Dundee moved off the bottom thanks to a fine rearguard, their 10 men, limiting Rangers – who missed the chance to take top spot – to hopeful crosses and very little else
Rangers drop two more points in Premiership title race
Rangers dropped another two points in the Premiership title race with a 1-1 draw at 10-man Dundee.
After losing 1-0 at home to Aberdeen at Ibrox in midweek, the visitors found themselves in trouble again when former Gers striker Kenny Miller scored after just nine minutes when he capitalised on a hesitant Ibrox rearguard to beat goalkeeper Allan McGregor.
That advantage was cancelled out in the 21st minute when Dundee defender Nathan Ralph was dismissed by referee Alan Muir for a foul on Daniel Candeias just outside the box and defender Andy Halliday fired in the resultant free-kick.
Rangers enjoyed the bulk of possession thereafter but their numerical superiority failed to pay off as Dundee defended stoutly for a well-deserved point that extended their unbeaten run to four games and lifted them off the bottom.
Steven Gerrard’s side moved into second place, two points behind Celtic, but they will have to improve immeasurably if they are to beat Rapid Vienna on Thursday night and secure a place in the Europa League knockout stages.
After the Dons defeat, it was all change for Gerrard who was without the services of leading scorer Alfredo Morelos and midfielder Scott Arfield through suspension. Halliday, Joe Worrall, Jordan Rossiter, Ryan Kent, Eros Grezda and Kyle Lafferty came back in the side.
Dundee defender Andrew Boyle was in for the injured centre-back Darren O’Dea while Miller, who scored a hat-trick in the 4-0 win over Hamilton in midweek, led the line. Almost inevitably, the veteran forward struck to break the deadlock.
A long ball from defender Ralph looked comfortable enough for Connor Goldson but the Ibrox defender failed to deal with it at the edge of his box and 38-year-old Miller pushed past him before knocking the ball beyond McGregor for his sixth goal in four games. Rangers piled on immediate pressure in response and they received a numerical advantage when Ralph was sent packing by referee Muir for taking out Candeias as he was about to burst into the box, a decision that surprised many in the ground.
Dundee’s dismay was compounded when Halliday, with some assuredness, fired the free-kick high past Jack Hamilton to level. Seconds later at the other end, McGregor was forced to block a Miller shot after more indecision in the visiting defence.
The Govan side were on top however and in the 31st minute Lafferty had the ball in the net from a Kent cross but his celebrations were ended when the flag was raised for offside, another decision that appeared contentious.
Glenn Middleton replaced Kent for the start of the second half and after little improvement, Borna Barisic, back on the bench after a long injury lay-off, replaced Rossiter with Halliday moving into midfield. The visitors continued to dominate the ball but seemed to run out of ideas as they searched for a winner.
Ovie Ejaria replaced Halliday with 20 minutes remaining as Gerrard tried another route to three points. However, anxiety and frustration grew among the travelling support as their side’s struggle went on. Hamilton made a decent save from Ryan Jack’s drive but Rangers could not find a winner and their supporters let them know about it at the final whistle, which was celebrated by those in dark blue. PA
So there we are. That was a lot of fun, especially in the first half but also in the second. Rangers played like a team who haven’t been coached, without method or composure, which suited Dundee down to the ground. They have things about which to think before Thursday’s European decider, while Dundee will feel they’ve a decent chance of staying up. Ta-ra.
That was a brilliant rearguard from Dundee, who defended with discipline, heart and steel. But Rangers were awful, especially in the second half. They had nearly 75 minutes to score once against the 10 men of the bottom side, and not only did they fail, they failed to make a single clear-cut chance in that passage; Hamilton, in the Dundee goal, barely had a save to make never mind a serious one. Dundee are off the bottom, above St Mirren on goal difference, while Rangers move up a spot too, into second ahead of Kilmarnock on goal difference.
90+2 min Tavenier looks to dip inside Kallman, but Kallman reads him and tackles. Then Dundee nash down the other end with a four v three, spread wide to Curran! But his low cross is imprecise, and kicked behind for a corner!
89 min Jack finds Tavernier, whose touch is heavy. But Dundee are entrenched now, so Rangers get a chance to build the play once more, Tavernier crossing ... and this time the ball isn’t cleared properly! Will it drop to Lafferty? He takes a touch, but Kerr is there with a perfectly timed intervention, crunching the man and himself! Brilliant stuff.
88 min I can’t stress enough how poor Rangers have been today. In the first half, they were wanton when they needed to be patient, and in the second they’re shown no quality, imagination or drive.
86 min Gerrard’s punitive changes really did the business, aye. In the end, you need to have faith in your best players - one poor performance is not good enough reason to make five unenforced changes, especially when you don’t have that strong a squad.
84 min Dundee get some time in the Rangers half and Barisic passes straight to Curran, who finds Kallman inside the box; for a second he looks to have found a shooting lane, but Worrall is there to block.
82 min Grezda finds a little bit of space down the right and looks to cut back a cross - now there’s a thing. It still picks out a defender but at least, for one brief, shining moment, it looked like it might not.
80 min The problem with Rangers is how slowly they move the ball, how few of their players have tried to run at and commit defenders, and how frequently they cross high. All of these things have made defending the draw a pretty easy task for Dundee, who’ve even done so with no out-ball.
79 min This really is abject from Rangers. Tavernier makes room for the cross but he’s right by the corner flag and Hamilton who, amazingly, is allowed to use his hands, catches easily.
75 min Again Candeias crosses from the right and the ball bobbles around the edge of the box before Jack picks it up and shifts, looking for a shooting lane; he drives, but Hamilton is there.
74 min Barisic again finds space and sticks a ball into space for Middleton, bur Kerr is over to tackle. Dundee look as likely scorers as Rangers now, breaking quickly and in numbers. They make nothing of the opportunity which founders with McGowan, but still: they’re attacking space and Rangers are attacking crowds.
71 min Rangers have played with a serious lack of nous and ideas. They do not look like a team which knows what it’s doing, or has been thought about how to beat 10 men.
68 min Dundee get the ball into the Rangers half for the first time in time, and win a free-kick which Kusunga sticks into the box from almost halfway. It’s easily cleared and Rangers counter with Cadeias and Grezda but Miller C is there.
63 min Barisic curls in yet another cross and Kunsunga heads it away, then Kerr blocks one. I wonder if Rangers might stick another man up front given the way they’re playing - wide, cross, wide, cross.
62 min Dundee get that one away but Candeias finds space to drive in a further cross which yields a further corner. Again, Dundee - via the immense Kusunga - get it away.
60 min The game looks more like what you’d expect now, with Rangers moving the ball and Dundee staying compact. I can’t think of a single clear-cut chance they’ve conceded since they were pegged back.
56 min Dundee are struggling to get out now, and Jack skims a pass out to Grezda on the right. He tries to dribble inside, but the ball bounces up and clips Boyle’s hand; there’s an appeal for a penalty, but the ref says naw.
55 min Tavernier charges through midfield and has Candeias outside him and open but instead looks to lick a pass through to Lafferty inside him ... and Kusunga intercepts.
54 min Jack runs at McGowan and goes past him, inadvertently following through with studs onto instep. The ref smiles upon him, keeping cards in pocket.