End of the year show

[ian1964 10,461]

THEY have won in the tax courts and finally won on the road.

They are top of the table and on course for the title and promotion.

Now it has been revealed star signings David Templeton and Fran Sandaza are poised for a timely return.

All things considered, 2012 looks like ending on a high for a club that once feared they might not see it through.

Rangers have been to hell and back in a tumultuous year, but the dark clouds that have hung heavy over Ibrox for so long are beginning to part.

And while boss Ally McCoist can see shards of light at the end of the tunnel, heâ??s still vowing to approach 2013 with cautious optimism.

McCoist reflected: â??It has been a helluva year, but there has been a corner turned in winning at Clyde and East Stirling.

â??But I donâ??t want to say too much as things have a habit of coming back to bite you.

â??Elgin is a tough game on Sunday in terms of a team coming down to play us in a cup tie with nothing to lose.

â??Away from home we are playing with a bit more belief and a bit more fluency and we need to continue the home form.

â??I hoped Inverness in the League Cup was a blip, and we are certainly not the only team that has lost to them in the last few weeks. I was always confident we would take points away from home.

â??Maybe there were a dozen players who did not know each other at the start of the season.

â??There was no reason for us to think they would hit the ground running.

â??Especially given they didnâ??t know each other, and the ridiculous scenario we had at pre-season through no fault of the players. I can see signs of progress being made, but there is miles to go. But we are happier now than we were a few weeks ago.â?

Elgin were hit with a crippling £25,000 fine by the SFL after being found guilty of over-selling tickets for last weekâ??s league clash with Gers.

But McCoist defended his Cup opponents â?? insisting the ticket farce has been forgotten about.

McCoist said: â??I take no satisfaction from the fine at all, I think the SFL had to punish Elgin and I would congratulate the SFL on the speed and swiftness of their actions.

â??Our club takes no pleasure in the fine imposed on Elgin, but we do appreciate something had to be done.

â??My sympathy is with our fans who still travelled up there because they had weekends booked and went up and spent their good money â?? that is where my main sympathy lies.

â??I also sympathise with Elgin players and officials because they wanted the game on as much as we did.

â??I just hope the mistake is not made again. It is done and dusted.

â??I can guarantee Elgin players, staff, directors and fans a warm welcome on Sunday.â? McCoist is targeting an extended run in this seasonâ??s Scottish Cup after crashing out of the League Cup at the last eight and suffering misery in the Ramsdens Cup.

He added: â??The Scottish Cup was not a particularly good competition for me â?? the League Cup was always kinder.

â??But it is the end of season showpiece that everyone wants to be involved in.

â??Iâ??m not saying we will be involved, but we want to go as far as we can.

â??We have had two games in the League Cup against SPL sides, and we want to go on in this tournament and test ourselves against more SPL clubs.â?

Winger Templeton, who broke down against Annan in September, is in contention to play today.

And McCoist admits his return is a big boost.

He said: â??Templeton has a chance of making it. He trained on Thursday and came through it fine.

â??If he feels fine tomorrow than I would think about putting him in the squad.

â??He was terrific against Elgin in the league and scored two goals, and fans could see he was going to be an exciting talent to watch.

â??Fran Sandaza came back in a reserve game against Livingston last Tuesday and scored.

â??We gave him an hour, he is probably ahead of schedule.

â??I will take doctorâ??s advice on him as his injury was a sore one.

â??But Franâ??s training fine and wants to get back and make up lost time for the injuries he has had.â?