afternoon to see out the year on a positive note,
three second-half goals enlightening the gloom on a
miserable Hogmanay weather-wise.
2005 had opened with Rangers first-footing Tannadice
Park, Dundee on Ne'erday (the game ending in a 1-1
draw) and the old year ended with United visiting
Ibrox - the first occasion in the club's history when
such a "double-header" has occurred.
Rangers had not won a single game out of the last six
League fixtures played against the Tannadice men
before today, although that run did include a 7-1
semi-final win for the Light Blues in last season's
League Cup semi-final at Hampden.
Manager Alex McLeish made three changes from Boxing
Day with Alan Lowing, Fernando Ricksen and Nacho Novo
replacing Sotirios Kyrgiakos, Bob Malcolm and Steven
Thompson against a visitors' side that contained two
former Rangers' players, namely Paul Ritchie and Barry
Robson.
The leaden skies over Ibrox at kick-off somehow summed
up the bleakness of the Light Blues' current League
position, and a dismal first-half performance from the
home side did little to lighten the gloom.
United indeed were making the early running with
Ronald Waterreus having to look lively in 22 minutes
to parry Mark Wilson's 25-yard shot.
Ten minutes later Rangers had a strong penalty claim
waved aside by Referee Charlie Richmond when Peter
Lovenkrands was bundled over by David McCracken as he
homed in on an Alan Lowing cross.
The Ibrox men should have opened the scoring in 35
minutes when a Nacho Novo / Thomas Buffel move down
the left carved open the Tannadice defence only for
Barry Ferguson's low drive to be blocked by goalkeeper
Derek Stillie, then Chris Burke's shot from the
rebound being similarly blocked by Ritchie.
A truly woeful first-half ended goalless - but the
mood of the 49,141 crowd was raised somewhat at the
interval when new signing Kris Boyd was introduced.
Thompson replaced Novo in 56 minutes as Alex McLeish
sought to unlock the United defence.
The deadlock was broken midway through the second-half
when a Lowing cross was headed down by Thompson,
Lovenkrands miscuing his shot across the face of goal
where Buffel rifled a shot into the roof of the net.
The game erupted in controversy four minutes later
when Alan Archibald, already booked in 64 minutes for
a foul on Burke, blatantly body-checked the young
winger. Charlie Richmond, having a poor game, was on
the verge of producing a yellow card when he realised
that the full-back had already been cautioned, so
decided that the award of a free-kick would suffice.
Burke almost got his own measure of revenge in 73
minutes, skinning Archibald before seeing his
twenty-yard shot hit the side-netting.
Archibald was immediately thereafter replaced by Lee
Miller - a clear indication from his Manager Gordon
Chisholm that the player was walking on thin ice.
Rangers went 2-0 up in 82 minutes when Thompson,
possibly making his farewell appearance in Light Blue,
headed home a Ferguson cross.
Three minutes later Lovenkrands clinched victory with
a flying header from a Burke cross - the Dane's ninth
goal in a remarkable six-game run.
Afterwards a contented McLeish summarised:
"I was really proud of my young players today. We had
five Under-21's in the squad, with Alan Lowing just
seventeen. I was concerned about the lack of
experience in the team today. Chris Burke is getting
better and better and is a role model for the other
youngsters. Ian Murray has played in every position at
the back and in midfield and deserves a lot of credit.
Fernando Ricksen will be rested again next week - but
sometimes you have to play when unfit."
RANGERS Waterreus; Lowing, Andrews, Murray, Smith;
Burke, Ricksen, Ferguson, Novo (Thompson 56); Buffel,
Lovenkrands
UNUSED SUBS Klos, A. Rae, Jeffers, McKenzie,
McCormack, Campbell
DUNDEE UNITED Stillie; Wilson, McCracken, Ritchie,
Archibald (Miller 75); Kerr, Duff, Robson, Fernandez
(Goodwillie 82); McIntyre, Samuel (Cameron 35)
UNUSED SUBS Samson, McInnes, Kenneth, Robertson
REFEREE Charlie Richmond
Attendance 49,141