Joshhhh silences critics
Windass shrugs off Gers fans’ frustration with opening goal in win over Jags
JOSH WINDASS put his finger to his lips to silence the cynics in a performance that spoke volumes. Angry digits were jabbed in the midfielder’s direction for his role in Hibs’ winner at Ibrox last weekend. But he responded with a perfect 10, taking his tally for the season into double figures with the type of strike fast becoming his trademark. Rangers were functional rather than flamboyant, winning with a degree of comfort as they have done on so many occasions since Partick last beat them at Firhill 25 years ago. However, the opener from Windass six minutes before the break brought a wee slice of Real Madrid to Maryhill Road with a goal Rangers and their Premiership rivals will struggle to better this season. Daniel Candeias and Jason Cummings combined to leave Thistle gasping down the right and when the Portuguese delivered his teasing cross into the box Windass timed his run to perfection from the centre of midfield to slide the ball high past Tomas Cerny.
The 24-year-old hasn’t always won favour with the Light Blues legions who are frequently frustrated when his forward prowess isn’t matched with the same care in possession as well as a lack of defensive discipline.
And he let the doubters know their criticism is out of line as he made his shushing gesture while spinning away in celebration.
But with Valentine’s Day looming love was in the air when he added an assist, teeing up James Tavernier for another stunning strike as Rangers put the game to bed on the hour.
It was the full-back’s sixth goal of the season and takes his team to within three points of Aberdeen in second as boss Graeme Murty kept Alfredo Morelos on the bench until late on in favour of Cummings who made his first league start.
Thistle can point to some wretched luck, not least when Conor Sammon’s strike on the stroke of half-time bounced off the inside of the post, while Miles Storey also saw a shot saved on the line with 10 minutes left.
But Rangers were worth the victory as they prepare for Ayr in the Scottish Cup and Thistle get set for another minor skirmish against Glasgow rivals at Celtic Park on Saturday.
It was the Jags who started best, establishing a tempo in the middle of the park with which the Light Blues struggled to keep pace.
Ryan Edwards was fractionally offside when he connected with a cross eight yards out, forcing
Wes Foderingham into a brilliant instinctive stop as he tipped over.
Moments later Sammon stole half a yard on David Bates to pounce on a clever pass inside from Blair Spittal only for Foderingham to rush from his line to block.
Thistle almost opened the scoring again from the corner when the ball broke out to Martin Woods and his delivery from the left picked out Sammon in the box.
The 31-year-old wheeled away from Bates but his right-foot shot whizzed inches past Foderingham’s left-hand post much to the relief of the increasingly antsy Rangers fans.
Skipper Jason Holt did his best to inspire his side with a couple of crunching tackles as the visitors slowly began to play more of the game in their opponents’ half.
It still took 25 minutes to carve out their first real chance – but what an opportunity it was.
Rangers had been wasteful with set-pieces up until Jamie Murphy floated in a right-footed free-kick from the left that found Russell Martin in splendid isolation.
However, he chose to glance his header from eight yards out when it needed the full weight of his forehead behind it, the ball flying inches past Cerny’s left-hand post with the keeper not even forced into a save.
Thistle did have the ball in the net after half an hour with a howitzer of a volley but Edwards had again strayed offside as he moved to connect with a flick-on from Sammon.
It was all too fast and furious, too much heat, not enough illumination. Then Rangers lit the way with a strike six minutes from half-time no one saw coming.
Tavernier started it with a ball from defence into the feet of Candeias wide on the right and his first touch and spin inside to Cummings left James Penrice for dead.
The striker laced a delightful ball down the wing for the Portuguese and his low ball along the front of goal was met by Windass who didn’t even break stride as he fired high past Cerny from 12 yards.
His goal nearly lifted the roof off the Jackie Husband Stand and Windass – who frequently bears the brunt of his fans’ frustration – let them know what he thought as lifted his index finger to his lips.
Thistle were far from out of it and almost equalised on the stroke of half-time when Spittal won the ball on the edge of the box and it broke to Sammon. But his low shot hit the inside of the post before being booted clear by a relieved Rangers defence.
Murty’s side almost doubled their advantage seven minutes in when Tavernier and Murphy combined to open up Thistle on the right.
But the full-back’s touch inside the box was too heavy and although he got his shot off from 10 yards Thistle scrambled a defence and made a decisive block.
Unsurprisingly, the ferocity of the pace Thistle had set could not be maintained. Rangers never looked entirely comfortable with just a single-goal cushion though.
And it needed a last-gasp tackle from Martin to preserve their lead as he stuck out a boot to divert an effort from Storey after he had combined with Penrice down the left.
Rangers heeded that warning and gave themselves the comfort needed with another goal of exceptional quality, this time from Tavernier.
He trapped a ball on his thigh in the middle of the park too many others would have knocked away at the first attempt, pulled it into the carpet and made for the heart of the Thistle defence.
A quick one-two with Windass gave him the space he needed and he looked up from 22 yards before flighting a terrific shot over Cerny and into the roof of the net.
Thistle huffed and puffed but Gers’ defence – chasing a first clean sheet in the Premiership since last month’s 2-0 win over Aberdeen – held firm.