Park this afternoon with a 2-0 win over Motherwell
thanks to a brace of goals from Dado Prso.
It was arguably the Light Blues’ best performance of
the season in what was an excellent, competitive game
for Motherwell this season have impressed under former
Rangers’ legend Terry Butcher, and indeed went into
today’s game unbeaten in their past eight matches
whilst the visitors had gone into the two-week
International break on the back of five successive
wins without the loss of a single goal.
Fir Park has not been the happiest of venues for
Rangers in recent years, although Stephen Hughes’
winner did ensure a 1-0 victory on the occasion of the
last visit.
Manager Alex McLeish made three changes from the
Kilmarnock game two weeks ago with Zurab
Khizanishvili, Chris Burke and Dado Prso replacing
Maurice Ross, Stephen Hughes and Peter Lovenkrands.
There was a welcome return for Hamed Namouchi, out
with injury since pre-season who was named on the
substitute’s bench, one of five Under-21’s amongst the
subs.
Rangers were first to show – former Ibrox goalkeeper
Gordon Marshall holding Steven Thompson’s header from
a Fernando Ricksen cross in four minutes.
The action quickly switched to the other end – a
Martyn Corrigan cross finding David Clarkson whose
stabbed shot was held by Stefan Klos.
The pace was frantic – and the opening goal duly
arrived in six minutes when Ricksen released Prso, the
Croatian sweeping the ball past the advancing Marshall
into the net.
Rangers were moving freely and impressively –
Ricksen’s 25-yard free-kick being held by Marshall in
fourteen minutes, yet five minutes later Scott
McDonald almost levelled the scores when he cut inside
from the left before firing a powerful drive from the
edge of the area that was parried by Klos.
The game erupted in controversy in 28 minutes when a
second Prso goal was chalked off by Referee John
Rowbotham – to award a free-kick TO Rangers following
a quite outrageous foul on Nacho Novo by Stephen
Craigan. Incredibly the referee took no action against
the Motherwell defender when a straight red card was
the only decision.
Four minutes later it was Klos to the rescue with an
outstanding save from David Clarkson when a long
through-ball released the ‘Well forward clean through
on goal.
Craigan compounded his earlier folly with a gesture to
the visiting fans in 36 minutes – and again escaped
punishment from Rowbotham.
Almost inevitably the first yellow card of the
afternoon when it arrived was shown to a Ranger –
Steven Thompson for a foul on Kevin McBride, but
ludicrously the tally was doubled inside sixty seconds
when Burke was booked for a handball that was
certainly accidental.
Rangers however overcame the idiosyncrasies of
officialdom to finish the half on top – Novo’s 44th
minute effort from a Burke pass being deflected wide
by Marshall, then from the resultant Burke corner
Marvin Andrews headed over the bar.
Prso almost made it 2-0 four minutes after the
restart, stabbing a Novo cross wide of goal.
Shota Arveladze replaced the limping Thompson in 54
minutes, then three minutes later Burke’s solo run
ended with a twenty-yard shot that was just too high.
‘Well were still very much in the game however –
ex-Celt Phil O’Donnell’s cross on the hour flashing
across the face of goal without any takers, then sixty
seconds later Scott Leitch’s 25-yard shot from a Kevin
McBride pass was touched wide by Klos.
The home side had the edge in pressure as the
second-half wore on, Steven Hammell testing Klos with
a 25-yard free-kick that the German held in 73
minutes.
The points were sealed however with eight minutes left
on the clock when a swift break by Novo carried him
deep into enemy territory before squaring to Prso who
buried the ball behind Marshall.
Three minutes later yet another idiosyncratic
Rowbotham decision allowed Motherwell a free-kick just
fifteen yards from goal – Jean-Alain Boumsong, clearly
pushed from behind, saw his pass picked up by Klos.
McDonald’s chip from Hammell’s indirect free-kick was
however headed off the line by Novo, and the danger
was cleared.
There was a welcome return for Namouchi who replaced
Burke in 88 minutes, and almost immediately he was
involved – shooting wide from Ricksen’s pass.
Alex McLeish afterwards summarised:
“I’m happy with the result – we started the game well.
Motherwell made it difficult for us. We had several
players playing out of position again today, but good
players should not have a problem with that.”
Terry Butcher responded:
“I’m very disappointed – we put a lot of effort into
the game. We’ve come a long way in a short space of
time. The second goal killed us off. Stefan Klos was
different class – he’s as good a goalkeeper as Chris
Woods.”
MOTHERWELL Marshall; Corrigan, Craigan, Partridge,
Hammell; McBride, Leitch, O’Donnell (Paterson 89),
Foran; Clarkson, McDonald
UNUSED SUBS Burns, Corr, Quinn, Fagan, Kinniburgh,
Fitzpatrick
RANGERS Klos; Khizanishvili, Boumsong, Andrews,
Vignal; Novo, Ricksen, Malcolm, Burke (Namouchi 88);
Prso, Thompson (Arveladze 54)
UNUSED SUBS Hughes, G. Smith, McLean, Fetai, Davidson
REFEREE John Rowbotham