Attendance 49,036
Rangers swept back to the top of the SPL with an overwhelming 4-0 victory over Kilmarnock at Ibrox this afternoon, a result that leaves the Light Blues in pole position by a margin of just two goals.
There was an electric atmosphere with just over 49,000 spectators inside the Stadium as Rangers made two changes from the side that had dropped two crucial points at Dundee last weekend – Lorenzo Amoruso and Stephen Hughes replacing Bob Malcolm and Kevin Muscat – against a visitors’ line-up that fielded three ex-Rangers players, namely Gordon Marshall, Greg Shields and Gary McSwegan.
Rangers made a whirlwind start and should have opened the scoring inside thirty seconds when Peter Lovenkrands’ cross deceived Barry McLaughlin, allowing Ronald De Boer clear sight of goal, only to snatch at his effort and send it over the bar.
The opener was only delayed a further three minutes however – a Mikel Arteta pass releasing Michael Mols whose angled drive found the net via a post.
Two minutes later it was 2-0, and the Ibrox men were ahead in the Championship race. De Boer was through on a Numan cross only to be blocked by the out-rushing Marshall whose clearance fell to Mols, fully thirty yards out. The Dutchman’s chip was precise and true – and a cricket score looked on the cards.
Rangers were playing like men possessed – Barry Ferguson moved on to a Hughes pass in eight minutes and saw his 25-yard drive flash just over the bar.
It was one-way traffic. Marshall again defied De Boer from an Arteta chip in seventeen minutes, and then held a Ferguson twenty-yard drive from an Amoruso pass on the half-hour.
No one could have expected the pace of the opening minutes to continue unabated, but Rangers finished the half strongly.
Mikel Arteta struck the base of the post with a wide-angled 25-yard free-kick in 43 minutes, then twice in as many minutes Ferguson was clean through on goal only to finish lamentably.
With Shota Arveladze an interval substitution for Lovenkrands, Rangers restarted still very much on the offensive. One Arteta drive was blocked by Mols, the rebound falling to Ricksen whose effort was deflected over, and then from the resulting Arteta corner Amoruso had a free header only to direct it wide.
Arveladze had a golden opportunity to add a third goal in 55 minutes only to shoot over from a Ricksen chip, but the Georgian made amends four minutes later when he cut inside from a Mols pass and unleashed a magnificent 25-yard drive into the top corner of the net.
Shota turned provider in 62 minutes, feeding Mols who was denied his hat-trick by the goalkeeper’s legs.
There was a tremendous atmosphere inside the ground as Rangers pressed relentlessly on. A strong penalty claim was denied by Aberdeen Referee Alan Freeland midway through the half when McLaughlin bundled Arveladze to the ground as the Ranger moved on to a Moore cross, but hopes of a spot-kick were optimistic – it’s only Celtic who get soft penalties.
Six minutes later a Hughes drive from the edge of the box from a Ricksen corner struck the top of the crossbar.
Michael Mols – in magnificent form today – left the field to a standing ovation in 76 minutes when Claudio Caniggia replaced him.
The Argentinian was on the park just three minutes when he was released clean in on goal by a magnificent De Boer pass before rounding Marshall and stroking the ball into the empty net.
It was almost a case of ‘déjà vu’ in 83 minutes when Caniggia again was right through, this time from a Numan pass, but on this occasion Marshall was equal to the task. Rangers continued to go all out for more goals. An Arteta chip in the dying seconds finding Arveladze whose volley was parried by Marshall, and the final whistle sounded shortly afterwards on a 4-0 scoreline that perhaps should have been greater.
Manager Alex McLeish afterwards reflected on a good afternoon’s work:
"A great win and very pleasing performance. It all came together today. We made a brilliant start, and it could have been more. The team spirit was outstanding. The crowd was terrific today. Tynecastle will be a big game for Rangers, but the pressure’s all back on Celtic now."
Killie boss Jim Jeffries was honest enough to admit:
"Rangers played very well today – we seem to have a complex about Ibrox. It could have been a lot more. I’ve never heard an Ibrox crowd so noisy as today."
So now with just two games remaining we have the closest title race in years, and the inescapable feeling is that the title race will all boil down to ninety minutes in Edinburgh next Sunday.
Mind you, if Rangers play as they did today they will have nothing to fear.
RANGERS Klos; Ricksen, Amoruso, Moore, Numan; Hughes, Ferguson, Arteta, Lovenkrands (Arveladze 45); De Boer (McCann 87), Mols (Caniggia 76)
UNUSED SUBS McGregor, Malcolm
KILMARNOCK Marshall; Shields, McLaughlin, Dindeleaux, Fowler; Canero, Mahood, Fulton (McDonald 71), Di Giacomo; McLaren (Locke 45), McSwegan (Boyd 45)
UNUSED SUBS Stewart, Hay
REFEREE Alan Freeland