We got a fright, says Gerrard
● Manager admits it took Accies leveller to spur Rangers on to a rare away win
Rangers manager Steven Gerrard was not fooled by the three-goal winning margin over Hamilton, admitting that the 4-1 victory at the Hope CBD Stadium “flattered” his side. He also made it clear that their display will not be good enough to have them competing for the title.
However, he hopes that finally winning away from home in the Premiership will at least remove that monkey from their backs.
“Performance-wise, we weren’t at it today,” said Gerrard. “We weren’t great but I’m pleased with the three points and the result because all the talk before the game was about our away record and how we hadn’t had a win for eight months. The points were the most important thing for me but I wasn’t pleased with our display, to be honest.”
Rangers almost had victory snatched away ten minutes from time when Steven Boyd’s sensational equaliser cancelled out Ryan Kent’s opener. However, two late penalties by James Tavernier and a stoppage-time Alfredo Morelos goal sealed the win.
When it was suggested that his players had shown character to respond to Hamilton’s goal, Gerrard replied: “Is that the word you’d use? I think we were actually frightened when they equalised – that basically gave us the rocket we needed because, at 1-0 up, we were too casual and I didn’t feel comfortable on the sidelines.
“I always felt that they were going to have one opportunity or one decision that could have proved costly in terms of that win slipping from our grasp. But their goal scared us a bit and that sparked us into life. We then went on to win comfortably but 4-1 flattered us.”
Midfielder Jordan Rossiter, making only his eighth start in three injury-ravaged seasons, was considerably happier.
“I feel good but I know I still have a long way to go,” he said. “That’s my first 80 minutes of the season in the bank.
“It’s been tough. I played against Hibs in the last game of last season and then I suffered an ankle injury over the summer which was a setback. You start to think you’ll never get back to being involved with the first team but I’ve now managed to do that.”
Hamilton manager Martin Canning was unhappy with referee Andrew Dallas’s performance. “It sounds strange to say when you’ve lost the game 4-1 but we could and probably should have won that,” he said. “It’s a sore one. “In the first-half, it’s a penalty for us. Mikel Miller cuts inside James Tavernier and he gets held back. If that’s anywhere else on the park, 100 per cent you get a free-kick.”
rard finally recorded his first league win away from home. Indeed, it was the Ibrox team’s first Premiership success on the road since February and, for long periods here, it did not look as though that sequence was about to end.
This was a mediocre display from the visitors, who had lacked guile and penetration for most of the afternoon.
In fact, until Hamilton’s inexplicable late collapse, a draw would have been a reasonable outcome and, when they equalised, a first home league victory over yesterday’s opponents since 1938 appeared likely. Instead, Rangers took full points from this fixture for the 14th consecutive time.
It may prove to be a turning point or it may simply have papered over the cracks. Rangers are now five points behind leaders Hearts but a significant improvement on this showing will be required if a credible championship challenge is to be made.
Hamilton remain in ninth place and this was a sixth defeat in seven outings for the Lanarkshire club but they will play worse than this and take something from the game.
Neither goalkeeper had anything to do during the opening exchanges, where the only notable incident involved Hamilton’s Mikel Miller being cautioned for a forward’s tackle on Alfredo Morelos.
Daniel Candieas played a one-two with Morelos but the winger’s wayward shot from 20 yards did not trouble Gary Woods in the home goal.
Accies full-back Aaron Mcgowan came closer with a dipping shot from similar distance which only just cleared the crossbar.
Rangers looked vulnerable at the back and captain Darian Mackinnon was inches away with a volley from Fredrik Brustad’s cross. The home support then screamed for a penalty kick when Miller went down following a tangle with James Tavernier but, tellingly, the player made no such appeal.
Scott Martin was next to receive a yellow card, for a late challenge on Tavernier which was more clumsy than malicious. Oviemuno Ejaria at least forced a save from Woods on the half-hour, diving to his left to turn the midfielder’s shot from the edge of the penalty area behind for a corner.
Hamilton’s playing surface does not lend itself to fluency, since players often find it difficult to keep their footing and many of them need to take at least one touch before releasing the ball; consequently, it was difficult for either side to find any rhythm.
The breakthrough was always as likely to come from a mistake as a moment of inspiration and so it proved. A slack pass from Ziggy Gordon was intercepted and the ball worked quickly forward to Morelos, whose firsttime through ball left Ryan Kent with only Woods to beat. The winger had the presence of mind to delay his shot until
the advancing goalkeeper was almost upon him before confidently clipping the ball over him and into the unguarded net. Kent was booked for his over-zealous celebration.
His reaction was surely one of relief after what had been an insipid first-half display from Gerrard’s side who, in truth, had been second-best for much of it.
The hosts began the second period purposefully enough and it required a well-timed block from Connor Goldson to frustrate Miller just as he was about to pull the trigger.
He found a way through again but, spooked by Allan Mcgregor leaving his line, he poked his effort into the side netting.
Jordan Rossiter, the seldomseen Rangers kid making his first start of the season, was tidy if hardly influential but will surely benefit from the game time here. He had his name taken for a mistimed challenge on Hamilton substitute James Keatings.
Accies ought to have equalised in the 76th minute when Rakish Bingham capitalised on a misunderstanding between Rangers’ centre-backs but the striker shot straight at Mcgregor and Keatings screwed the rebound wide.
However, four minutes later Hamilton scored the equaliser their second-half display merited. Steven Boyd’s cross from the right came back to him and he cut inside to fire a left-foot shot high beyond Mcgregor into the top corner.
Unfortunately for the home side, the old adage that teams are at their most vulnerable when they have just scored, was underlined again, courtesy of a nightmarish threeminute spell for centre-back Alex Penny, pictured inset.
First he handled a cross from Candeias for a clear penalty and then Morelos went to ground under pressure from the defender for a softer one. Tavernier took his tally for the campaign to eight by emphatically converting both awards.
While Hamilton chased a consolation goal, Rangers hit them on the break. Morelos sent Candeias in on goal and, whenwoodsparriedthewinger’s effort, the Colombian followed up to give the scoreline an unrealistic slant.