Waghorn settles score
He may have departed the scene but the spirit of Mark Warburton lingered on at Ibrox yesterday. As Rangers have been throughout the season at home, they were unconvincing, but somehow muddled through to see off a valiant visiting side in lower league Morton and claim a Scottish Cup quarter-final tie.
Caretaker Graeme Murty picked a team that had no significant deviations from those selected by the man the Rangers Under-20s coach has temporarily succeeded. That extended to the nature of the performance. The Ibrox men deserved to win – for the first time in three matches – but were fortunate that the undoubted craft from Jim Duffy’s men did not extend to fashioning goals from glorious opportunities.
On-loan Celtic players were the culprits on each occasion – Luke Donnelly skying over when presented with an unguarded net to earn a replay in added time, after Aidan Nesbitt had similarly hoisted over when clean through early in the second period with the score 1-1.
All the flaws of the Warburton set-up were on show. Philippe Senderos stumbled his way through an excruciating 90 minutes, the Swiss defender inadvertently heading to Michael Tidser to set up Nesbitt. Andy Halliday, restored after being dropped the previous weekend, looked off the pace and Morton smartly and slickly played around Rangers in tight areas.
Murty, who admitted he would require a wine after his onerous duties had been thrust upon him, talked of a Rangers squad that included some players who were emotionally “up and down” following Warburton’s exit. Into the “up” category appeared Waghorn – also restored to the
0 Morton No 12 Michael Tidser celebrates his shock opening goal. starting XI – with the 27-yearold offering veiled criticism of the now former Rangers manager, wherein he conceded the Ibrox club have underperformed.
“It’s been a difficult one,” said Waghorn. “People don’t know if they are playing, they are in and out. There has been a lot of uncertainty at times. But you are playing for a big club and people are not going to deliver that on a plate. You have to go out and work for it.
“Myself and other players have been in and out. But it’s important that you do your job when you are called upon. It’s been difficult for a number of players and a number of different reasons. But this is by now. It is time to move on.”
Waghorn scored a tap-in with 61 minutes played after goalkeeper Derek Gaston allowed a shot poked his way on the byline from Emerson Hyndman to somehow dribble behind him. It marked the first goal for more than two months for a striker whose 11 goals for the season make him the club’s leading scorer. It doesn’t seem Waghorn will be rushing to talk to the deposed Warburton about it.
“I’ve not spoken to him,” he added, having admittedly expressed his gratitude for the former manager bringing him to Ibrox. “Obviously, he [Warburton] has been away for different reasons. I was focusing on the game and it was important to be in the right frame of mind if called upon. Whether I will speak to him in the future, I don’t know. I’m more interested in playing for Rangers right now.”
Playing for Rangers has not been easy this past week, he admitted. “It was eventful. It was difficult leaving two days before a game and trying to get a quick turnaround. Graeme has come in and done a great job by rallying the boys round.
“The only way you can respond is by winning games. It was a difficult period, but the win was the most important thing and we move on together. We need to keep doing what is essential for this club, which is winning games.
“Yes, it’s been difficult and hard, but that’s part and parcel of playing for a big club and we’ve just got to get on with it.”
Initially, Rangers got on with the business of winning a cup tie in the worst possible fashion. After only seven minutes, Senderos and Halliday contrived to allow Nesbitt to hook the ball over to Tisder at the edge of the area and the striker produced a fine low volley to beat Wes Foderingham.
Kenny Miller produced a quickfire response with a 13th-minute equaliser that followed a piercing run from Barrie Mckay that ended with Gaston blocking and the 36-year-old driving a followup through a crowded area that found the net thanks to a deflection off Thomas O’ware.
The afternoon was one that visiting manager Duffy didn’t know whether to curse over,