STEVEN: IT’S ALL-TIME LOW
HAMILTON HEROES STUN IBROX
to go in ahead but were wasteful and Goldson should have done better with a header just before half time which he failed to direct on target having been guilty of nodding over earlier from a similar position.
News of Celtic conceding a goal to fall behind at Livingston so early in the second half would usually have been greeted by loud roars at Ibrox.
The fact it wasn’t told its own story both in terms of how this game was going and perhaps the overall feeling in terms of having faith in their side getting back into a title race.
But the roof was almost raised when Borna Barisic picked out
Morelos with a brilliant cross from the left but his header hit the bar.
Tavernier then squandered an even easier chance with Barisic again delivering the ball. But with the goal at his mercy the skipper appeared to lose his footing and ballooned over.
Rangers hadn’t looked in any real danger but suddenly it all changed as the game – and the atmosphere – completely turned.
First of all Allan McGregor touched Marios Ogkmpoe’s header from Lewis Smith’s cross onto the bar and as Goldson dithered on the ball instead of clearing, Moyo poked a shot home.
Ryan Kent, Jermain Defoe and
Brandon Barker were all thrown on in a desperate bid to salvage something, with Tavernier one of those sacrificed and the dejected, injured skipper made his way straight up the tunnel.
Fans were streaming for the exits but Rangers couldn’t find a way past Southwood and he saved from Morelos. Hagi had a shot deflected off the top of the bar and when Davis fired over from close range it was clear it was going to be one of those nights.
Ogkmpoe might even have grabbed a second at the death but McGregor denied him.
FROM BACK PAGE them up after witnessing a dejected dressing room at full-time.
The devastating defeat leaves Gers trailing leaders Celtic by 13 points and Gerrard admitted yet another mistake had cost them with Connor Goldson gifting Accies their winner.
It comes just five days after the Light Blues went out of the Scottish Cup to then-bottom side Hearts and led to speculation over Gerrard’s future.
But after 48 hours of soul-searching the 39-year-old vowed to battle on and refused to throw in the towel.
He knows he has a massive task on his hands to turn things around after Accies won for only the second time at Ibrox in the league in 94 years.
Gerrard said: “I didn’t think I could be more disappointed than I was after Hearts but here I am, even more disappointed than I was a few days ago.
“Where do we start? We have just given three points away, it’s as simple as that. Again a mistake has cost us.
“’I’m not really sure I’ve got that many words to describe it. I laid down the gauntlet before the game and will continue to do that but I have a dressing room shot of confidence.
“We have played ourselves into a rut and I’ve got a real tough job to pick that up and improve it from here. We’ve got a lot to do.
“I played the game for many years and I’ve been in dressing rooms where confidence is shot and things are not great.
“I’m not going to say this is the first time I’ve experienced that. But the dressing room is very quiet at the moment.
“Myself and my staff are flat because we are doing everything we can. Trying to change formations and personnel, doing different things in training to try to lift and put confidence into them. I thought we lacked desire and commitment at the weekend which was really tough to take.
“I don’t think we lacked that tonight. Tonight was more about quality and taking your chances in the final third.
“If you don’t take them, you leave yourself wide open to someone going and scoring against you. Credit to Brian and his team, they’ve done that.
“The effort was there, the commitment was there but we haven’t taken the chances we created. That’s been the story of it. Hamilton have gone down the other end and scored and maybe could have scored another one.
“There were a few good performances out there, believe it or not. I thought Steven Davis was outstanding and Joe Aribo had a right go.”
The contrast in opposite number Brian Rice could hardly have been greater and the jubilant Accies gaffer said: “To come to Ibrox and keep a clean sheet is phenomenal.
“It’s a result that has shocked everyone, except myself. I always believe you put a team out to try to win the game.
“What were we saying about Rangers a week ago? Rangers in the last 16 of the Europa League after a phenomenal performance.
“They have come up against two teams who’ve been good defensively and been unable to break them down.
“Rangers had a lot of possession and a lot of balls in the box.
“On another night they might have had two or three breaks in the box that lead to goals.”