afternoon, going down 1-2 to Dundee United at
Tannadice.
This latest reversal means that the Ibrox men trail
Celtic by three points in the title race, despite
defeating their great rivals so comprehensively last
week.
Manager Walter Smith made two changes from Tuesday
with the surprise inclusion of Amdy Faye and DaMarcus
Beasley replacing Nacho Novo and virus-hit Charlie
Adam as Rangers adopted a 4-5-1 formation against a
United side that had yet to concede a home League goal
this season.
Tannadice has not been the happiest of hunting grounds
for the Ibrox men in recent years and the game soon
burst into life when both Alan Hutton and Noel Hunt
were yellow-carded in four minutes. The full-back was
the original transgressor, but the United player's
retaliation was unwarranted.
Former Ranger Barry Robson almost took advantage of a
Faye error in 21 minutes with a twenty-yard drive that
was held by Allan McGregor.
Three minutes later Daniel Cousin netted from a Barry
Ferguson free-kick only for the goal to be chalked off
for offside on the say-so of linesman Jim Lyon.
That decision was to prove crucial, for from a similar
situation in 27 minutes United took the lead when
LeeWilkie got the better of David Weir at the back
post from a Willo Flood free-kick to stab the ball
into the net.
Rangers had been lethargic, yet as the interval
approached they pressed for an equaliser, with Cousin
breaking through in 41 minutes to square for Ferguson
who laid the ball off for Lee McCulloch whose shot was
blocked.
Three minutes later Ferguson shot wide from a DaMarcus
Beasley knock-down, and the home side held their
one-goal lead at the interval.
Changes were desperately needed, and Walter Smith, as
in the Tynecastle debacle, was obliged to withdraw
Faye during the break - to be replaced by Novo.
Rangers were soon in the hunt for a breakthrough - and
four minutes into the second-half a McCulloch cross
found Cousin whose close-range effort was blocked by
home goalkeeper Euan McLean, the striker then seeing a
second effort deflected wide from another McCulloch
cross.
The equaliser was delayed only sixty seconds however -
Cousin netting from the penalty spot after Beasley had
been upended by Christian Kalvenes.
If Rangers hoped to use that goal as a platform to
push on for a crucial win, the ground opened up
beneath them within three minutes when Carlos Cuellar
hauled down Jordan Robertson, leaving Referee Dougie
McDonald little option but to award a second spot-kick
that Robson duly converted.
The visitors now had to fight their way back for a
second time - and Novo almost did just that in 58
minutes when his shot from a McCulloch through-ball
was blocked.
Kalvenes had the ball in the net from a Robson corner
in 74 minutes - but the goal was disallowed as he had
firstly fouled McGregor.
United appeared to have weathered the storm and were
now threatening a third - Prince Buaben testing
McGregor three minutes later from a Robson pass, the
goalkeepr turning his shot wide.
Kris Boyd replaced Cousin in 78 minutes, but it was
McGregor who was under pressure at the other end -
Robson seeing his wide-angled free-kick clawed behind
five minutes later.
Boyd demonstrated exactly why he is a substitute in 88
minutes when he skied over a Beasley cross with the
goal at his mercy.
The final whistle signalled a miserable defeat for the
Ibrox men - and concern must be growing over a run of
three consecutive away League fixtures that have
yielded just one point, not to mention a second
successive defeat following a midweek Champions League
fixture.
Afterwards Walter Smith reflected:
"We made a slow start. Poor defending cost us the
first goal, then we gave away a penalty from a
throw-in. We worked very hard to break United down,
but they defended very well. The SPL is tighter than
for many years."
Dundee United Manager Craig Levein interestingly
looked back on his club's defeat of Rangers by the
same score almost exactly one year ago and stated:
"Rangers are a vastly improved team from one year
ago."
DUNDEE UNITED McLean; Dillon, Wilkie, Dods, Kalvenes;
Flood, Gomis, Robson, Buaben (Kerr 90), Hunt;
Robertson
UNUSED SUBS Zaluska, Daly, Robb, Kenneth, Duff,
Goodwillie
RANGERS McGregor; Hutton, Weir, Cuellar, Papac;
Beasley, Ferguson, Thomson, Faye (Novo 45), McCulloch;
Cousin (Boyd 78)
UNUSED SUBS Carroll, Naismith, Whittaker, Lennon,
Furman
REFEREE Dougie McDonald
Attendance 12,129