Thistle denied as late Dodoo double fires Gers into second spot
MARK WARBURTON and his players responded to Dave King’s comments that he expected Rangers to be more competitive, in defiant style yesterday.
The Light Blues chairman suggested at Friday’s AGM that the euphoria of the last season’s Scottish Cup semi-final win over Celtic may have raised hopes artificially high.
However with this exciting lunchtime victory, sealed in the fourth minute of stoppage time, the Govan side not only clambered above Aberdeen into second spot, but also demonstrated a resilience that suggests they can remain there.
Certainly, the manager was not about to concede to a lack of challenge from his team after watching Joe Dodoo slam home two excellent goals, his first in the Premiership, to win this.
“We’re sitting second tonight aren’t we?” said Warburton when questioned on the subject of King’s remarks.
“I think the chairman was very good to us, we had a good conversation, I thought his comments were very supportive.
“He’ll support us in the windows as he has done, his communication is very good.
“We sit second, so we’re not doing too badly.”
And while eight points behind Celtic – even a good Celtic side – isn’t ideal, this success extended their unbeaten run in the league to seven games.
“When we do what we do well, we’re a good side,” said Warburton.
“First half we didn’t. We gave it away too cheap but when we got moving through the thirds in the second half we looked much better.
“We have to find solutions if there’s a problem and all credit to the players for working to the end and getting the reward.”
With Hearts home and away plus Aberdeen at Ibrox to be faced in the next three games, Rangers will look to start more strongly.
For here, after a frantic opening, they fell behind when Kris Doolan hooked home from a Steven Lawless cross.
It wasn’t against the run of play either, as Thistle had their moments in the game.
David Amoo’s fierce drive was parried back into open play by Wes Foderingham who was then left stranded as Chris Erskine followed in to hit the rebound.
Happily for the Rangers keeper, Rob Kiernan was alert to the danger and cleared the striker’s effort off the line.
Foderingham was also impressive when pulling a Kris Doolan shot out off the air.
But just as the travelling fans started to fear Thistle would be recording their first victory over Rangers in 23 years, they struck back.
James Tavernier pushed out wide to Kenny Miller and when the striker crossed deep into the box, Dodoo, a second half substitute, finished with a superb volley to the far post.
Rangers, to be fair, should have had a penalty before then with Abdul Osman having put an end to a dangerous Harry Forrester run by up-ending him from behind as the forward bore down on goal.
Referee Nick Walsh was having none of it and able to regroup, the Jags pushed forward, forcing a double save from Foderingham through shots by Elliott and Erskine.
It was Rangers who had the final say, with Abdul Osman’s slip allowing the visitors to break at pace. Kenny Miller played in Dodoo for his second assist of the game and the forward shot low into the far corner.
“Even a point we would have been disappointed with,” complained Adam Barton, who had been superb in the centre of Thistle’s defence all afternoon.
“We put into practice everything we’d been doing all week.
“But the captain slips and they score with the last kick of the game.
“We need to overcome this mentality of when we concede a goal to drop off and think they’re going to attack us now.
“We thought we had shaken it a couple of weeks ago when we got two wins and the draws before that but it just seems to be the mentality to defend when we concede.
” We shouldn’t be doing that, we should be going for it and getting another goal.