Belfast Telegraph

Fresh agony for Gerrard as sloppy Gers stumble again

- BY ANDY NEWPORT

RANGERS: McGregor,Tavernier (Barker 74),Goldson,Edmundson, Barisic, Davis, Kamara (Kent 59), Aribo, Hagi, Morelos, Kamberi (Defoe 65).

Subs Not Used: Jack, Foderingha­m, Halliday, Katic.

Booked: McGregor.

Hamilton: Southwood, McGowan, Want, Hamilton, McMann, Gogic, Martin (Miller 59), Alston, Smith (Winter 72), Ogboe, Moyo (Hunt 79).

Subs Not Used: McKenna, Collar, Fulton, Mimnaugh.

Booked: Want.

Goals: Moyo 56.

Attendance: 48,167

Referee: Nick Walsh (Scotland).

FRUSTRATED Steven Gerrard faces another round of desperate soul searching after Rangers slumped to a 1-0 defeat to Hamilton at Ibrox.

The Rangers boss said he needed time to think after seeing his team dumped out of the William Hill Scottish Cup by Hearts on Saturday.

Yesterday he insisted he was still “all in” with the Light Blues, but he may now feel like reconsider­ing after witnessing their latest collapse.

With Celtic drawing at Livingston, this was a rare chance for Rangers to reignite their Ladbrokes Premiershi­p title hopes — but instead they have now sunk 13 points adrift after slipping up for the fifth time in as many weeks.

Gerrard recalled Alfredo Morelos after axing the striker for the Tynecastle loss as punishment for his late return from a trip to Colombia.

The striker came close to his 30th goal of the season as he hit the crossbar but it was David Moyo’s winner that lifted Brian Rice’s team off bottom spot and back above relegation rivals Hearts.

There was a lukewarm reception from the Light Blues faithful as Gerrard’s team was read out before kick-off and who could blame the fans for that show of apathy as they stare at the looming reality of another year without a major domestic honour.

A round of applause was organised for the eighth minute as a show of support for the manager but again the volume levels hardly soared.

It was clear Rangers had some serious making up to do with their supporters but in fairness to them they did set about Accies with a tempo that had been badly lacking since the winter break.

Luke Southwood blocked bravely at Ianis Hagi’s feet after the Romanian did brilliantl­y to control a

Steven Davis chip on the stretch.

Rangers full-backs Borna Barisic and James Tavernier had the crowd on their back during the opening half with a string of awful deliveries from wide.

Barisic almost won them over five minutes after the restart as he picked out Morelos at the back post but the Colombian’s header crashed against the bar.

Tavernier, though, was treated to another round of groans soon after as he blazed over an open goal. And the despair only deepened in the 56th minute as Hamilton struck.

First Ogkmpoe powered a header off the bar but when Rangers failed to clear their lines Accies pressed again, with Moyo taking advantage as Goldson and Tavernier hesitated to prod past Allan McGregor.

Morelos came close to an equaliser as he fired across goal while a deflected Hagi effort clipped the top of Southwood’s bar before the boos rang out as Hamilton celebrated a famous win.

Ladbrokes Premiershi­p

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