Attendance 17,202
Rangers' pre-season build-up took a step forward
tonight with a 2-0 win over Ipswich Town at Portman
Road thanks to second-half goals from Peter
Lovenkrands and Nacho Novo.
There was a massive travelling support of some 6,000
inside the East Anglia ground to see an Ibrox side
fielding six Scots in the starting line-up and wearing
their new change strip of white with a red sash.
There was a welcome return in the visiting ranks for
goalkeeper Stefan Klos, making his first appearance in
six months following a cruciate knee ligament injury
The home side were the stronger in the opening stages
with former Dundee United central defender Jason De
Vos seeing his shot from a Jim Magilton corner held by
Klos.
Klos was called into action again in 27 minutes when
he held a 22-yard drive from Ian Westlake, but sixty
seconds later there was an injury blow for Rangers
when new signing Brahim Hemdani limped off with a
recurrence of his groin injury, to be replaced by
Dragan Mladenovic.
Barry Ferguson came close to opening the scoring in 33
minutes when he dispossessed French defender Edwin
Ouon only to be thwarted by home goalkeeper Lewis
Price.
One minute later Ouon, making his Ipswich debut on
trial from Royal Antwerp was yellow-carded for a late
tackle on Lovenkrands, and from the resultant Ross
McCormack 25-yard free-kick Price produced a fine
save.
Rangers were now on top - a mazy run from Chris Burke
ending when he shot over from the edge of the box in
forty minutes, but it took a point-blank save from
Klos to keep the scoreline blank when he blocked Sam
Parkin's header from a Darren Currie cross.
Manager Alex McLeish made three changes at the
interval, including Argentinian Federico Nieto, and
the deadlock was broken eight minutes after the
restart when Lovenkrands headed home a Novo cross.
It should have been 2-0 in 58 minutes when Barry
Ferguson sliced wide a Lovenkrands cutback.
Three minutes later Nick Forster might have levelled
matters only to shoot wide when clean through.
Novo came close in 74 minutes, shooting across the
face of goal from a Ferguson pass, then seven minutes
later substitute Charlie Adam saw his twenty-yard
effort flash inches wide.
Novo however wrapped up victory for Rangers with three
minutes left when he drilled home an Adam pass.
Of the new signings on display Pierre-Fanfan strolled
through the game, whilst Nieto still looks short of
fitness and Hemdani's fitness must be a cause for
concern. One must hope however that Peter Lovenkrands
carries his pre-season form into the campaign proper.
Afterwards a satisfied Alex McLeish reflected:
"It was a good work-out. We reached another level of
fitness. Confidence is high. We received a magnificent
reception from the Ipswich fans, and the Rangers
support was once again fantastic."
IPSWICH TOWN Price; Marques, Wilnis (Richards 60); De
Vos, Ouon, Westlake; Magilton (McDonald 60), Forster,
Parkin, Currie, Horlock (Garvan 40)
UNUSED SUBS Naylor, Supple, Collins, Bowditch
RANGERS Klos; Ross (Ricksen 70), Khizanishvili,
Pierre-Fanfan, Smith (Ball 45); Burke (Novo 45),
Ferguson (Adam 76), Hemdani (Mladenovic 28), A. Rae,
Lovenkrands (Fetai 81); McCormack (Nieto 45)
UNUSED SUBS McLean, McGregor, Santala
REFEREE G. Lewis