Rangers bounced back from their UEFA Cup defeat by Parma to tighten their grip
at the top of the Scottish Premier League.
A goal from Rod Wallace separated them and Kilmarnock at Ibrox, but more
importantly for the hosts it put some daylight between them and the chasing
pack.
Rangers were far from convincing today but were still too good for Kilmarnock,
who went into the game only a goal behind them at the top.
French striker Jerome Vareille had a miserable afternoon for the ambitious
Ayrshire club.
He missed a glorious chance to give Kilmarnock the lead and then had to go off
with a suspected dislocated shoulder.
Rangers manager Dick Advocaat made two changes from the side and then lost to
Parma in midweek.
Russian winger Andrei Kanchelskis and French striker Stephane Guivarc'h were
both back in the starting line-up, with Ian Ferguson and Gordon Durie dropping
down to the bench.
It was an emotional day for Kilmarnock's former Rangers stars Ian Durrant and
Ally McCoist, and the visitors - who have made remarkable progress under manager
Bobby Williamson - almost made a flying start.
Rangers midfielder Giovanni van Bronckhorst carelessly lost possession after
Kevin McGowne played the ball through.
Vareille was left clear on goal. But his effort was poorly struck, and
goalkeeper Antti Niemi was able to take it comfortably.
Rangers seemed to be lifted by that scare, and Guivarc'h thought he had opened
the scoring three minutes later only for referee John Rowbotham to rule the goal
out for an infringement.
But the home fans' jeers turned to cheers in the 10th minute when Wallace
scored his 15th goal of the season.
He scampered away unmarked to steer the ball into the corner after Barry
Ferguson had delivered the cross from the right.
Kilmarnock's problems increased seven minutes later when Vareille was forced
to go off after a stiff challenge from van Bronckhorst which saw the Rangers
player booked.
Then Rangers stepped up the pressure, and Barry Ferguson saw his effort in the
32nd minute go narrowly wide of the post after a shot from Jorg Albertz had been
deflected into his path.
Wallace almost added a second nine minutes before the break, only for his
effort to take a deflection off Gus McPherson.
Kilmarnock were finding it difficult to string more than a couple of passes
together, and Rangers always looked comfortable.
However, after their 1-1 draw against Dunfermline last week in which they
squandered their advantage, the crowd were anxious for more.
They nearly got their wish in the 58th minute when Albertz had a shot beaten
away by Gordon Marshall after Kanchelskis had delivered a cross from the right.
Marshall was again called into action with 14 minutes to go when he did
superbly well to beat away a fierce 20-yard shot from Ian Ferguson after
Kanchelskis had again supplied the cross.
Wallace was again out of luck in the final minute when he headed wide
following a corner from van Bronckhorst that evaded the Kilmarnock defence.
Now Rangers go to Tynecastle next week to face Hearts, and a victory there
will make them strong favourites to reclaim the title.
Teams
Rangers: Niemi, Porrini, Amoruso, Numan (Vidmar 28), Hendry,
B. Ferguson (I. Ferguson 71), Kanchelskis, Van Bronckhorst,
Albertz, Guivarc'h (Durie 61), Wallace.
Subs Not Used: Nicholson, Brown.
Booked: Van Bronckhorst.
Goals: Wallace 10.
Kilmarnock: Marshall, MacPherson, Montgomerie, McGowne, Reilly,
Holt, Wright (McCoist 75), Durrant, Mitchell (Roberts 75),
Vareille (Mahood 18), Baker.
Subs Not Used: Lauchlan, Strain.
Booked: Baker, Mahood.
Att: 49,781
Ref: J Rowbotham (Kirkcaldy).
E-mail Article 
Print-Friendly
Subscribe to RSS Feed 
Post to del.icio.us
Facebook