Rangers beat Aberdeen to go second
Ten-man Rangers beat Aberdeen for the second time in a week to replace them in second place in the Premiership.
Danny Wilson headed into the corner to give Rangers the lead, and Aberdeen’s only first-half response was an Andrew Considine header against the crossbar.
Former Dons midfielder Ryan Jack was sent off after the break, but Josh Windass fired Rangers further in front.
Teenage substitute Frank Ross curled in an immediate reply from a fine free-kick, but Rangers held on for the win.
The Glasgow side, still under caretaker manager Graeme Murty, had thumped the Dons 3-0 at Ibrox on Wednesday.
The soap opera that is Rangers’ pursuit of a new manager continues with McInnes still cast in the lead role.
McInnes has been royally fed-up with all the speculation linking him with the job, but his frustration would have been as nothing compared to the way his team started this game.
After their loss at Ibrox, he would have been expecting a response from the first whistle at Pittodrie. What he got instead, for much of the opening half, was a passive performance, an effort lacking in all the things that have made Aberdeen the second best team in Scotland in recent years.
Rangers got off to an embarrassing beginning when Windass was correctly booked for diving in an attempt to win a penalty. They gathered their composure quickly, though, and were ahead on the 14th minute.
A Declan John freekick from the right did not look like it was going to produce a goal as it descended in Wilson’s vicinity. The centre-half was about 15 yards out but was given space by a dozing Aberdeen defence to measure his header.
He looped it high beyond Joe Lewis, who looked hypnotised in the moment, and it fell into his net for an opener that was greeted thunderously by the visiting support.