MORELOS LIGHTS FUSE Gerrard sent off for arguing against booking before late goal nudges Rangers closer to title
THERE were fireworks on and off the park. For so long this was a game that didn’t look like it would explode into life but it would end with a bang and another Rangers win.
This is one down and two to go for Steven Gerrard’s side and just four points are now required for Rangers to be crowned Premiership champions. Time will tell if Gerrard will be in the dugout when it happens, though, after he was sent off for a rant at referee John Beaton.
It was Alfredo Morelos who was the centre of attention for the flashpoint that angered Gerrard so much. Come fulltime, it was the Colombian who had put a smile on his manager’s face as his goal clinched the win that takes Rangers ever closer to the title.
It could now be secured this weekend. If Rangers can take care of St Mirren and Celtic fail to beat Dundee United on Sunday, then 55 will be won without a ball being kicked.
It will happen, though. That has been known for some time and this hard-fought victory was further confirmation of why Rangers will be champions as they kept going until the very end and got the win that they wanted and deserved.
It would not be doing either side a disservice to say that it took them both some time to find their rhythm in this encounter. The first half hour was a wretched, forgettable affair of few talking points and even fewer chances.
A Scott Pittman effort that he dragged wide and a Jason Holt strike that was blocked by Filip Helander were just about noteworthy. Of more concern for Livingston was the loss of Gavin Reilly as he pulled up with a hamstring injury and was replaced by Scott Robinson.
What had been a slowburner of a game would burst into life after 36 minutes and the ramifications of the flashpoint will be longer lasting for Gerrard. By the time he returned to the away dressing room, he had been sent off by referee Beaton.
His anger was well-placed. There was bewilderment on the Rangers bench when Beaton booked Morelos for diving under a challenge from Max Stryjek and it was clear that Gerrard and his staff had a point.
As the whistle was blown, he would make his feelings clear. Gerrard would direct his players away from the officials before accusing Beaton of being ‘bang out of order’ in a furious outburst as he marched onto the park to confront the whistler.
The decision that caused the rammy was a shocker from Beaton. Morelos had collected a lovely ball over the top of the Livingston defence from Steven Davis and got to it before the onrushing Stryjek.
The keeper would make contact with Morelos and it is unfathomable why Beaton thought it was a booking. The striker was clearly bemused at the baffling decision but had to accept his fate and he would leave the scene rather than cause one in what was perhaps another sign of the maturity that Gerrard spoke about on Tuesday.
Rangers had every reason to question the call not to award a penalty and then to penalise Morelos as they were denied a chance to open the scoring.
The only other opportunities came either side of that moment of controversy. Helander had headed a Borna Barisic corner just over the bar, while Scott Arfield couldn’t find the target after a cutback from Ryan Kent broke to him in the box.
The furore at the break seemed to light a fire in Rangers and they would start the second half purposefully. A header from Connor Goldson looked to have given them the lead but the offside flag denied the defender the opening goal.
Premiership table