SPL with a narrow 1-0 win over Dunfermline Athletic at
Ibrox this afternoon - but it was a grim struggle for
most of the ninety minutes.
Manager Alex McLeish made three changes from
Tynecastle with Stefan Klos replacing Ronald Waterreus
in goal due to the Dutchman's illness and Steven Smith
and Kris Boyd coming in for Ian Murray and Peter
Lovenkrands.
Dunfermline, backed by a paltry travelling support,
set out their stall early with five at the back and a
packed midfield - former Rangers' players Greg Shields
and Scott Wilson being included in their ranks.
It was one-way traffic from the opening minutes with
Boyd twice coming close in the opening ten minutes -
firstly when his header from Dado Prso's overhead kick
was blocked on the line, then when he headed over from
a Thomas Buffel cross.
Prso came even closer in twelve minutes when his
25-yard drive from a Buffel pass struck an upright -
Boyd's effort from the rebound being wide of the
target.
Seven minutes later Smith burst through the middle
before laying the ball off to Barry Ferguson only for
the Light Blue captain's effort to be blocked by
visiting goalkeeper Bryn Halliwell.
Halliwell, in for on-loan Rangers' goalkeeper Allan
McGregor, again defied Fergie on twenty minutes when
he turned wide a 22-yard shot.
Four minutes later it was Boyd's turn to be thwarted
by the English goalkeeper when his 22-yard drive was
comfortably held.
The save of the match arrived in 26 minutes -
Halliwell turning over a wide-angled drive from Chris
Burke.
That was a magnificent save, but the remainder of the
first-half was turgid to say the least and, for all
Rangers' pressure, the interval arrived with the
scoreline blank.
Sixty seconds after the restart Klos was called upon
to make his first save of the afternoon, blocking a
Gary Mason effort after the midfielder had been
released by Lee Makel.
Halliwell again kept his side on level terms in 57
minutes, fisting away Buffel's shot from Prso's
cutback.
Lovenkrands at last was finally introduced to the fray
ten minutes later - but whilst his arrival was long
overdue the fact that he replaced the influential
Buffel mystified many.
The Dane made an immediate impact - and Rangers almost
broke the deadlock in 68 minutes when Prso's header
from a Burke corner was headed off the line by Jamie
McCunnie.
The opening goal was merely delayed a further two
minutes however - and it was Lovenkrands who created
the opening with a pinpoint cross that was guided home
by a glancing header from Sotirios Kyrgiakos.
It was sweet revenge for the Greek defender, given his
unjust treatment at Dunfermline on Boxing Day.
Halliwell continued to defy the Light Blues as they
pushed for a clinching second - clawing away
Ferguson's 25-yard free-kick in 76 minutes, then sixty
seconds later holding Burke's 25-yard shot from a
Fergie pass.
Unbelievably the Pars almost snatched a wholly
undeserved point in injury time when Andy Tod's
eighteen-yard volley was turned over by Klos.
It would have been a farcical outcome to a game that
Rangers should have won by the length of Copland Road,
but nevertheless the win increases the Champions' lead
over Kilmarnock in the race for Europe to five points
with the Ayrshire men having squandered a 2-0 interval
lead at Tannadice, and Hibernian going down 0-2 at
home to Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Hearts however
retained a six-point advantage over the Light Blues
with a 2-1 win at Falkirk.
Afterwards a relieved Alex McLeish summarised:
"We made a great start, but it was frustrating to miss
so many chances. It was up to us to break down a
packed defence, but we didn't panic. We should have
won by a handsome margin, but but concentration is so
vital."
RANGERS Klos; Hutton, Kyrgiakos, Rodriguez, Smith;
Burke (Novo 85), Ferguson, Hemdani, Prso; Buffel
(Lovenkrands 67), Boyd
UNUSED SUBS Andrews, Murray, Gallacher, G. Rae,
N'Guessan
DUNFERMLINE ATHLETIC Halliwell; Labonte, Shields,
Wilson, Tod, Thomson; Ross (Tarachulski 83), Donnelly,
Mason, Makel (McCunnie 57); Muirhead (Daquin 75)
UNUSED SUBS A. Campbell, Shaw, I. Campbell, Phinn
REFEREE Brian Winter
Attendance 49,017
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