By Sheryl Ritchie
In a week that brought us protests, Patrick Stewart and a distinct lack of positivity, Rangers faced an Aberdeen side who hadn’t won in their last eleven games but as we know form usually goes out the window when Aberdeen come to Ibrox. Whilst home form has been less of an issue this season, a turgid second-half performance against St Johnstone on Sunday combined with the ongoing off-field side show meant the possibility of a reduced crowd and lack of atmosphere, however both the team and support put that to one side and produced and enjoyable evening and in large parts of the game, a good performance.
The first real chance of the game came in the 8th minute when Hamza Igamane shot just wide after a clever through ball from Cerny but with just Doohan to beat the Moroccan sent the ball just past the far post. From then it took all of four minutes later for Rangers to break the deadlock when a mistake by Nilsen in the Abderdeen defence allowed Cerny to nip in and set up Diomande. His shot was blocked as is increasingly the case, Igamane was quick to react, slamming home the rebound to make it it 1-0 Rangers.
The goal boosted Rangers’ confidence, and they began to dominate possession. In the 17th minute, Diomande delivered a cross to Hagi, whose shot was deflected off an Aberdeen defender and smothered by the keeper. Despite a few attempts from distance, Aberdeen produced little of note to trouble Liam Kelly too much, that was until the 28th minute when a rather Leighton Clarkson almost caught Kelly off his line with an audacious lob that required acrobatics to keep the ball out of the net and the game at one nil.
Rangers continued to press, and Danilo had an opportunity in the 30th minute after a through ball from Hagi, the shot going straight at keeper Doohan and whilst Aberdeen went close on a couple of occasions, Kevin Nisbet almost getting on the end of a Graeme Shinnie cross and Kelly saving a Tobers header, it was Rangers who finished the first half looking the more likely to double their lead when Igamane smashed a shot from distance which Doohan did well to cover.
Rangers made a change for the second half, Nedim Bajrami replacing Danilo who took a shoulder knock just before the break and the second half kicked off with a renewed sense of urgency from both teams, but it was Rangers who continued to press their advantage. Just three minutes in, Diomande and Bajrami combined well to win a corner. Cerny’s delivery caused a stir in the box, resulting in a foul by Tobers on Raskin which was then checked then waved away by the VAR team.
Rangers came close to extending their lead in the 57th minute when a cross from Yilmaz set up Hagi for a shot that crashed off the crossbar and they continued to up the tempo when Bajrami, back in his favoured number ten role, send the ball wide after great work again from Hagi. Aberdeen made a raft of changes around the 65 minute mark bringing on on-loan Spurs defender Alfie Dorrington and striker Duk coming on for Palaversa and Nisbet and then a further change with Shayden Morris replacing winger Keskinen. Both teams were forced into a further change when Robin Propper was injured blocking James McGarry’s shot, McGarry being replaced by Alexander Jensen and Propper leaving the pitch shortly after to be replaced by Leon Balogun, a welcome return to the squad from injury.
As can so often be the case with Vaclav Cerny, he created countless opportunities throughout the game but his finishing was questionable when in the last third of the game he found himself one on one with keeper Doohan but took far too long to get his shot away, Doohan again having it covered.
For a short period of the game Aberdeen looked to shift momentum, Duk making a run down the right-hand side, getting past Balogun before earning a corner. However, Liam Kelly dealt comfortably with the set piece. The home crowd of 45,887 welcomed the return James Tavernier for Ianis Hagi, back from injury, slotting in at both right back and captain meaning a move over to the left for Ridvan who had struggled recently and tonight in his role as makeshift right back.
Late into the game Rangers continued to push to find that second goal, including a header off the post from Leon Balogun and a Tavernier effort and it would take seven minutes of added time to provide the goals Rangers had been working for most of the evening. Clinton Nsiala, who put in an assured performance at the back, whipping in an excellent cross for Leon Balogun to head in at the back post making it two nil and then the much maligned Cyriel Dessers who capitalised on a Tobers slip, to go on an impressive run, weave his way past the Aberdeen defender and slot the ball past Doohan to make it three nil. The result leaves the visitors without a win in twelve games and although they left it late to seal the win, Rangers walked away with a much needed victory ahead of a week of cup action, firstly the visit of Fraserburgh in the Scottish Cup and then a trip to Old Trafford to face Manchester United in the Europa League.