Dunfermline Athletic 0 Rangers 2 (Bamba og, Boyd)
Attendance 5,702
Manager Paul Le Guen made eight changes from Easter
Road with Alan Hutton, Brahim Hemdani, Sasa Papac,
Gavin Rae, Charlie Adam, Chris Burke, Nacho Novo and
Kris Boyd replacing Phil Bardsley, Karl Svensson,
Julien Rodriguez, Barry Ferguson, Jeremy Clement, Lee
Martin, Thomas Buffel and Filip Sebo against a home
side containing two former Rangers' players, namely
Scott Wilson and Greg Shields.
There was a pathetic turn-out from the home support
with ‘Gers fans constituting perhaps 80% of the 5,702
crowd – although many of the Light Blue legions missed
the kick-off due to traffic congestion.
The game mirrored the half-empty ground in the opening
stages – quiet, with the first opening in twenty
minutes being a Boyd header from Burke's cross that
struck the crossbar.
Three minutes later at the other end Jim Hamilton
headed wide from a Stephen Simmons corner.
The remainder of the first-half was less than
memorable – and it was no surprise when it ended
goalless.
Ten minutes after the restart Rangers had a strong
penalty claim denied by Referee Mike McCurry when
Hutton was upended by Aaron Labonte, then almost
immediately thereafter Simmons' header from a Hamilton
headflick was just over.
Martin replaced Sionko in 57 minutes, and two minutes
later, as the Ibrox men began to apply some pressure,
Boyd's shot from a Hutton cutback was blocked, before
the centre's header from a Burke cross slipped inches
wide of the target.
The opening goal finally arived in 65 minutes when
Hutton's effort was sliced into his own net by
Souleymane Bamba.
Rangers were now well on top, and Buffel was
introduced in place of Novo four minutes later – the
Belgian International almost making an instant impact
when his cross was headed inches wide by Boyd.
The former Kilmarnock striker soon made spectacular
amends however – taking an Allan McGregor clearance on
the turn to volley home from all of 25 yards to make
it 2-0.
Hutton almost topped even that shortly afterwards, his
drive from a Buffel pass being touched over by home
goalkeeper Dorus De Vries.
Sebo replaced Burke in 75 minutes, and within five had
created space on the right before laying the ball off
to Adam whose drive was headed off the line by Phil
McGuire.
De Vries again denied Rangers in 85 minutes blocking
Martin after the winger had cut inside from the left.
The tie was won however – and afterwards Le Guen
reflected:
“A win was the priority. Our second-half performance
was very good. We played good football, we kept our
pace and rhythm. We didn't concede many chances.”
DUNFERMLINE ATHLETIC De Vries; Shields, McGuire,
Wilson, Bamba, Labonte; Young, Mason, Simmons
(Muirhead 61); Daquin (Morrison 61), Hamilton
UNUSED SUBS Ross, McKenzie, Tod
RANGERS McGregor; Hutton, Hemdani, Papac, Smith;
Sionko (Martin 57), Rae, Adam, Burke (Sebo 75); Boyd,
Novo (Buffel 69)
UNUSED SUBS Svensson, Robinson
REFEREE Mike McCurry