The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Gers on top.
IBROX: Light Blues sweep Aberdeen aside to leave Dons boss Mcinnes furious
Rangers players celebrate Carlos Pena’s goal in the Ibrox side’s 3-0 Ladbrokes Premiership victory over Aberdeen in Glasgow last night. The Light Blues are now three points behind the Dons.
Graeme Murty has challenged Rangers to live up to the standards they set against Aberdeen for the rest of the season.
The Ibrox caretaker watched his team take Aberdeen apart in a surprisingly one-sided 3-0 win at Ibrox last night.
James Tavernier struck twice, while Carlos Pena marked his first appearance in a month with a goal as the Light Blues closed to within three points of the Dons.
And Murty now wants a repeat of that hungry display – starting on Sunday when they meet Derek Mcinnes’s men at Pittodrie for part two of their doubleheader.
“It has to be the benchmark,” said Murty.
“That level of intensity, that grit, that fight and that level of quality. You saw all those aspects from the team tonight.
“It’s a helluva standard to live up to but if you want to play in this team that’s the level you need to get to.”
Right-back Tavernier was handed the sponsor’s man-of-the-match prize but Murty made special mention of youngster Ross Mccrorie after asking him to fill an unfamiliar anchor role in his midfield diamond.
“For a man of his tender years to put in that kind of performance in a position he’s not too familiar with was exceptional,” he said.
Mcinnes – who insists he is happy to stay put at Pittodrie amid links to the Ibrox vacancy – was left furious with his team as they failed to match their own high standards.
But the Dons boss has promised it will be a different story come the weekend.
However, he will have to do without Ryan Christie, who was sent-off late on after collecting two bookings, while Gary Mackay-steven is also a doubt after picking up a knock.
Mcinnes said: “I expect a more complete performance on Sunday. I expect us to impose ourselves far better than we did tonight. I’ve seen us losing headers inches above strikers, I’ve seen us not competing for second balls in the middle of the park.
‘I thought we were negligent and that is a complete right across the board. We win together and lose together.
“Ryan has to learn. He got himself sent off foolishly. Now we’re without him for Sunday. He suffers and we suffer as well.”
The Rangers victory will also help take some of the heat out of today’s AGM, where Light Blues chairman Dave King will be expected to explain to angry shareholders why a replacement for Pedro Caixinha has still not been found so long after the Portuguese boss’s sacking.
Bruno Alves and Pena had not been seen in a Gers kit for a month but both were back in caretaker boss Graeme Murty’s line-up, while Ryan Jack started against his old side.
And it was clear from the first 30 seconds the hosts were out to repay their fans after back-to-back defeats to Hamilton and Dundee as Josh Windass came within a whisker of turning home a low Tavernier cross.
Their ravenous hunger was fed seven minutes later with the penalty opener. Greg Tansey should have sent the ball into orbit when it dropped on top of him inside the box but instead his clumsy swing clattered into Jason Holt and referee Andrew Dallas immediately pointed to the spot.
Tavernier stepped up and slotted the ball down the middle to the massive delight of the home support.
They were off their feet again on 24 minutes when Ross Mccrorie sent Windass galloping through on goal but the offside flag was already up by the time the Englishman netted.
But there was no stopping the celebrations three minutes later as Pena did grab the second.
Veteran striker Kenny Miller and Tavernier combined on halfway before releasing Holt down the right. The midfielder did brilliantly to pick out the Mexican who calmly swept home his fifth goal in 10 games.
Mcinnes knew he had to change things up and acted two minutes before the break as he sent on Mackay-steven for Tansey. The switch almost paid off within 30 seconds as the wideman raced into the box but pulled his shot after being tugged back by Tavernier.
The former Celtic man screamed for a penalty but all Dallas gave him was a booking for his angry outburst.
While the first half had been a thrill-a-minute affair, the second period was a slow burner.
But the Rangers faithful enjoyed it all the same as Tavernier stroked home the clincher with 20 minutes left as he drifted on to Windass’s low cross from the right before steering past Joe Lewis.
And things only got worse for Aberdeen when on-loan Celtic playmaker Christie collected his second booking with six minutes remaining for a foul on Mccrorie.
Attendance: 48,647
Rangers: Foderingham, Tavernier, Bruno Alves, Danny Wilson, John, Mccrorie, Jack, Holt, Pena (Candeias 68), Miller (Herrera 83), Windass (Hardie 89). Subs not used: Hodson, Kranjcar, Bates, Alnwick.
Aberdeen: Lewis, Logan, Arnason (Stewart 78), Mckenna, Considine, Tansey (Mackay-steven 43, Rooney 83), O’connor, Shinnie, Christie, May, Mclean. Subs not used: Reynolds, Maynard, Ball, Rogers.
Referee: Andrew Dallas.