NOW YOU’RE TALKING
1-0 Gaffer Gerrard puts verbal flashpoint aside and heaps praise on Tavernier after skipper scores and assists in Rangers’ Highland romp
IT was a game where things were alleged to have been said but James Tavernier did his talking on the pitch to keep Rangers clear at the Premiership summit.
The Rangers captain was named November’s player of the month and took his sparkling form into the festive period.
Tavernier scored and provided two assists for Kemar Roofe and a Callum Morris own goal, while sub Jermain Defoe also got in on the act late on as the league leaders turned on another goal-laden show in the Highlands.
Ross County are set to investigate claims that Michael Gardyne made alleged derogatory comments to a Rangers player just before half-time.
Steven Gerrard spoke about the incident after the game but preferred to focus more on Tavernier who has now scored seven goals in eight games and taken his impressive tally to 16
ROSS COUNTY... RANGERS...
for the season. In fact, all the Rangers stats are stacking up nicely now. They are now 13 points clear at the top of the Premiership, 25 games unbeaten this season and also have recorded 19 clean sheets. This looked like a potential banana skin for Gerrard’s side, especially after County had stunned Nei l Lennon’s Celtic by knocking them out of the Betfred Cup last weekend. Rangers also had a taxing night against Standard Liege in midweek but can now look forward to Poland and Lech Poznan on Thursday, where Gerrard knows they could win their group and be seeded in the last 32 of the Europa League if they match or better Benfica’s result.
It was a disappointing outcome for Stuart Kettlewell and County, who now need to start putting points on the board after they slipped down to second-bottom.
There were the customary 300 fans inside the Global Energy Stadium, as the home side wait for an invitation to increase those numbers.
Rangers’ only other outing in front of fans this season, in Liege, resulted in a victory and after surviving a scare when Allan McGregor pulled off a brilliant stop to deny Harry Paton at 0-0, they stepped on the gas to power away from their hosts.
Gerrard decided to make two changes from the side who beat Liege. Scott Arfield and Borna Barisic were given a well-deserved rest with Joe Aribo and Calvin Bassey coming into the starting 11. Kettlewell had to make changes to the team who stunned Cel t i c . S t eph en Ke l l y couldn’t play against his parent club and Charlie Lakin was injured. It saw Gardyne and Jordan Tillson come in. County have struggled to keep clean sheets in the league but had clearly taken great confidence from shutting the back door at Celtic. The visitors, despite their superior ball retention, struggled
to create and it was County who had the first chance of note in the 26th minute. Alex Iacovitti cut out a forward pass and found Iain Vigurs. His superb diagonal ball found Paton. He took it down and cut inside Leon Balogun before he cracked in a shot that McGregor had to push away. Gardyne curled in a ball that McGregor punched away to snub out another threat and Rangers, within seconds, showed them how it was done as they took a 29th-minute lead. Alfredo Morelos laid it back to Steven Davis and his excellent, diagonal pass sent Tavernier clear down the right. He pulled it back to Roofe, who slid in front of Ross Laidlaw to knock the ball home. The Englishman almost netted another when Morelos’ pass was caught out by the sliding interception of Coll Donaldson. It fell to the frontman at the edge of the box but he fired over. The Rangers players and staff were left bemused when Iacovitti headed a ball behind his own goal and referee John Beaton awarded a goal kick but the visitors finished the half on the offensive. A challenge from Kamara forced the ball though to Ryan Kent but his shot was well wide.
The match threatened to boil over when County captain Vigurs went in late on Morelos on the halfway line.
There were shouts for a red card but Beaton produced a yellow and also one for Gardyne, for what appeared to be something he said.
Connor Goldson went across to speak to Gerrard and both appeared unhappy about the verbals and the Ibrox boss then spoke to referee Beaton as they made their way off the pitch at the interval.
Rangers should have doubled their lead ffive iv e minutes after the restart. Kent’s cross ross from the left wass on the head of Roofe ofe but his effort was straight at Laidlaw aw and then Morris ris made a block to deny Morelos.
Rangers continued to o press and their r second wasn’t t far away, even if f it did fall into the lucky category. A Morelos’ shot fell to Kent whose low cross was pushed goalwards by Roofe but was blocked by Reid before cannoning off Tavernier and into the Ross County net. Paton was booked for a late challenge on Kent as the Staggies tried to stay in the game – and blew a chance to do just that in the 67th minute. Reid’s deep cross was forced on by Ross Stewart and it went through to sub Connor Randall but he blazed over. Rangers responded by putting the game beyond doubt. Goldson stepped out of defence, sent Tavernier clear and his cross was turned into his own net by Morris as Morelos was waiting to tap in. Theyy refused to let up and in injury time Cedric IttenItt robbed Donaldson D and a crossed for f fellow sub s Defoe, who w on his 800th 80 senior appearance, ap spun sp Iacovitti and an fired the ball ba through Laidlaw’s Lai legs.