LABOUR OF GLOVE
Battling Gers survive Euro fright night thanks to magic of McGregor
THE Steven Gerrard express is ready to thunder into Russia after Allan McGregor put the brakes on Maribor’s hopes of derailing Rangers’ European adventure.
The performance was more slow coach than high speed but the Light Blues finally emerged to set up a play-off tie against Ufa thanks to their ultimate guardsman in goal.
McGregor pulled off a stunning stop in each half but saved his best for last with a 90th-minute penalty stop to thwart Marcos Tavares and prevent a barnstorming finale in the Ljudski Vrt stadium.
This ground used to be the cemetery for citizens of Maribor and for stages it looked as if Rangers would be left dead and buried. But they never buckled when the going got tough.
A night of nerves and tension has given Rangers genuine hope of making the group stage and with it a windfall of up to £10million, with the first leg against the Russians at Ibrox next week.
Rangers fans have spent the last few days disco dancing over Celtic’s Champions League demise but had it not been for McGregor and a defence superbly marshalled by Connor Goldson it would have been the last waltz at this level.
Rangers will have to improve in forward areas but there was a dogged determination not to concede that would have pleased Gerrard, even if they fell short of the attacking target he set them. And it will stand them in good stead for the weeks and maybe even months to come.
Rangers were dealt a pre-match blow when Lassana Coulibaly, so influential in the first leg, was ruled out with a thigh knock.
Gerrard, as he predicted, was bold in his team selection, with Ovie Ejaria and Scott Arfield adding forward thrust in the centre of midfield, with fit-again Ryan Jack sitting in behind.
The suspension of Jon Flanagan and the ineligibility of Borna Barasic led to a recall for Andy Halliday at left-back and there’s no doubt in the opening stages the home side sensed a vulnerability down that flank.
Full-back Denis Klinar and wideman Dino Hotic went at Halliday like pistons but he stood firm and refused to be cowed, supported in front by Arfield and Jamie Murphy.
Murphy and Daniel Candeias played in an advanced central midfield role rather than out wide, presumably to choke the life out of Maribor through the middle, while providing a cutting edge for the Light Blues to hit on the counter.
Rangers were under no great goal siege early on although their failure to hold and build phases of possession must have troubled their boss, with the usually reliable Jack particularly wasteful.
His loose exchange in 18 minutes with skipper James Tavernier allowed Tavares in on the left and his fierce drive was punched clear by McGregor. In the nervous minutes that followed Luka Zahovic pulled a shot over and it needed some stout defensive discipline as the Rangers rearguard creaked but never cracked.
Rangers were living dangerously against a side who had suffered just one loss in 13 games at home in Europe in the last four years.
However, they almost sprung on the counter in 33 minutes as Murphy released Tavernier and his low cross was met at the back post by Alfredo Morelos. But he had strayed offside – and knocked his shot over anyway.
Rangers’s failure to take a grip was made worse by bookings in quick succession for Ejaria, Candeias and Jack, who took one for the team when he chopped down Tavares as he broke clear. But it almost came at a cost.
Amir Devisevic feigned a delivery to the back post but went for a curling effort towards McGregor’s top corner instead and it needed a brilliant stop from the keeper to touch it to safety.
The passive nature of the first-half display clearly irked Gerrard as Gers created their best chance of the game
within two minutes of the restart. Candeias burst into the box and drew an unconvincing save from Jasmin Handanovic, his first real stop of the match. Halliday slid the follow-up into the net but the ball was over the byeline before Morelos crossed.
Goldson made a vital last-gasp block with his heel only a minute later from Hotic. Then Murphy should have done better than draw a weak shot wide when he was played in on the right by Morelos on the counter.
Blaz Vrhovec nodded a corner over after Ejaria had been skinned and it took a decisive block from Jack, whose performance was growing ever more
influential, to prevent Zahovic from pulling the trigger.
It was unsurprising Gerrard replaced Ejaria, who had been tiring, with Ryan Kent midway through the half to introduce fresh energy into the middle of the park.
If never exactly comfortable, Rangers were at least holding firm. But it needed another sensational stop from McGregor to keep it goalless after 70 minutes.
Aleks Pihler rose wide on the right to nod a raking diagonal into the path of Tavares as the Rangers defence paused in anticipation of a flag that never came. Tavares was on to it in a flash, spinning in the six-yard box to poke a shot towards goal. But McGregor stuck out his right leg to make a point-blank stop.
Rangers looked set to see the game out comfortably but just as the fourth official was raising a board indicating four minutes of added time, disaster struck.
Goldson was harshly judged to have tripped Zahovic but it mattered little anyway. Tavares has so often been the hammer of the Scots but McGregor dived to his left and blocked the striker’s spot-kick with his feet.