp cutting edge,
although Gavin Rae was inches away when he drilled a
left-foot shot from a Chris Burke corner just wide in
27 minutes.
The game desperately needed a goal - and it duly
arrived in 39 minutes when Steven Thompson scrambled
the ball home following an Arteta free-kick that he
himself had touched on before Allan Hutton had headed
the ball back across the face of goal.
Three minutes later it was almost two when an Arteta
free-kick from 22 yards was touched behind by
Langfield.
The interval entertainment consisted of a schoolboy
game that was certainly greater value than the senior
game, although within three minutes of the restart it
was 2-0 when Gavin Rae converted a Hutton pass.
Rae almost turned provider in 50 minutes when his
slide-rule pass released Mols only for Langfield to
block his effort.
"We’ll meet again" filled the air as the Rangers fans
responded to the sickening and obnoxious chants from
the ‘Jags supporters, arguably the most racist in
Scotland.
The ‘red-and-yellow’ followers were few in number
amongst the crowd officially recorded as 49,279
(although it appeared close to 7,000 fewer) – and most
certainly they will not be missed next season.
The ever-unpopular Jamie Grady was substituted in 75
minutes to a crescendo of jeers from all sides of the
ground, but in truth the retrograde had made
absolutely no contribution to the game.
Rangers comfortably played out time, although
substitute Ronald De Boer almost brought the house
down in 87 minutes when he took possession of a superb
long pass from twin brother Frank (the ‘Man of the
Match’), controlled the ball on his chest and chipped
over Langfield only to see the Thistle goalkeeper
twist in mid-air to turn the ball over.
Andy Watson afterwards reflected:
"We won quite convincingly, and have now confirmed
second place. The players need to keep going. The
young players have given us a bit more energy."
RANGERS McGregor; Hutton, F. De Boer, Khizanishvili,
Ball; Burke, Ricksen, Arteta (Hughes 62), Rae (Walker
82); Mols, Thompson (R. De Boer 62)
UNUSED SUBS Robinson, Vanoli
PARTICK THISTLE Langfield; W. Gibson, Murray,
Madaschi, Fleming; Anis (Howie 60), Rowson, McBride
(Bonnes 85), Mitchell; Grady (Britton 75), Thomson
UNUSED SUBS
REFEREE Mike McCurry