SPARKING A REACTION
Kent’s electrifying moment put Rangers back on track and heading to crucial victory
It was all about letting a bit of magic prevail — and Ryan Kent did that
ARECURRING theme in the toils of Rangers in 2020 since returning from their winter training camp in Dubai has been a worrying lack of spark in the final third.
On Saturday, Steven Gerrard’s side found it when they needed it most as an electrifying run from Ryan Kent lit up an otherwise sluggish performance.
Flying down the left flank, the winger set up Joe Aribo for a beautifully-instinctive finish to make it 2-1 and ensure that the FOYS Stadium would not be hosting a Scottish Cup shock.
As the winds began to rise in Lanarkshire, here for the increasingly anxious Rangers fans was the calm before the storm. The moment of magic transformed Rangers and, after Alfredo Morelos notched his first goal of the year, Scott Arfield, who had opened the scoring, concluded it with a terrific long-range strike in off the underside of the bar.
Arfield’s second was the 100th goal scored by the Ibrox side this season, but afterwards he called on the midfield to keep chipping in with goals to ease the burden on Morelos and his fellow frontmen.
‘It was always going to be difficult against Hamilton. It was all about letting a bit of magic prevail — and Ryan Kent did that,’ said Arfield.
‘Joe Aribo finished it off and that knocked the stuffing out of them. Then, when Alfredo scored his goal, it was all over.
‘My goal for our fourth was a nice strike. It sat up nicely for me and thankfully it came off the bottom of the crossbar and went in. I have scored some nice ones but that is right up there, certainly in a Rangers jersey.
‘Can I put my finger on it why we’ve not hit the heights since the winter break? Probably not. As players, we can’t overthink it. That’s for other people to do.
‘It’s maybe not been as fluid in an attacking sense but, if you score goals at the right time in games, then people’s opinions change.
‘In the games at home — Stranraer, St Mirren, Ross County — it’s not been as fluid but strikes like Joe Aribo’s here against Hamilton changed the momentum of the game.
‘But it’s fair comment to say we need to chip in with more goals, particularly at Ibrox when teams sit in and play a low block.
‘With the ability we have as midfield players we should be scoring more often.’
After Ianis Hagi had missed a great chance, sending a free header wide from close range, Rangers were given the opportunity to take the lead from the spot.
Young Jamie Hamilton, who was shown a red card the previous weekend for hauling down Celtic’s Leigh Griffiths, toppled Morelos in the penalty box.
Arfield’s poor spot-kick was saved by Luke Southwood but the midfielder kept a calm head to tuck home the rebound.
But young Lewis Smith had Rangers in a bit of bother when he bamboozled George Edmundson, shifting the ball from his favoured left foot before sending a right foot finish with laser-precision across Allan McGregor and into the bottom right corner of the Ibrox goalkeeper’s net.
Accies should then have had a penalty when Connor Goldson handled in the box, but Alan Muir failed to spot the incident despite being well-placed.
After Aribo had spun the tie back in Rangers’ favour, Morelos ended a crazy week — of Translategate, racism claims and allegations his Lamborghini was being tracked by a private investigator hired by his pregnant wife — with a welcome return to the scoresheet.
The Colombian grabbed the goal he craved, heading into the net after substitute Greg Stewart’s shot was deflected into the air.
He tucked the ball under his
jersey and kissed it in a tribute to his unborn daughter before later using Instagram to dedicate the goal to his family.
‘Alfredo is our main threat and game by game he’s getting back to where he was,’ said Arfield.
‘It was always going to take a bit of time because he played 20-30 games on the bounce before the break.
‘Then he got sent off and there was a bit of frustration as he missed games.
‘He’s back scoring goals now but his sharpness will come. You can be fit but football fitness is different to that. It’s about instinct over two or three yards, but he’s getting back to that.’
After Arfield’s fabulous fourth, he backed his side to handle the title-race pressure when they resume Premiership duties at Rugby Park on Wednesday night. ‘If we had taken our chances in the first half against Hamilton, it may have been easier for us at half-time,’ he said. ‘But Hamilton’s goal put us on the back foot and it was difficult to gain momentum after that. ‘But we’ve scored 100 goals this season and that shows the attacking quality we have. ‘Do I feel we can handle the pressure? Of course, I do. ‘When you sign for this club you know it’s not always going to be plain sailing. ‘The pressure is on everyone here to perform and quite rightly so. If you can’t handle it then you shouldn’t be here.
‘As a team, staff and club we understand the supporters’ frustration, but we can’t allow ourselves to overthink it.
‘For us, it’s about passing the ball and scoring as many goals as we possibly can.
‘Do we need to win every game between now and the end of the season? We don’t know that! I don’t have a crystal ball.
‘We have an opportunity to win every game and that’s all that we are thinking about.’