LIFTING THE BLUES
Rangers revived by McCall, declares goal hero Vuckic
HARIS VUCKIC believes an improved attitude among the Rangers players under Stuart McCall is one of the factors powering a renewed Ibrox promotion push.
The Newcastle loan man scored two late goals to help propel McCall’s side to a 4-1 home victory over Cowdenbeath and draw level on points with Hibs, who lost 2-1 to Raith Rovers at Stark’s Park.
Back-to-back victories for the first time since early January have triggered a Championship momentum shift at just the right time for Rangers.
‘There is a sense that we have turned the corner after two very good performances,’ said Vuckic. ‘It was a great 2-0 win over Hibs but this result was even more important as we were playing the side who are near the bottom and a point is a victory for them.
‘It’s even harder to play against them, so this result was all about the attitude and we showed that. There has been a change in attitude and motivation, with everyone working hard. The manager talks to us about a game plan and everyone follows it. The training recently has been harder, the tempo is higher and we are a fitter side. We are now doing well.
‘The past is forgotten. We must now focus on the games we have left. We created a lot of chances today. The confidence has returned to the squad and we need to get as many points as we can from now until the end of the season.
‘Our plan is to finish second, so we can avoid two extra games in the play-offs. The win over Hibs gave us a big motivation because we had lost three times against them this season but the momentum is now on our side.’
Vuckic, the only success story from the suspect deal that saw five Newcastle players loaned out to former interim coach Kenny McDowall on deadline day, stated a strong case for a reinstatement to the starting line-up for vital contests against Hearts next Sunday, then Queen of the South the following Thursday.
He said: ‘I’m delighted to have scored two goals. I wanted to start the game but the manager made the decision and I respect that. I said to myself that, if I did get on, then I would give my maximum. When I did come on, I took my chances. I wanted to come here and enjoy my football.’
THERE is no place in Darren McGregor’s mindset for a soppy nod to his old allegiances.
He let out a roar of relief, a leap of joy and a pumped fist of celebration after lashing home the key goal that condemned former club Cowdenbeath to a defeat that could damage their hopes of avoiding relegation — and helped Rangers draw menacingly level on points with his boyhood heroes Hibernian.
McGregor’s superb strike was the essential response to the visitors drawing level through Kudus Oyenuga and sparked a three-goal flurry in the final seven minutes that saw Rangers claim a first Ibrox victory since January 3.
The gloss finish was provided by super sub Haris Vuckic, who produced the other two late strikes.
Rangers may have been landed with the worst-value loan deal in football history by former directors Derek Llambias and Barry Leach sanctioning the signings of four Newcastle fringe players who have been ill or unfit.
But on this form — with five goals in nine appearances — the new regime won’t be in a hurry to disentangled themselves from the deal that sees Vuckic here until the end of a season which now features a scrap for the most advantageous play-off positions.
Rangers looked in no kind of shape to contend with McGregor’s childhood favourites Hibs for that runners-up berth three weeks ago when they last faced Cowdenbeath.
A scoreless shocker at Central Park was one of the most insipid Rangers displays of the past three seasons.
The wind and churned pitch were offered up as mitigating factors following that dire effort, but there were no excuses here as a team revitalised by Stuart McCall to gain a first win in six last Sunday at Easter Road sought to build momentum in the spring campaign.
Rangers fans celebrated the life of Davie Cooper in the first home match since the 20th anniversary of the wing wizard’s death, with tribute banners and songs. McCall gave the player named after one of the greatest ever Ibrox heroes, David Cooper Templeton, a chance to star on the left flank against the strugglers.
In his first start since January 10, Templeton was a marked man. Colin Marshall was booked after 70 seconds for a lunge on the ex-Hearts man. John Robertson soon followed into Brian Colvin’s notebook.
That was no discouraging tactic because Templeton was in the mood for mischief and he did as much as any Rangers player to tire out the visitors with his trickery.
Rangers quickly brushed off a bright start from the visitors that saw Cammy Bell shut down a Sean Higgins chance. The home side moved the ball around briskly, stretching and asking questions of a Cowdenbeath defence that had leaked 31 times in nine matches.
Robbie Thomson kept out centrehalves Bilel Mohsni and Lee McCulloch with headers from corners. Nicky Law picked up the scraps of a mazy Templeton run to carve out a chance that smacked off the far post and fell kindly to the visiting keeper. Both home strikers Nicky Clark and Kenny Miller shot wide when presented with their goes at goal. McCall could have no complaints about the volume of chances being crafted by his side.
Cowdenbeath’s endeavours to stem the tide were overseen by Lee Makel, deputising for boss Jimmy Nicholl who was preparing for Northern Ireland’s key qualifier against Finland, and he admitted that they rode their luck to go in level at the interval.
Rangers needed a helping hand early in the second period and they got one from Thomson as the away keeper allowed a Lee Wallace drive squirm from his grasp.
The penalty-box instincts of Clark beat Nat Wedderburn on the slide as he bundled the ball over the line just inside the left-hand post for his seventh of the season.
Clark’s grafting and harrying for the ball was noteworthy as Rangers strived for a second but the 23-year-old will have nightmares over his 71st-minute miss. Once again, Templeton tormented down the left and he delivered a devil of a low ball across the face of goal.
Vuckic couldn’t reach it but Clark looked to arrive in the nick of time at the back post to provide the finishing touch, but it was the side-netting that rippled from the forward’s wayward shot.
Miller’s fresh air header wasn’t much better and failure to put the game to bed meant that Rangers were only one slip away from losing their grip on the contest.
Cue the latest Mohsni muddle as his ghastly pass was intercepted by Lewis Toshney, who spied Oyenuga in isolation 22 yards out. He spun without pressure and took a couple of strides before maintaining his composure and burying a powerful right-foot finish beyond Bell.
All the old frailties were in danger of creeping back to bite Rangers as Templeton looked to injure himself attempting a clever backheel. McGregor was booked for a cynical foul to stop another Cowdenbeath break and fears of a fourth successive home draw brought scorn from the stands. McGregor calmed those nerves with his third goal for the club, latching on to a loose ball on the edge of the area and lashing a shot into the far corner.
Makel threw caution to the wind in the hunt for another leveller but that played into the hands of Vuckic, whose class exploited the extra space. He and the excellent Wallace produced a terrific exchange of passes to scythe through the remains of the Cowdenbeath defence, culminating in the Slovenian tucking home a neat finish.
He then left John Armstrong trailing and fired a low, left-foot shot past Thomson to round off the late rally.