Rangers 3
Dundee Utd 2
League (Premier Division)

Match Report

Our re-arranged meeting with Rangers, first postponed on 5th December, went ahead exactly a month later and proved an exciting and close fought affair as we recovered from a two goal interval deficit. Despite making a highly encouraging start to proceedings as we took the match to the home side, we fell behind after only eight minutes in what was Rangers first attack. McCoist fed Steven who in turn swept the ball out to Robertson on the left and when his first time cross came over Mark Hateley had only to nod the ball into the empty net. When Rangers went further ahead in the 23rd minute our task of taking something from the game began to look insurmountable against a side with a stammeringly fine home record. Certainly there was a fair measure of good fortune surrounding that second goal. McCoist did well to control a fast driven cross field ball, but as he stretched to get a second stab at the ball, he only succeeded in toe-ending the ball high into the air. Unfortunately for us it dropped on to the top of the crossbar and Stuart McCall was standing on the line to head the ball home.

Richard Gough failed to re-appear at the start of the second half and within quarter of an hour, we were sensationally and deservedly back on level terms with two goals in the space of five minutes.In the 55th minute Brian Welsh rose above the Rangers defence to head in Billy McKinlay's free kick. Four minutes later and another header brought us level. John O'Neil sent over a cross which Scott Crabbe got his head to, but couldn't direct a header in on goal. The ball was met by Mark Perry at the far post and he sent a header back across Goram. After having Rangers on the rack, they clawed their way back in front with a goal in the 69th minute and as ever when we meet Rangers, Ally McCoist was to do the damage. Steven profited from a slip by Scott Crabbe and his through ball took McCoist clear of the Tangerines defence and he rounded Alan Main. With eight minutes remaining Duncan Ferguson got on the end of a Jim McInally cross from the right, but headed narrowly over and with it went our hopes of becoming only the second side to leave Ibrox with a point this season.