Rangers' stuttering title challenge made it over another hurdle at Ibrox
tonight - but the manner of their victory over Dunfermline indicates the title
race is anything but dead.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst's 38th minute opener should have signalled a
second-half wipeout as top entertained bottom but rarely have Rangers looked
less convincing.
After two successive defeats, at least coach Dick Advocaat can slip three
valuable points under his pillow this evening.
The Dutch coach keeps talking about games Rangers fail to win when they have
been the better side and it almost happened again.
They had already lived on their nerves to some extent before van Bronckhorst
took a pass from Andrei Kanchelskis, cut across the Pars box and drove the ball
home from 20 yards.
But, despite enjoying a huge amount of possession, they couldn't secure the
second goal which would have allowed the home fans to slither back off the edge
of their seats.
Dunfermline had plenty of chances to shock Advocaat's men before they
eventually fell behind.
David Graham was unlucky to see Stefan Klos twice scramble across his goal to
claw away a shot and a header which both would have crept in.
The Pars midfielder then wasted the best opportunity when he turned Hendry
inside the Rangers area but then dragged his shot wide from a central position.
Within 60 seconds, van Bronckhorst had put Rangers in front, his clinical
finish reminding the home fans that theirs was the side which cost millions.
Dick Campbell refused to be negative and his side played competent football,
breaking quickly when they could, although Colin Hendry remained solid at the
heart of the light blues' defence.
Rod Wallace tried to drop deep to find space but the ball never came his way,
although in fairness there was acres of space for Kanchelskis and Neil McCann to
attack down the flanks, Rangers just failed to exploit it.
In terms of shot stopping, Lee Butler had the quieter start, although he did
have to be on full alert on a number of occasions as Jorg Albertz tried to prise
an opening for the Rangers front-men.
Stephane Guivarc'h, who today pledged his future to the club, didn't do much
to aid Rangers' cause, twice spurning golden opportunities either side of van
Bronckhorst's opener.
Kanchelskis also failed to convert from close range at the end of a half which
saw Lorenzo Amoruso and Richard Huxford booked.
Whatever Dick Advocaat said to his lethargic troops at half-time failed to
inspire a significant improvement.
Kanchelskis rushed a first-time volley and couldn't find the target from 20
yards after Lee Butler had raced out to block Guivarc'h, the ball bouncing loose
to the Russian international.
Kanchelskis has hit a purple patch of form after a slow beginning to his
Rangers' career and again looked the most potent attacking threat.
He terrorised the Dunfermline defence with his direct running and incredible
pace but too often the final ball went astray, even though the initial opening
had been created.
Owen Coyle volleyed straight at the imposing figure of Colin Hendry as
Dunfermline launched a rare foray into home territory, determined not to give
away their Premier League place without a fight.
On this evidence, the Fifers are more likely to succeed in their seasonal
quest than Rangers.
The removal of Guivarc'h in favour of Jonatan Johansson at least gave the home
supporters something to applaud during a drab second period in which the home
side failed to create a clear cut chance.
Wallace pushed further forward but to no avail and by the end McCann's
attacking bursts were just a distant memory.
Many of the 46,000 crowd were checking their watches when Sergio Porrini
delivered a crossfield pass directly into the path of Tony Vidmar.
The Australian international watched the ball arrive, then let it dribble
under his foot for a Dunfermline throw.
The car parks had already begun to empty by the time Wallace flung himself at
a Kanchelskis cross. The header went narrowly wide.
Teams
Rangers: Klos, Porrini, Amoruso, Vidmar, Hendry, Kanchelskis,
Van Bronckhorst, Albertz, Guivarc'h (Johansson 75), Wallace,McCann.
Subs Not Used: Amato, McInnes, Wilson, Brown.
Booked: Amoruso, Wallace.
Goals: Van Bronckhorst 37.
Dunfermline: Butler, Shields, Coyle, Tod, Millar, Huxford,
Petrie, Thomson, Graham, Dair, Dolan.
Subs Not Used: Westwater, Smith, Squires, Fraser, Martin.
Booked: Huxford.
Att: 46,220
Ref: W Young (Clarkston).
E-mail Article 
Print-Friendly
Subscribe to RSS Feed 
Post to del.icio.us
Facebook