TWO BIG HANDS ARE ON THE TITLE

McGregor’s brilliance provides platform for Rangers to move within tantalising reach of glory

IN the race for Scotland’s player of the year, Rangers are continuing to make all the running. Captain James tavernier set the early pace with 17 goals from right-back. Connor Goldson remains a hard man to overlook in central defence.

When the time comes to count the votes, however, Allan McGregor has earned the right to a place on the podium.

the veteran goalkeeper wins football games just when the Ibrox side need him most.

In what was another huge step towards the title for the champions-elect yesterday, the 39-year-old adopted a policy of ‘thou shalt not pass’.

If Celtic had a keeper to match him, the Premiership might still have a title race to speak of.

Against a Rangers side jaded by their europa League heroics in Antwerp last thursday night, Dundee United sensed an opportunity to claim three wins in a row in the top tier for the first time since March 2014. however, Steven Gerrard’s men were comfortable and deserved winners in the end.

And yet, had it not been for McGregor’s prowess in the opening 30 minutes, this could have been a rather different kind of day.

harder than it turned out, certainly, after Ianis hagi and Ryan Kent scored late in the first half. harder than it felt when the elegant Joe Aribo — the sponsors’ man of the match — scored a glorious goal to make it 3-0 three minutes into the second half.

harder, for sure, than United keeper Benjamin Siegrist made it feel when he lashed a hashed clearance off the midriff of Alfredo Morelos and into his own net for a Keystone Cops fourth.

the Swiss redeemed himself slightly with a fine penalty save from Borna Barisic.

By then, McGregor was a virtual bystander, a late consolation for United substitute Marc McNulty taken as a personal affront.

‘I’m sick of talking about Allan because he’s outstanding all the time,’ admitted Gerrard afterwards. ‘I’ve said so many times how important he is to us, especially on days like today when you need your keeper to be big on the odd occasion. he’s always there for us.’

the stand-off began after eight minutes when a one-two involving Louis Appere and Liam Smith ended with Lawrence Shankland gathering the ball and driving into the area. the Scotland striker will feel he should have scored. McGregor was having none of it.

ten minutes later, more composed passing gave Appere a run on goal. Again, the Rangers keeper threw himself down at the striker’s feet to smother.

Shortly after Ryan Jack added to Gerrard’s growing injury woes ahead of thursday’s second leg against Royal Antwerp by limping from the pitch — he will be scanned this morning — Appere had another go from 20 yards. this time his shot stung McGregor’s palms.

there were two Dundee United buses parked outside the main door of the Bill Struth Stand before kick-off. At times it felt as if McGregor had driven one into the ground and parked it on the goal line.

the outcome of all this was predictable and vaguely familiar. By half-time, Rangers were 2-0 up and it was game over.

hagi set the ball rolling with a lovely piece of improvisation. But for injury, Aribo would be another banging on the door for player of the season, the Nigerian international jinking and feinting at the edge of the area before thumping a low left-foot shot towards goal. Siegrist might have had it covered until hagi opened up his foot and intentionally changed the direction of the ball en route to goal.

Slightly against the run of play, Rangers added insult to United injury by doubling their lead inside three minutes with a deflected goal. A Barisic cross was headed towards the edge of the area where Ryan Kent struck it first time, the ball taking a cruel break

off the instep of Ryan edwards and deceiving Siegrist again for 2-0.

Relentless and clinical, Rangers killed the game stone dead three minutes into the second period with a stunning strike. Playing a one-two with Morelos, former Charlton midfielder Aribo thrashed a glorious thumping left-foot strike into the top corner of the net.

‘In terms of Joe, the real Aribo is back now,’ said Gerrard.

‘At the beginning of the season he suffered the first injury of his career and, as someone who has experienced that myself, it’s a big shock to the system. I think he took his time returning from that in terms of getting his power, strength and bursts of energy that he plays with back.

‘he had an illness on the back of that injury so it became a three-month absence and that always takes time to get back up to speed.

‘But now you see the real Aribo. Power, strength, bursts from midfield and skills — and now letting shots go because he’s got the quality. It was a fantastic strike and he’s back for real now.’

If Morelos was unfortunate to see a downward header from a Barisic cross fizz inches wide of the post, there was plenty of good luck in the slightly farcical way the Colombian celebrated his return from suspension by claiming an unintentional fourth in 64 minutes.

Defender edwards probably through he’d dealt with any danger from the striker when he won the race towards his own goal to pass a long ball back to his keeper. Under mild pressure, Siegrist leaned back and thumped a left-foot clearance against the midriff of the striker. Morelos knew nothing about it as the ball ended up in the net.

the keeper was handed a quick opportunity to make swift amends.

In his last act of the match, Morelos won a penalty when he was fouled by Jeando Fuchs in the area. In the absence of regular spot-kick taker tavernier, Barisic scored two in Antwerp. here, he lashed a left-foot effort at pretty much the same area of the goal but Siegrist guessed right to produce a fine safe. After the howler of the fourth goal, he was due one.

With four minutes remaining, United claimed some scant consolation. Substitute McNulty scored only the second goal by an opposition side at Ibrox this season with a low drive from the edge of the area after mild hesitation from Rangers debutant substitute Jack Simpson.

A reminder of McGregor’s fallibility did nothing to alter the final outcome.

even without the injured duo of influential captain tavernier and top-scorer Kemar Roofe, the champions-elect found a way. After 15 wins from 15 home games, they usually do.

RANGERS (4-3-3): McGregor 8; Balogun 7, Goldson 7, Helander 6 (Simpson 66), Barisic 6; Aribo 8, Davis 6 (Wright 63), Jack 3 (Kamara 27); Hagi 6 (Arfield 63), Morelos 6 (Defoe 66), Kent 6. Subs not used: McLaughlin, Wright, Stewart, King, Itten. Booked: None. DUNDEE UNITED (4-5-1): Siegrist 6; L Smith 6, Edwards 7, Reynolds 7, Robson 6; Butcher 6, Harkes 6 (K Smith 90), Fuchs 5, Appere 6 (McNulty 67), Shankland 6; Clark 6. Subs not used: Deniz, Sporle, Connolly, Hoti, Chalmers, Bolton, Neilson. Booked: Butcher, Robson, Fuchs. Man of the match: Allan McGregor. Referee: Nick Walsh.