Kilmarnock 3 Rangers 4
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The home side took the lead in 22 minutes when Craig
Dargo converted a Danny Invincible pass.
The Ibrox men were level within two minutes however
when Ross McCormack netted with a penalty awarded for
Shaun Dillon’s foul on Darryl Duffy.
Dillon had been yellow-carded for that incident, and a
reckless 27th minute tackle saw him receive a second
yellow and subsequent red.
Despite their numerical advantage Rangers found
themselves trailing again within six minutes when
Invincible found the net from a Rhian Dodds opening.
Indeed it might have been 3-1 before the interval when
Dargo’s lob struck the top of the crossbar.
Rangers restarted on the offensive, and were level
within two minutes when McCormack netted from an Alex
Walker cutback.
It was all one-way traffic now, and the visitors took
the lead for the first time in 52 minutes when Walker
played a one-two with Duffy before slotting the ball
home.
Four minutes later Allan Hutton’s twenty-yard drive
was disallowed for offside as Rangers went all out to
clinch the points.
Kilmarnock were far from finished however – Kris Boyd
volleying Stephen Murray’s cross into the roof of the
net for a 65th minute equaliser.
Rangers had a strong penalty claim denied with five
minutes remaining when Neil McGregor appeared to upend
McCormack, but the Light Blues would not be denied,
regaining the lead from the subsequent corner when
Chris McLeod scrambled home Walker’s flag-kick.
It only remained for Egil Ostenstad to execute the
miss of the night in the final minute, somehow
completely missing the ball three yards out when
Hutton squared across the face of goal.
Nevertheless Rangers’ 4-3 win was secure.
KILMARNOCK Smith; McGregor, Dillon; McLaughlin,
Cochrane, Canning; Invincible, Dodds, Boyd (Masterton
75), Dargo (Gilroy 57), Murray (Naismith 66)
RANGERS McGregor; Hutton, Coyle (McKenzie 45); Dowie,
McLeod, Nerlinger; Walker, Kalenga, Duffy (Johnston
80), Ostenstad, McCormack