ACTION MAN
Rangers struggle before majestic Candeias strike stuns Saints and sets up a much-needed victory
Candeias in the thick of it in Paisley with crucial goal and late red card
LITTLE over a year ago, the feeble form of Daniel Candeias in front of goal rather summed up the state of Rangers.
Served with the penalty chance to put victory to bed in injury time against Kilmarnock, one of Pedro Caixinha’s Portuguese signings lost a game of nerve with goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald.
Killie then scampered up the park, scored a dramatic equaliser and that was that for Caixinha’s crew. Except for Candeias, who escaped a verdict of guilt by association despite such moments exposing a frailty running through the ranks.
Not all is cured. This has been a week in which Steven Gerrard’s domestic record underwent comparisons with the statistical start made by Caixinha last term.
And the problems routinely lamented by the current manager of final-third profligacy again plagued Rangers yesterday.
But on a grotty day weather-wise, when win ugly could have been the mantra, the Ibrox men were ferociously honest in their pursuit of victory — and Candeias produced a moment of beauty to break down struggling St Mirren.
His introduction provided the magic that the ineffectual Eros Grezda was unable to conjure for Rangers.
He caressed a finish ten minutes from time in blustery conditions and, while his manager might have mocked his intent, Candeias was claiming he knew exactly what he was doing.
Make no mistake, this 80th-minute strike was a big moment for the early months of Gerrard’s reign.
Failing to put away one of the division’s poorest outfits and extending a run without a win to four would have created more questions about what evidence there is to suggest Rangers are ready to move up the Premiership. After those three games without victory, Gerrard’s men were in danger of being locked out again by frantic Saints defending. The opening goal was a stunning strike rather at odds with much of the entertainment on a gruesome afternoon in Paisley. But while the skies were heavy, it wasn’t quite dark enough for Rangers to pretend it was a European night and perform to their optimum. They squandered a litany of opportunities before Candeias broke the deadlock and Alfredo Morelos fired in a second in stoppage time to give the scoreline a more accurate reflection of the visitors’ dominance. There were sour notes on which the action ended for Gerrard’s scorers, however. Candeias, booked for celebrating his goal with the Rangers fans, earned a second yellow for reasons only referee Willie Collum can try to explain as Paisley defender Anton Ferdinand grappled with him following the Morelos goal. Seconds earlier, Morelos was struck by an object while enjoying the glory of his 15th goal in all competitions this season. In this of all the weeks, another blight on the reputation of the Scottish game. The charge sheet against St Mirren is not clever either. Their new-boss bounce of a point against Celtic back in September has now been swiftly followed by seven defeats in a row, the worst top- flight league losing run since 1969. Oran Kearney’s men visit Dens Park next Saturday in a game shaping up as a relegation six-pointer. However, initially, they had nothing to fear yesterday from Rangers’ domestic away record. Allan McGregor twice came to the rescue for the visitors in the opening 20 minutes. The Ibrox goalkeeper rested a minor back complaint in midweek and that respite looked to have worked a treat as he sprang smartly to repel a dangerouslydeflected Ian McShane free-kick.
McShane then dug out a deep cross from the right and Ryan Edwards, at the second attempt, found an angle to trouble the keeper from the back post. McGregor stood strong to force the shot high and wide.
Connor Goldson rued not making more of a free header — not for the last time on the day — as he ghosted in to offer a weak and wayward attempt.
Ryan Kent enjoyed the best opening on the break just before half-time, but dragged a shot tamely across goal.
Much of the first half was scrappy and prompted Collum to dish out cautions to Ryan Jack and Scott Arfield for over-the-ball challenges and to Saints’ impressive 17-year-old Ethan Erhahon, who was making his top-flight debut.
The injury time before the interval allowed Saints time to spurn an excellent chance to break the deadlock.
Again, Edwards was able to collect a corner, turn and shoot. His effort was spilled by McGregor. Although Paul McGinn was first on the scene, he snatched at the opportunity and his unconvincing swipe sent the ball into the side net from six yards.
It was a different ball game at the start of the second half and Rangers could have been three goals up within a quarter of an hour.
From an Andy Halliday corner, Goldson got away from an errant Ferdinand — but failed to muster a connection when it looked easier to score.
Grezda was given licence on the right to run at young Erhahon after the break and while he didn’t impress on his first Rangers start, he could have signed off with a goal before being hooked.
The Albanian smacked the base of Craig Samson’s left-hand post after shuffling inside to try to provide a finishing touch to a sweeping Morelos and Kent attack.
And quite how Saints survived as Arfield, Candeias then Ovie Ejaria had efforts blocked or cleared off the line in a penalty-box scramble will require considerable use of the rewind button in Kearney’s review.
However, the loss of Stephen McGinn to injury loosened the hinges and Candeias possessed the craft to prise open the door.
The 30-year-old mastered the conditions. He spied the opening left by Samson and guided a rightfoot shot into the postage stamp of the Saints net.
Rangers’ persistence was exemplified by the performance of Morelos and he gained his deserved goal. Dashing on to an Arfield pass, the 22-year-old celebrated his latest Colombia call-up by rifling home a low finish home from a tight angle.