Lewis stays so cool amid Ibrox frenzy
IBROX has become accustomed to witnessing goalkeeping glories. For much of this campaign, Allan McGregor has used this place as a personal gallery to display the art of the exceptional save.
Last night, Joe Lewis decided he fancied playing gatecrasher. On a frenzied evening in which red and yellow were the predominant colours being painted by forwards losing their discipline, Aberdeen’s No1 provided vital touches of composure and class.
A man down for 31 minutes, between Sam Cosgrove’s dismissal and Alfredo Morelos following suit, the Pittodrie side were always going to have to rely on Lewis at some point. He was not found wanting when the call came.
Three priceless interventions preserved the lead given to them by Scott McKenna’s seventhminute thump into the net. Those in front of him invested boundless energy, harrying and hassling, sticking like glue to a defensive shape. When they were breached, however, it was Lewis who showed the rescuing skill.
Diving low to his left late in the first half, he tipped away a skidding drive from Glenn Middleton. But that was only the warm-up act. A terrific doubleblock when the Dons were still a man down in the second period was as valuable as any contribution over a fraught and fractured 90 minutes.
Substitute Kyle Lafferty’s powerful shot was repelled before Lewis sprang back into life to deny Ryan Jack on the follow-up. In effect, Lewis picked up from where he left off with Sunday’s penalty save from Scott Sinclair in the Betfred Cup final.
That ultimately proved a futile act as Derek McInnes’ side lost 1-0 to Celtic. This time, Aberdeen became the first team to leave Ibrox with victory since Steven Gerrard took charge at Rangers.
Whether it can spark an upsurge in form will become clearer by the end of the month. But there was no doubting how much this defeat stung their hosts.
Top of the table before kick-off, Rangers lacked the authority to stay there. Having survived seven previous red cards without incurring a loss, the record fell on a night when they’d had a period of numerical advantage.
Initially, Cosgrove had been a pest in a positive way. His header on Niall McGinn’s deep free-kick gave McKenna the chance to lash Aberdeen ahead. Headers then won against both Connor Goldson and Gareth McAuley suggested he might just prove himself an effective battering ram. The problem, of course, was that battering quickly outweighed the ramming.
Going in late on McAuley brought a tenth-minute booking from referee Steven McLean. From that moment onwards, it was about being careful.
Yet Cosgrove doesn’t do tentative. He is all muscular power and clattering limbs. Danger signs flickered every time he went into a challenge. Then came the clash with Goldson that saw them flash bright red.
He appealed he had won the ball before the collision. McLean saw it differently. As players from both sides formed an angry swarm, the match official marched through to produce the second yellow card and consigned the 22-year-old to an 33rd-minute exit.
The flashpoint was mirrored in the technical area, an exchange between Derek McInnes and Gary McAllister bringing police forward from the tunnel.
After Don Robertson had summoned McLean’s attention, a handshake between the pair was deemed sufficient. But tempers were now simmering.
Morelos had been cautioned for a first-half foul on Shinnie and received his third red of the season — one, remember, was rescinded — after catching the Dons skipper with an arm.
Rangers huffed and puffed as much with ten as 11. When Lafferty had one last chance to pull the trigger, he was thwarted by McKenna. Lewis was the first to congratulate him.
Matchwinners together.