ABERDEEN..1 RANGERS..1
GARY RALSTON AT PITTODRIE a goal in a 2-1 defeat a month ago. But here he swooped for his first Rangers goal four minutes after the interval.
It’s Pancake Tuesday tomorrow and Steven Gerrard was in danger of being left with egg on his face as his side showed their frustrating tendency to take three steps forward and one step back.
They failed again to make it four wins in a row, a feat they have achieved only once this season, but there was at least an endeavour in the second half, so lacking in the first, to keep them in the hunt for silverware in May.
So much had been written in the build-up about Alfredo Morelos but his early booking for taking a dive in the box blunted his bullying style, although he did have a kick out at Andy Considine that could have seen him see red against the Dons again.
Scott McKenna won their duel hands down and when he wasn’t there to cover, Considine proved equally adept, especially in the closing minutes when he twice made last-gasp tackles to prevent the Colombian netting a winner.
That would have been so tough on the Dons, who carved the best chances but were undone by dramatic defensive interventions by Rangers in the second half, including a fine stop by Allan McGregor’s legs.
The game burst into life in nine minutes with the spot-kick as the movement of Gary Mackay-Steven caught the Rangers defence cold.
The away side were architects of their own misfortune when Max Lowe robbed Daniel Candeias on the halfway line and surged forward, forcing the Rangers defence on to the retreat.
It was one of the easiest decisions Kevin Clancy will make all season. And Sam Cosgrove kept his cool after a delay for treatment to his team-mate to slot the penalty inside McGregor’s left-hand post, even though the keeper got a hand to his effort.
Mackay-Steven limped off minutes later to be replaced by Niall McGinn but not before Morelos took centre stage for all the wrong reasons.
He had forced a fine stop from Joe Lewis when he scampered clear of Considine and unleashed a shot but flopped outrageously in the box after 15 minutes under no great pressure from McKenna and was booked for diving.
The Dons were happy to hand Rangers possession at the fringes of their own box but clamped down tight further up the park, which left space at a premium as the Ibrox middlemen struggled for room to work.
The Reds also enjoyed a physical superiority that almost saw McKenna nod them two in front off a McGinn free-kick after half an hour, superbly touched over the bar by McGregor.
The Rangers swagger of recent weeks was nullified by