Rangers 2
Dundee Utd 1
League (Premier Division)

Match Report

United headed into this battle at Ibrox without the services of Billy McKinlay who was feeling the after effects of a hamstring injury sustained in the midweek international in Austria and Craig Brewster who was suspended and between them, the pair had scored more than half our total of Premier goals.

Unlike the last visit to Ibrox when we were three up after 21 minutes. there was no whirlwind start to the meeting. In fact it proved to be a very flat opening period with neither side establishing any authority on the match. Probably the most notable aspect of the first half was the spate of bookings which saw three United men cautioned in eight minute spell close to the interval.

Perhaps inspired the reading '0-3' held up by the United support to remind everyone happened first time round, United started the second half in a fashion highly reminiscent of the December meeting. Jerren Nixon who had replaced Andy McLaren was instrumental in opening up the Ibrox defence. A Rangers attack was mopped up by Gary Bollan and Gordan Petric and his ball out of defence found Jim Mclnally who played the ball up the left to Jerren Nixon. He sprinted past John Brown leaving him for dead and cut the ball back from the bye-line to Christian Dailly who slotted the ball past Maxwell.

Five minutes later came the incident upon which the outcome of the match was to pivot. Jerren Nixon neatly played the ball over his head into the path of Christian Dailly who was brought down by McPherson as he strode inside the box, but the referee waved play on!

Jerren Nixon then embarked on a solo run which took him past the entire defence, but Maxwell held his angular drive. However, twenty minutes into the second period, Rangers got back on level terms when Hateley delivered a cross from the right and Durie ran in to rise above Alex Cleland and directed a powerful header in at the far post.

McCoist almost gave Rangers the lead when he capitalised on a mistake by Maurice Malpas, but his shot went wide of the far post. However, the Tannadice defence was punished with 12 minutes left when Hateley at the far post headed a McPherson cross back into the middle leaving Gordon Durie with a simple nod in for Rangers winner. It would have been so different had the penalty been given when Christian Dailly was sent tumbling in the box when United were still ahead.