hard-fought 1-0 win over Inverness Caledonian Thistle
this afternoon, courtesy of a second-half Barry
Ferguson goal.
The Light Blues made their first-ever visit to
Inverness on League business, and their first in a
competitive game for 21 years this afternoon. Indeed
the journey to the Caledonian Stadium represented the
Ibrox men's longest-ever journey for a domestic League
fixture.
Manager Alex McLeish fielded an unchanged line-up from
last Sunday with new signing Julien Rodriquez from
Monaco named as a substitute.
With hundreds locked out, and many finding vantage
points outside the ground, the record attendance of
7,512 saw a quiet start to the game, Player-Manager
Craig Brewster having the first sight at goal on
fifteen minutes following a Ferguson error - an
eighteen-yard shot from a Craig Dargo cross that flew
over.
Three minutes later a Thomas Buffel miscue fell for
Peter Lovenkrands whose shot on the turn flew just
wide.
Brewster came to his side's rescue in 27 minutes when
he headed a Pierre Fanfan overhead kick off the line
following a Lovenkrands corner that was touched out by
former Ibrox goalkeeper Mark Brown.
Seven minutes later Brewster himself was twice denied
at the other end when firstly Ian Murray blocked his
shot then when Ronald Waterreus somehow turned his
point-blank header from a Barry Wilson cross wide.
Waterreus again defied the Caley Player-Manager when
he went through on a Ross Tokely pass in 43 minutes,
then sixty seconds later the home side had a penalty
claim turned down when Tokely clashed with Fanfan.
Eight minutes into the second-half there was another
penalty claim - this time for Darren Dods' foul on
Nacho Novo, but once again Referee Calum Murray waved
play on.
Ferguson was inches away from opening the scoring with
a 22-yard free-kick in 58 minutes, then six minutes
later the Ibrox captain turned creator, freeing Novo
whose shot was beaten out by Brown.
Inverness continued to threaten - Stuart Golabek
testing Waterreus with a shot from a Dargo flick in 65
minutes.
The opening goal was merely delayed - at when it
arrived it came at the other end - Ferguson slotting
the ball home from six yards following a Dado Prso
cutback.
Lovenkrands almost made the points safe in 86 minutes
when he cut in from the left before sending a
right-foot shot just over.
Caley fought to the end - Richie Hart being denied by
a superb Waterreus save in injury time.
Afterwards a relieved Alex McLeish reflected:
"I was pleased to get three points. Ronald Waterreus
had two tremendous point-blank saves. We are ready for
Cyprus."
INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE Brown; Tokely, Dods,
Munro, Hastings; Wilson (Fox 87), Black, McBain (Hart
83), Golabek; Dargo (Hislop 77), Brewster
UNUSED SUBS Fraser, Duncan, Proctor, Parratt
RANGERS Waterreus; Ricksen, Andrews, Fanfan, Murray;
Novo, Ferguson, A. Rae (Malcolm 85), Lovenkrands;
Buffel, Prso (Thompson 73)
UNUSED SUBS Klos, Rodriguez, Smith, Adam, McCormack
REFEREE Calum Murray
Attendance 7,512