A Decent Match Report - Andrew Smith

[ian1964 10,469]

By ANDREW SMITH

Published on Saturday 31 March 2012 15:37

 

FLARES were set off, players cavorted with abandon, and general bedlam ensued in the visiting end. Party pooping has never seemed so celebratory. And for good reason.

 

With the scores tied at 1-1 at Fir Park and 89 minutes on the clock, Rangers were only seconds away from allowing Celtic to be only a day away from having the chance to clinch the championship at home to St Johnstone. Then Lee McCulloch capitalised on messy Motherwell defending to secure Rangersâ?? second successive victory that means, for the second successive weekend, Neil Lennonâ??s side will at least have to wait till a further round of games to get their hands on the Scottish Premier League trophy.

 

The denounement was declared as undeserved by Motherwell manager Stuart McCall, who praised his sideâ??s efforts in a rollocking encounter. They came on a day when the Lanarkshire clubâ??s hopes of overhauling Rangers to claim the £900,000 difference in prize money between runners-up and third all but disappeared. The gap between the clubs is now six points.

 

In truth, though, Ally McCoistâ??s men fully warranted their victory. They overcame adversity â?? a stonking, late-swerving 25-yard strike from Steven Whittaker putting them level only two minutes after Henrik Ojamaa had opened the scoring six minutes in. And they overcame some refereeing that seriously advantaged the home side. Official Iain Brines was a late call-up for the ill Craig Thomson. When he watches back the encounter on telly he will seriously wish he hadnâ??t been.

 

His decision to book Sone Aluko for simulation midway through the second half after the attacker zipped past keeper Darren Randolph was a decision only erroneous on, eh, three counts. Randolphâ??s boot clearly clattered Alukoâ??s leg. The Nigerian shouldnâ??t have been cautioned: the yellow leading the Nigerian to pull his shirt over his head in despair wasnâ??t just a bloomer, he should have earned a penalty and Randolph should have been red-carded. Matchwinner McCulloch had understandable sympathy with his team-mate. â??I heard the noise of Randolphâ??s boot on his shinpad and I think a lot of the Motherwell players heard it as well. There is no way he dived. It was a stonewall penalty.â?

 

Randolphâ??s was the second dismissal that should have come the way of the home side after Tim Clancy jabbed his head into Whittakerâ??s chest following a tangle that earned both a yellow card. The Irishman â?? who called Whittakerâ??s first goal of the season an â??absolute worldyâ? â?? said he had no fears for his continued involvement following the incident, claiming it was the sort of thing that â??happens every week in every gameâ?. His manager did not agree. â??Do you want me to play my Arsene Wenger card?â? McCall said, when asked if he felt Clancy should have gone. â??Yes, because my initial reaction was that I wasnâ??t happy.â?

 

The Motherwell manager and Clancy had a gripe about a push on the defender in the lead-up to McCulloch netting from close in after a Lee Wallace throw-in. It followed Randolph making an instinctive block from a flick towards goal from Aluko that should have provided the opening for the forward to win it late on.

 

McCall cursed the bodyblow of a losing goal that caused the game to ape a defeat by Celtic six months ago for him. Although on this occasion he felt more hard done by because Allan McGregor twice thwarted his players. The goalkeeper launched himself skyward as if jet-propelled to tip over a thunderous hit from Keith Lasley shortly after the interval, then with nine minutes remaining the Rangers keeper stopped an effort from Michael Higdon in equally spectacular fashion.

 

McCoist said: â??I thought it was a good advert for the SPL. You had two teams who really went at each other and really went for it.

 

â??It wasnâ??t the silkiest, but both teams were totally committed. There wasnâ??t a lot between the teams and I thought we only really got going 15 minutes from the end of the first half.â?

 

Rangers went one down when a Chris Humprey run down the right, which saw Sasa Papac inadvertently play a one-two with the winger when attempting to cut out his pass inside, ended with the player cutting back from the byline to allow Ojamaa to side-foot in from eight yards. The Ibrox club then started to rediscover their mojo. McCulloch laments it has come too late following three defeats since the club entered administration in February and were docked ten points. Now only 15 points adrift of Celtic, who play this lunchtime, finishing the season within ten points of their ancient adversaries would allow some sort of minor comfort.

 

â??I think we had something to prove to the manager and the fans because we took bit of a beating results-wise when we went down into administration,â? he said. â??Maybe we were feeling sorry for ourselves with ten points taken away for matters outwith our hands.â?

 

For the moment, Rangers continue to keep the title celebrations outwith Celticâ??s hands.

 

MAN OF THE MATCH Steven Whittaker (Rangers) His drive and his delightful goal shaded it for him.

 

TALKING POINT Some pretty poor calls from referee Iain Brines.

 

Referee: I Brines. Attendance: 9,063

 

http://www.scotsman.com/scotland-on-sunday/scotland/motherwell-1-2-rangers-rangers-gain-some-leeway-1-2208866

[der Berliner 3,310]

I was mildly surprised to read the BBC's report on the game ... and it was rather decent as well.