Rangers 4 (Hughes 2 {31, 77}, Prso 5, Arveladze 87)
Livingston 0
Attendance 48,102
On an intensely hot day, the Light Blue legions were
out in force for the first home game of the season –
and prominent amongst the 48,102 spectators were two
banners held aloft, one reading “The Blue Order
supports Alex Rae”, the other “David Murray – Defend
Our Club.” They’ll be waiting a long time, one
suspects.
Manager Alex McLeish made two changes from Moscow with
Marvin Andrews and Stephen Hughes replacing Maurice
Ross and Zurab Khizanishvili.
Early arrivals had to suffer the pre-match
entertainment offered by the truly awful Andy Cameron,
but at least there was a quick strike from the Ibrox
men to lift the clouds of depression – Dado Prso
stabbing the ball home for the opening goal from a
Stephen Hughes pass after a Shota Arveladze header
from Gregory Vignal’s corner had been cleared off the
line.
Livingston almost produced an immediate reply when
Derek Lilley was clean through only to see Stefan Klos
block his effort with his legs.
The traffic was almost entirely towards Roddy
McKenzie’s goal however – the Livvie goalkeeper
denying Peter Lovenkrands from a Stephen Hughes pass
in 29 minutes.
The second goal was merely delayed however – Hughes
netting from point-blank range two minutes later from
a Lovenkrands’ cross–cum-shot following Shota
Arveladze’s exquisite back-heel to the Dane.
With the game effectively all but won, Rangers took
their feet off the accelerator, no doubt due to a
combination of the heat and the travails of the
previous week.
The second-half followed much the same pattern of the
closing stages of the first, although Livvie were not
altogether out of it – former Ranger Steven Boyack
creating an opening in 63 minutes only to see his
eighteen –yard drive flash just wide.
Three minutes later Rangers had a stonewall penalty
denied by Referee Ian Brines when Emmanuel Dorado
hauled Prso to the ground as the Croatian received a
Paulo Vanoli cross.
Prso took his frustration out sixty seconds later with
a foul on Burton O’Brien for which he received the
game’s only yellow card, and then limped off to be
replaced by Steven Thompson.
Just when it looked like the game might peter out at
2-0, Rangers added a third in 77 minutes when Hughes
swept the ball home after Arveladze’s cutback had
produced a “fresh-air” effort from Thompson.
With just three minutes left on the clock it was 4-0
when Arveladze drove home a Vanoli cross.
Alex McLeish afterwards observed:
“I was very pleased to get three points and four goals
after a tough week. The second-half goals were a long
time in coming. Some players were running on empty.
Stephen Hughes played an intelligent game, and
supported play well, although he needs to take the
game by the scruff of the neck.
“There’s been a lot of negativity about this week. It
can get a bit hysterical in Scotland. Alex Rae is a
good, combative player.”
RANGERS Klos; Ricksen, Boumsong, Andrews, Vignal
(Vanoli 63); Arveladze, A. Rae, Hughes, Lovenkrands
(Adam 85); Novo, Prso (Thompson67)
UNUSED SUBS Hutton, G. Smith, Malcolm, Fetai
LIVINGSTON McKenzie; McNamee, Ramos, Dorado,
McLaughlin (Bahoken 54); Boyack, Easton, Lovell,
O’Brien; Libbra (McMenamin 54), Lilley (Hamilton 85)
UNUSED SUBS Snowdon, Meldrum, Dair, Brittain
REFEREE Ian Brines