Halliday heading for Hampden on a high
OVERCOMING Partick Thistle at home is, even with the Firhill club’s current lofty status, no guarantee of success against a team like Celtic in a match like the Scottish Cup semi-final. But Rangers, who strolled to a comfortable win over their city rivals at Ibrox yesterday, will head to Hampden next Sunday in decent shape and with hopes high as a consequence of this result.
Andy Halliday, who replaced goalscorer Jon Toral late on, knows what levels are required to attain success having been a key player for his boyhood team in the same fixture this time last year. The midfielder is certainly in a positive frame of mind.
“We’ve got a bit of confidence,” Halliday said. “We had a really good result against Aberdeen last week and we built on that today. We can’t get carried away. It’s just two wins and Celtic are obviously in good form themselves. But I can’t wait for the game.
“There were positive signs when we went to Parkhead. We showed what a bit of grit and desire can do on the day. All the contributing factors will need to be firing for us on Sunday and then we’ll hopefully get a good result.”
David Bates and Myles Beerman retained their positions at centrehalf and left-back respectively yesterday in the continued absences of Clint Hill and Lee Wallace. Bates, understandably given that he is just 20, looked hesitant at times and his distribution left much to be desired. But Beerman was once again a lively presence. The teenager controlled a punt upfield from Wes Foderingham beautifully with his left foot in the 34th minute and tried his luck with a shot from outside the Partick Thistle area. His effort was deflected wide by Mutapha Dumbaya.
The left-back saw another ambitious long-range shot headed over by Niall Keown moments later. If, as is a distinct possibility, he starts in the semi-final against Celtic at Hampden next week, he will not be overawed by the occasion.
Danny Wilson, who enjoyed another decent game alongside Bates and helped his side keep their third consecutive clean sheet, forced a fine save from Tomas Cerny with a diving header at a Barrie McKay corner. Rangers edged in front soon afterwards.
Emerson Hyndman fed James Tavernier on the right flank and the defender shelled a high ball into the visitors’ area. Kenny Miller peeled off Keown and got on the end of it. His angled downward header flew under Cerny and into the net.
It was the perfect end to a half in which the home team had not impressed hugely. Miller, who netted twice in the 3-0 win over Aberdeen at Pittodrie last week, took his tally for the campaign to 12 with his goal and increased his prospects of being handed an extension when his deal expires in the summer.
McKay, who was dropped for the trip to Aberdeen, was restored to the starting line-up, with Joe Garner was relegated to the bench. He gifted possession to David Amoo in the first minute and made precious little impact thereafter.
He failed to reappear for the second half, his place taken by Joe Dodoo. The 22-year-old has, it emerged this week, turned down the initial offer of a new contract. Improved terms are unlikely to be forthcoming if he continues to perform as he did yesterday.
Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha declined to go into detail about why McKay, who is a shadow of the player who tormented Celtic in the cup semifinal this time last year, had been substituted. But it is obvious he is far from enamoured with the winger’s application levels.
Hydnman, who is on loan from Bournemouth, and Toral, farmed out by Arsenal, combined well in the 54th minute to edge Rangers further ahead and ultimately sew up three invaluable points. They are now nine clear in the race for third spot and a place in the Europa League next season.
Thistle were some way off their best due, their manager Alan Archibald revealed, to a spate of injuries. “We only had 10 training up until yesterday,” he said.