Scorers: Amoruso 1, Lovenkrands 72, De Boer 90
Attendance 49,376
Rangers remain at the top of the League following a comfortable if laboured 3-0 win over Motherwell at Ibrox this afternoon.
Barry Ferguson led the team out in his role as Captain despite recent speculation over his fitness, and Claudio Caniggia for Shota Arveladze was the only change from the eleven who had secured a vital point at Celtic Park two weeks ago.
Rangers made the perfect start in front of a near-capacity crowd, opening the scoring in the opening sixty seconds when a Peter Lovenkrands cross broke off Caniggia, the loose ball being stabbed home by Lorenzo Amoruso.
After such an early breakthrough it can be only too easy for a team to relax in the belief that the challenge ahead has already been overcome, and sadly that is exactly what happened to Rangers today, the home side taking their foot off the accelerator as they appeared content to keep possession.
The temperature increased however in 21 minutes when Peter Lovenkrands was felled off the ball by David Cowan – but Referee Alan Freeland saw nothing amiss.
Two minutes later the Dane was again body-checked as he played the ball through to Mikel Arteta. The Spaniard’s shot was deflected wide, and again Freeland did nothing.
Twice within the space of a minute Rangers came close to increasing their lead around the half-hour mark – firstly when Arteta’s low 22-yard drive came off the foot of the post, then a Maurice Ross volley from an Arthur Numan cross flashed just wide.
For all of the home superiority, Motherwell came perilously close to equalising in 32 minutes when Stefan Klos blocked Martyn Corrigan’s header from a Steven Hammell free-kick at close quarters.
Former Ranger Iain Russell was introduced to the fray in 44 minutes, replacing the injured Dirk Lehmann.
Russell, grandson of Ibrox legend Ian McMillan, had been an outstanding prospect as a youth player at Ibrox, only to be kicked off the park in a Youth Cup Final against Hearts when he received absolutely no protection from the referee – the selfsame Alan Freeland of Aberdeen.
The crowd were far from happy at the fact that Rangers had failed to build on their early breakthrough, but duly fortified by some words of wisdom from Manager Alex McLeish Rangers set about making the game safe in the early stages of the second-half.
Twice in quick succession on the hour Amoruso came close to adding a second – firstly when his header from an Arteta corner was held by Woods, then when his dipping 25-yarder missed the target by inches.
Motherwell goalkeeper Stephen Woods was now far busier than he had been before the break – seconds later he plucked a Lovenkrands cross off Caniggia’s toe.
Michael Mols was introduced in place of Caniggia in 70 minutes – the Argentinian being none-too-pleased at being substituted, refusing to shake McLeish’s hand as he left the field.
Two minutes later all was well when a Lovenkrands header from an Arteta cross found the net to put Rangers 2-0 up.
Motherwell were reduced to ten men in 76 minutes when David Partridge received a straight red card for a shocking tackle on Fernando Ricksen, leaving Referee Alan Freeland with little choice but to send him off.
Stephen Hughes made a welcome return from long-term injury when he replaced Barry Ferguson in 82 minutes, and within four minutes the youngster was testing Woods with a twenty-yard drive from a Mols lay-off.
Rangers were finishing the game very much on the ascendancy. Mols laid on another chance for Ricksen in 88 minutes when the Dutchman’s 25-yard drive was fisted away by Woods.
The Ibrox men finished as they had started – a crossfield pass from the outstanding Ricksen finding Lovenkrands who cut inside and sent in a powerful drive that was parried by Woods only for Ronald De Boer to net the rebound to make the scoreline a more realistic 3-0.
Alex McLeish afterwards observed:
"The pressure was on the players to maintain their standards and tempo. We showed patience and concentration. There’s no problem with Caniggia."
RANGERS Klos; Ross, Moore (Konterman 84), Amoruso, Numan; Ricksen, Ferguson (Hughes 82), De Boer, Arteta; Caniggia (Mols 70), Lovenkrands
UNUSED SUBS Latapy, McGregor
MOTHERWELL Woods; Cowan, Corrigan, Partridge, Hammell; Lasley, Ramsey, Adams, Pearson (Jack 72); Lehmann (Russell 44), Ferguson
UNUSED SUBS Macdonald, Dubourdeau, Sengewald