FAN AIN’T SO HEAVY
skipped clear in the County box within seconds of the restart.
McCarey worked himself further back into Coyle’s good books with another block and the tide began to turn.
Coyle’s team suddenly found some fight. Started to get competitive. Began to ask the odd question.
Michael Gardyne choked a trundler into the arms of Wes Foderingham and Jim O’Brien had a shot blocked. Attacking full-back Kenny van der Weg also had a strike charged down.
The hosts were given reason to believe. Ngog entered the fray in a further signal of more positivity within the management and players. The 50-50s had become genuine contests as Rangers bizarrely went from sprightly to leggy when pressed.
County screamed for their Draper award and referee Steven McLean either didn’t see it or he felt the arm at the defender’s side was reason for pardon.
Even so Murty’s position of relative comfort had lapsed into some trepidation and with good reason.
Greg Docherty and Andy Halliday were then pitched into the contest as the Ibrox boss looked for solidity – but it was Cummings who provided the relief.
The striker was the point of a rapid counter-attack and took his time to measure a right-footer that took a slight deflection into the bottom corner of McCarey’s net.
Cummings milked the moment. He was mobbed by joyous punters jumping the advertising boards to join him on the field.
It was a second which, as it turned out, was needed.
Having ignored Draper’s shout against Bates, McLean felt Russell Martin was guilty of handball as he blocked an Ngog effort in the final minute of normal time.
The attacker slotted the kick home but County had run out of time. Rangers were over the line.