THE STATS THAT
Colombian sent off once again as McKenna goal helps Aberdeen to gritty Govan win
RANGERS supporters like to argue that Alfredo Morelos is not that kind of player. The blunt, naked statistics are beginning to tell a different story.
Concerned by the seven red cards racked up by his side already this season, Steven Gerrard sat his players down on Tuesday morning for a stern warning.
His team were top of the SPFL Premiership table for the first time since 2011, but they ended this game with a bad bout of vertigo.
Until this first home defeat on Gerrard’s watch, they had coped admirably with a spate of red cards, some more justified than others. The England legend knew their carelessness would cost them eventually. Within 24 hours as it turned out.
Booked 12 times, Morelos has now been shown three red cards this season. His first — also against Aberdeen — was rescinded on appeal by the SFA. Booked in each half last night for tussles with Aberdeen captain Graeme Shinnie, there will be no reprieve this time.
The frustration for Gerrard will be amplified by the knowledge that Rangers needed their scoring talisman badly when he was sent packing after 64 minutes.
Aberdeen also played most of this game with ten men after striker Sam Cosgrove was shown two yellow cards in the opening 34 minutes, the second strongly contested. Yet the visitors had a precious seventh-minute goal by then, which they spent the rest of the game defending as if their lives depended on it.
Niall McGinn’s whipped free-kick from the shadow of the Sandy Jardine Stand was cushioned by the head of the towering Cosgrove, the ball falling favourably for Scott McKenna to hook high into the top corner of the net.
The only goal of the game, Aberdeen defended heroically for almost an hour to solidify the impression they have the measure of Gerrard’s side. After three games already this season, they remain unbeaten against them, denying Rangers a chance to win five in a row for the first time since their return to the top flight. Of course, victory was all the more satisfying for Derek McInnes with his team having played a man down for 56 minutes.
Englishman Cosgrove was booked two minutes after the goal for catching Gareth McAuley late. It was a warning he failed to heed. Aberdeen were comfortably containing Rangers when the striker earned a second booking following a clash with Connor Goldson. Cosgrove argued he reached the ball first. Responding to the baying of the Rangers support, referee Steven McLean brandished the red card.
Aberdeen grabbed a late draw against Gerrard’s side on the opening day of the league season at Pittodrie before winning a tense Betfred League Cup semi-final at Hampden. With ten men, maintaining their unbeaten run became more difficult
Rangers had a recognised striker on the field for just 12 of the 180 minutes they have played against the Dons this season. Scoring in each of his last seven domestic games, Morelos was expected to restore an element of attacking threat here. Yet the young striker’s scoring prowess is so often undone by a short fuse prone to blowing up at any time.
Booked for a first-half clash with Shinnie, the 22-year-old caught him late after 64 minutes. It hardly required the deductive skills of Inspector John Rebus to see what came next. Chasing a goal with less than half an hour to get it, Rangers were themselves down to ten men, with their best chance of grabbing one now off the pitch.
An enigmatic, perplexing figure, it hadn’t been the best of nights for Morelos.
The Colombian almost maintained his prolific streak after 25 minutes. Against Celtic in the Betfred Cup final, Aberdeen were compact, closing down every inch of space. If Rangers posed a threat in the first half at all, it came from setpieces and Morelos almost steered a James Tavernier corner inside the near post.
The price of Aberdeen’s tenacity and harrying was the concession of a series of free-kicks, one of which Tavernier whipped into a crowded area for Lassana Coulibaly to head over. The loss of Cosgrove made no discernible difference to how Aberdeen played. A team devoid of a goalscorer for most of the season, they pulled Connor McLennan into a more central role, leaving James Wilson on the bench. At half-time, Gerrard recognised the futility of sticking to a four-man defence against an opponent effectively playing with no strikers. Kyle Lafferty replaced full-back Jon Flanagan at the interval to join Morelos in attack. His first contribution was a daft yellow card inside three minutes. His next was a good deal more positive, a thumping right-foot strike from the edge of the area forcing Lewis to push the ball into a dangerous area. Former Dons captain Ryan Jack had another crack, Lewis repeating his fine display against Celtic with another terrific stop.
Rangers supporters howled with frustration when Morelos lashed their best opportunity wildly over the bar after controlling a curling Tavernier ball.
His final contribution was another booking for another avoidable midfield tangle with Shinnie.
A target for Celtic and Aston Villa in the August window, this was a fine night for Aberdeen’s McKenna.
The Scotland defender capped his winning goal with an outstanding block from Lafferty in stoppage time. By then, Rangers fans had drifted off into the night, their dissatisfaction only heightened by the knowledge Celtic, too, had failed to win.
RANGERS (4-2-3-1): McGregor 5; Tavernier 5, Goldson 5, McAuley 5, Flanagan 5 (Lafferty 45); Jack 5, Coulibaly 5 (Grezda 52); Middleton 4, Candeias 4, Ejaria 4; Morelos 4. Subs not used: Foderingham, Worrall, Halliday, McCrorie, Rossiter. Booked: Morelos, Lafferty. Sent off: Morelos. ABERDEEN (4-2-3-1): Lewis 7; Logan 7, Considine 6, McKenna 8, Lowe 7; Ball 6, Shinnie 6; Ferguson 7, McLennan 5 (May 72), McGinn 5 (Wright 82); Cosgrove 3. Subs not used: Cerny, Gleeson, Wilson, Campbell, Anderson. Booked: Cosgrove, Shinnie. Sent off: Cosgrove. Referee: Steven McLean. Attendance: 49,711. Man of the match: Scott McKenna.