RANGERS HUFF AND PUFF PAST MORTON
Fringe cast fails to impress as visitors almost force extra-time
FOR 90 minutes plus four, Johnly Yfeko had proved a quietly effective debutant for Rangers.
With one perfectly-timed stoppagetime tackle, the 20-year-old defender managed to save his manager an extra half-hour of stress ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League play-off with PSV Eindhoven.
Yfeko’s moment denied George Oakley the scoring chance that might have given Dougie Imrie’s Morton an equaliser at the end of a quite impressive showing.
After a solid first-half performance, the Championship side had taken the lead at Ibrox and, although their resistance was eventually broken, boy, did Rangers make heavy weather of this Viaplay Cup tie.
Some turbulence might have been expected in the wake of a nervy European qualifier in Switzerland, not least because Michael Beale chose to leave out eight of the starting line-up fielded against Servette in Geneva.
Yet if his remodelled first XI has made an unconvincing start to the season, few of the fringe cast offered a persuasive argument towards retaining their jerseys.
Tuesday night’s visit of PSV Eindhoven is, of course, the priority fixture as it offers a gateway to the riches and prestige of the Champions League. Yfeko aside, this was still a Rangers team packed with experience and one which would not have expected to trail Championship opposition with almost an hour played.
Jack Butland, Connor Goldson and Jose Cifuentes were the continuity men which meant the attacking burden fell on a fresh cast, led by Cyriel Dessers with Sam Lammers and Rabbi Matondo in support. Matondo was the pick of the trio. The winger’s inclusion subjected Morton right-back Cameron Blues to a sustained sprint challenge but while he was regularly too quick for Blues, there are times when he almost seems too fast for himself.
With a surer touch he might have worked a better angle for two early shooting opportunities, the first saved by the legs of Jamie MacDonald, the next scooped off the line by Darragh O’Connor. Subbed late in the game, the Welsh international was applauded from the pitch, a vote of approval for his persistent work rate — if not end product. Heckled in last weekend’s win over Livingston, Dessers is still seeking the approval of the crowd as he builds his fitness following his £4.5million transfer from Cremonese. Picked out by Dujon Sterling, he showed decent technique to control and volley a powerful shot on target early doors but MacDonald threw up a strong hand to tip the shot over.
With MacDonald again on point to keep out a Kieran Dowell free-kick on the cusp of half-time, there was a sense that Rangers would prevail.
Yet Morton too had worked a couple of opportunities.
Robbie Muirhead tested Butland with a quickly-taken free-kick and Robbie Crawford got in behind Goldson before deciding he wasn’t quick enough and scuffing his finish from distance.
Whatever Beale said to his players at the interval in Switzerland worked a treat as Rangers recovered their composure to beat a path through the tie.
Within five minutes in Geneva his team had delivered a response to Servette’s early goal. This time they conceded a needless goal within the same timeframe.
Morton’s breakthrough came from the penalty spot. It all stemmed from a scrappily defended corner which gave former Rangers defender Kirk Broadfoot the chance to chase a loose ball towards the edge of the box. Dessers stretched out a leg and made contact, with both players ending up on the deck.
Referee David Dickinson initially waved play on but once the ball was dead, submitted to a VAR review which eventually called him to the monitor.
After a delay in excess of three minutes Gillespie found himself 12 yards out and rolled home his finish.
For Imrie, this had been a most satisfying 50 minutes of work. Nudged out of the play-off places only on goal difference, the former Hamilton midfielder completed an impressive body of work in his first full season as a manager.
With a bit more funding he might well have achieved more, but the restrictions on his budget were in evidence by the fact he named only three outfield substitutes for this match in addition to goalkeeper Ryan Mullen.
And so there would have been some apprehension as Beale readied three attacking substitutes in response to the goal.
Before Danilo, Abdallah Sima and Ianis Hagi could be waved on, the Morton boss was dealt an even bigger blow as Dickinson signalled that another VAR check was underway following some set-piece jostling between Broadfoot and Leon Balogun. After another shorter stint at the screen, Dickinson awarded the kick which Dessers converted.
Beale has been waiting to see the beginnings of an understanding between his new £10m strike force of Dessers and Danilo and they at least combined for the clincher.
Dropping deep, Dessers took advantage as Gillespie pulled up with cramp, pinching possession and feeding the ball through to Danilo. The Brazilian checked back and squeezed a shot underneath MacDonald.
Hagi forced a smart save from MacDonald and a Sima header came back off the bar but the goal that would have made things comfortable eluded Beale’s team.
Hitherto solid at left-back, Yfeko combined youthful athleticism with the concentration levels of an experienced pro to make his late intervention.
‘My team were terrific and I’m really proud of them,’ said Imrie afterwards. ‘A VAR decision and a mistake cost us but better teams will come here and get battered. For 90 minutes we were brilliant.
‘And with George’s chance at the end we could have got 2-2. If I can get that every week from my players I’d like to think we’ll be okay.’
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