Daily Record

PREMIERSHI­P ACTION

- PREMIERSHI­P

SHOPPERS emptied the shelves on Black Friday as Rangers were stripped further of their credibilit­y on a dark night at Dens.

Dundee became the seventh club of 10 to take points off the Light Blues in the league this season as the beleaguere­d Ibrox board stands accused of falling asleep on the job.

Stand-in boss Graeme Murty suffered deja-vu on Tayside as Mark O’Hara scored twice to lift his side off the bottom of the table, with Rangers once again bottling their chance to go second in the Premiershi­p.

Midfielder O’Hara also scored earlier this year as Dundee won by the same scoreline in a match that saw Murty perform a headstand on the touchline in frustratio­n.

He must have wished the ground could have opened up and swallowed him last night – and to add insult to injury it was on-loan Celt and Rangers fan Scott Allan who was the architect of the winner.

His defence-splitting pass for his team-mate on 80 minutes caught Rangers on the hop after Josh Windass had hauled them back into a game with an equaliser just five minutes after O’Hara’s 65th-minute opener.

Rangers left the pitch to a cacophony of boos and are now a squad on the road to nowhere as directors dither on the appointmen­t of a new boss more than a month after they ended the miserable reign of Pedro Caixinha.

They have a head-to-head against Aberdeen looming in the next week, either side of their agm at the Clyde Auditorium, and if they don’t act in the coming days then discontent will degenerate into downright mutiny.

Rangers started the game sharpest on a chilly night, although there was a lot of hot air around a bust-up between Jason Holt and Paul McGowan early on that ref Kevin Clancy was happy to dismiss with a flea in both ears.

The Light Blues, playing in bright red, should really have opened the Celtic ....... 13 Aberdeen 13 Hibs .......... 14 Rangers ...14 M’Well ...... 13 St J’stone 14 Hearts ..... 14 Hamilton .14 R County . 14 Killie ......... 14 Dundee .... 15 Partick ..... 14 10 8 7 7 7 5 4 4 4 2 3 2 3 3 4 3 1 3 4 3 2 6 3 5 0 30 6 33 2 20 14 27 3 22 16 25 4 28 17 24 5 20 15 22 6 15 21 18 6 13 18 16 7 21 24 15 8 14 22 14 6 11 19 12 9 15 26 12 7 12 23 11 scoring after just five minutes when Daniel Candeias picked out Kenny Miller at the back post.

The former Scotland frontman towered above Dens skipper Cammy Kerr but couldn’t find any accuracy on his effort from point-blank range, which he guided straight into the arms of keeper Elliot Parish.

Miller turned provider minutes later when he picked out Ryan Jack and his curling shot was deflected wide.

Dundee posted notice of their danger on 15 minutes when Faissal El Bakhtaoui let fly from 30 yards with an effort Wes Foderingha­m pushed over.

Rangers responded immediatel­y and Alfredo Morelos, without a goal in 10 games, came close to breaking his luckless streak with a low shot.

Dundee began to settle and Roarie Deacon skinned Declan John before his low delivery was volleyed straight into the arms of Foderingha­m from the edge of the box by McGowan.

It was developing into an open game and although Rangers continued to look most dangerous that crucial pass in the final third lacked accuracy, a criticism that could also be levelled at the Dark Blues.

The Ibrox side carved open the best chance of the game on 33 minutes when Jack picked out Candeias with a delightful pass but Parish rushed from his goal to make a decisive block.

Rangers had a let-off moments later when Holt deliberate­ly controlled the ball with his hand as he tried to break away from El Bakhtaoui.

The midfielder had been booked minutes earlier for another hand ball and while he was on the blind side of whistler Clancy, it was right in front of

 ??  ?? P W D L F A Pt NO WIND OF CHANGE Josh levels but it ends in pain for Jack, below, and Gers
P W D L F A Pt NO WIND OF CHANGE Josh levels but it ends in pain for Jack, below, and Gers

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