More fireworks at Dens as Mcpake gives ref a rocket
This was not quite a damp squib, Dark Blues boss James Mcpake managing to earn himself a red card, but it was no sparkler either.
In a week when all the talk was of pyrotechnics and, in particular, their removal from football pitches, Rangers fans knew they would not lack for a pantomime villain at Dens Park.
They arrived on Tayside to find Ianis Hagi’s show-stealing display off the substitutes’ bench against Livingston in midweek had been rewarded with a start.
That was a mere incidental, however, compared to the presence of Leigh Griffiths in the Dundee team.
Charged by Police Scotland in relation to “culpable and reckless” conduct for an incident in his side’s League Cup defeat by St Johnstone on Wednesday, the 31-year-old also potentially faces a lengthy SFA ban.
Mcpake, more of him later, said he was standing by the man he has brought in on loan from Celtic and was good to his word, playing him up front from the start.
Visiting fans were not slow to target him in the warm-ups with the boos and jeers that rained down from the stands only briefly turning to cheers when a wayward shot from a Dundee team-mate clattered off his back.
The man himself saw the funny side, laughing as he continued to get himself ready.
It was the other Dark Blues striker, Paul Mcmullan, though, who got the game off to an electrifying start when dribbling through half of the Rangers side straight from kick-off before getting his shot blocked.
As a statement of intent, it was impressive stuff and Jordan Mcghee really should have given Mcpake’s side something to show for their bold start when given a free header from close range.
The midfielder had the entire goal to aim at but directed his effort straight at keeper Jon Mclaughlin and the chance was gone.
They were to rue the miss with Rangers grabbing an early lead with a slick goal, Alfredo Morelos playing a beautiful ball in behind the Dundee defence for Joe Aribo to run on to.
Left one on one with Adam Legzdins, the Nigeria international married technique with composure for a cool finish into the far corner.
There was not much the keeper could do with that one but he did well minutes later when pushing a fierce Kemar Roofe shot over the crossbar.
It looked a little like the wind had been taken out of Dundee’s sails but to be fair it was more about the boost the breakthrough gave their opponents.
Griffiths himself had a hat-trick of chances fall his way, on each occasion he got shots on goal but all lacked the power and the precision to trouble Mclaughlin.
Whether he would have got there in the end will never be known, for he started hobbling with what appeared to be a calf injury.
Mcpake spotted it straight away and replaced him with Jason Cummings.
Last Sunday Rangers let an
early lead against Motherwell slip, ending up with a draw, and some lackadaisical stuff on their return had fans fearing the same could happen again.
Their fears looked to have been realised when they conceded a penalty, Mclaughlin penalised for pulling down Mcmullan as he attempted to take the ball around him.
Mcpake was angered it was not deemed a sending-off offence – Steven Gerrard for his part disagreed, arguing Leon Balogun would have got back to cover – and he was left positively incensed by the sight of the Rangers keeper saving Cummings’ spot-kick with his feet.
He argued his case with referee Bobby Madden too well, the official giving him a straight red card for the protest.
As it was, the champions, whose character was praised by their manager, were able to hold on and claim the victory that sent the two teams on their separate ways, Rangers to the head of the table and Dundee to the bottom.