Two goals each from Ronald de Boer and Shota Arveladze enabled Rangers to take
a step closer to the Scottish Premier League championship crown they surrendered
to Celtic three seasons ago.
The fact that Celtic also won today means nothing is settled at the top of the
table and if the reigning champions win all their games, including the final Old
Firm clash in two weeks, they and not Alex McLeish's men will pick up the
pennant.
But Rangers have the points in the bag and remain eight ahead in the knowledge
that Celtic must cram two extra games into an already packed schedule.
At first it was unclear exactly which direction this match would take as both
sides struggled to make sense of an excessively bouncy pitch that looked as
though it had had half of Broughty Ferry beach dumped on it.
In the past, de Boer has been accused of taking it easy in games when he
should be sweating as much as his less-gifted colleagues, but on this occasion
he showed himself to be the master of the not so true grit.
He alone seemed to be able to control a ball that seemed to bounce randomly
off the limbs of other players and he went in at half-time having stamped his
brand on all three goals.
The first was his as he took down a Peter Lovenkrands cross from the left with
ease in the 10th minute before producing an effortless, low finish past Scotland
goalkeeper Paul Gallacher.
The second followed seven minutes later with de Boer sending in a cross from
the left that had too much pace for any defender to intercept but was perfect
for Arveladze to head home from close range.
The third was all his as he lifted a pass from Mikel Arteta over Gallacher at
his near post.
Ian McCall's United side had fired in the first shot of the game, through Jim
McIntyre, but then toiled to produce anything else of merit.
Their only moment of hope before the break came in the 40th minute when Mark
Wilson latched on to half a clearance from Arthur Numan but saw his shot bounce
back off the crossbar.
Rangers had been forced to shuffle the pack before kick-off with Barry
Ferguson and Lorenzo Amoruso both banned but with Craig Moore, who had completed
a suspension of his own, he was an ideal replacement for the Italian.
Arveladze had come in for Michael Mols up front with Fernando Ricksen pushed
back into midfield and Kevin Muscat restored to the right of the defence.
McCall chose Russell Latapy, who was deemed surplus to requirements at Ibrox
in January, in the starting line-up but the little man did little to suggest
that had been an error.
Likewise, fellow ex-Ger Charlie Miller made no impression up front and the
United side had the air of a beaten team as soon as Arveladze had netted that
second goal.
It was clear change was needed and it came in the shape of another ex-Ger,
Billy Dodds, who replaced Craig Easton in the 50th minute after Arteta had been
booked for kicking the ball away.
United were instantly galvanised and Klos had to give up his spectator status
to pull off two fine saves in the space of a few seconds, first to deny Latapy
from 25 yards and then McIntyre from much closer.
United survived a penalty claim when the ball appeared to hit Gary Bollan on
the arm but the controversy quickly shifted to the centre of the pitch when
Dodds clattered Moore.
Ricksen waded in to let his former team-mate know exactly how he felt and arms
were raised.
Referee Douglas McDonald insisted the matter was ended with handshakes, but
not before he had booked Numan, presumably for dissent.
United were enjoying their best spell of the game now even though it was
beyond their reach and Numan had to make two blocks in the space of a few
seconds, first from Dodds then from McIntyre.
Wilson had taken a knock and had to be replaced by Jim Lauchlan while Rangers
sent Caludio Caniggia on in place of Arteta for the final 25 minutes.
De Boer had been quiet for a while because of United's pressure but when he
came back into the game it was once more to United's cost.
He provided the perfect through ball for Arveladze to latch onto in the box
and the Georgian blasted in off the underside of the bar.
United's consolation reply was just three minutes in arriving with Dodds
bundling home from virtually on the line in the 71st minute after Bollan had
headed a corner goalwards and Lovenkrands had been second to the loose ball.
United swapped Allan Smart for Latapy before de Boer was applauded off by the
away fans in the 74th minute, with ex-Tannadice favourite Steven Thompson
replacing him.
The striker picked up a booking in the 85th minute for a late challenge on
Andy Tod.
The result was also good news for bottom club Motherwell, who will take on
Rangers in the Scottish Cup semi-finals next week in the knowledge that United
remain just a single point ahead of them.
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