BUDDIES BLOW RANGERS AWAY
But was Gerrard at fault for sacrificing Morelos?
WE’LL never know, of course, whether Alfredo Morelos might have made a difference.
Conor McCarthy certainly did, his stoppage-time finish providing a quite sensational ending to this Betfred Cup classic.
But on a night when Rangers were elbowed out of the tournament by brilliantly spirited and organised St Mirren, anyone watching Steven Gerrard’s men squander a string of chances — particularly in the first half — would be tempted to conclude that the Colombian striker was sorely missed.
A Connor Goldson strike with just six-and-a-half minutes on the clock, his seventh goal of the season and a second in as many games for the central defender, should have put Rangers in total control of this quarter-final.
However, a Jamie McGrath double either side of half-time, the Irishman scoring from the penalty spot and then producing a fine finish to a sparkling attack, turned this tie on its head.
Rangers looked as if they had then pushed the game into extra-time with 88 minutes gone when substitute Steven Davis scored following a James Tavernier freekick that came back off the woodwork.
Then came the big moment right at the death, McCarthy’s close-range effort putting Jim Goodwin’s men into the last four.
So, do we call Gerrard’s decision to accept the two-match ban f or Morelos a tactical mistake, then?
Especially as the head coach had been so vocal in his defence of t he striker’s challenge on Dundee United’s Mark Connolly in the weekend win at Tannadice? Had Rangers contested the complaint, Morelos would have been free to play here. And he might, just might, have made all the difference. If damning Gerrard (left) for that decision sounds harsh, well, results like this don’t tend to en gender a spirit of acceptance and understanding among supporters of either of Glasgow’s big two. This was a sore one for Rangers fans who, with some justification, had begun to anticipate a first major trophy since before the financial implosion of 2012. If they can take comfort from a healthy lead in the title race, the nature of this defeat will have carried no little sting.
But isn’t the first silverware of the season always a comfort?
On top of the Morelos absence, Gerrard took the chance to shake up his squad for the short trip to Paisley, drafting Calvin Bassey, Bongani Zungu, Joe Aribo and Cedric Itten into the starting XI.
With a 27-game unbeaten run under their belts and strength in depth all over the park, few expected a bit of tinkering to have a drastic effect on the visitors.
But Bassey, in particular, had a torrid time here. Guilty of getting caught on the wrong side of his man f or the penalty, he was victimised again in the build-up to the second Saints goal — and was substituted almost immediately.
On a night when Saints right winger Dylan Connolly shone amid the near-constant downpour, the introduction of Borna Barisic at least stopped the bleeding. But credit Goodwin’s team for showing bravery on the ball — and an eye for goal in the game’s defining moments.
The fixture was delayed by a pre-match injury to referee Andrew Dallas, with fourth official David Dickinson earning a battlefield promotion from touchline to centre circle.
But t here was no sl owing Rangers up.
A full seven minutes had yet to elapse when they took the lead, Joe Aribo doing the hard work with a driving run and cross from the left wing.
When the ball fell to Goldson, the central defender was still outside the St Mirren box.
And far from certain to make something of the delivery.
But a lovely first touch, driving run and drilled low right-footed shot put the ball beyond Jak
Alnwick for an opener that actually felt about right, given the balance of play in the opening exchanges.
Even before that earliest of strikes, this had the feel of a mismatch, with Rangers setting a tempo that disrupted St Mirren from the off. The contest soon settled into a pattern of Rangers attacks being — only j ust — rebuffed by men in black-andwhite putting their bodies on the line.
When Ethan Erhahon was booked for going over the ball on Zungu, truth be told, it was as close as the home side got to hurting the Premiership leaders at that stage.
The left wing was a constant source of joy for Rangers, Ryan Kent, Aribo, Itten and even Goldson making hay finding themselves in space to play with.
Yet, thanks to a couple of goal-line clearances, one from an Aribo shot and another from an Itten header, Saints managed to stay in the game. They gave themselves hope. And then they capitalised on one loose moment in the Rangers defence, Bassey getting himself caught in pointless pursuit of Connolly as the wide man chased a dinked ball into the penalty box. Down went the St Mirren man.
Stand-in ref Dickinson pointed straight to the spot, waving aside muted complaints from the men in the retro blue jerseys. McGrath banged in his fourth goal in as many games from the spot, sending Allan McGregor the wrong way.
Energised and enlivened by the equaliser, St Mirren began the second half with almost a swagger about their play.
Connolly was now on a mission to torment Bassey.
Not the worst ploy, given how uncomfortable the left back was looking.
And, having rattled the bar with one cross, the winger was instrumental in the goal that gave Saints the lead with 54 minutes on the clock.
His low cross into the box was laid off by Jon Obika, teeing up McGrath to show fast feet and a cool, cool head with a neat low finish.
Gerrard responded immediately, throwing Barisic on for Bassey and Steve Davis for Scott Arfield.
The visitors responded with a return to the high tempo that had typified their first-half performance.
But — and stop us if you’ve heard this one before, Rangers fans — there was a lack of something in the final third.
Kent found himself booked for a dive in the box, while free-scoring full-back James Tavernier did find the net from close range — only for the skipper’s effort to be ruled out, the ball having gone out before Roofe’s cut-back.
Salvation seemed to come via a Tavernier free-kick two minutes from time, sub Davis banging home after the captain’s effort had cannoned back off the post.
Into stoppage time of this breathless encounter, however, an in swinging St Mirren corner from the left saw McGregor produce a brilliant save f r om a Joe
Shaughnessy header — only for McCarthy to score from pointblank range.
Referee Dickinson showed a red card to boss Goodwin on the Saints bench amid the scenes that followed.
Is it too cheeky to ask if they will appeal?
ST MIRREN (4-5-1): Alnwick; Fraser, McCarthy, Shaughnessy, Tait; Connolly (MacPherson 81), McGrath, Doyle-Hayes, Erhahon, Mason; Obika (Erwin 90). Subs not used: Flynn, McAllister, Durmus, Foley, Dennis, Lyness, Jamieson. Booked: Erhahon, Doyle-Hayes, McGrath, Tait.
RANGERS (4-3-3): McGregor; Tavernier, Goldson, Balogun (Hagi 83), Bassey (Barisic 56); Arfield (Davis, 56), Zungu (Kamara 72), Aribo; Roofe, Itten (Defoe 72), Kent. Subs not used: McLaughlin, Helander, Patterson, Barker. Booked: Kent, Itten, Goldson, Hagi. Man of the match: Dylan Connolly. Referee: David Dickinson.