This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/oct/28/rangers-st-johnstone-scottish-league-cup-match-report

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Lewis Macleod’s late goal helps Rangers reach League Cup semi-final Lewis Macleod’s late goal helps Rangers reach League Cup semi-final
(35 minutes later)
It’s difficult to tell what constitutes a difficult week at Rangers. Such has been the turbulence of the club’s recent history results have become little more than a footnote. But in a week that has seen yet more boardroom upheaval – and Mike Ashley’s arrival at Ibrox – Rangers at least have a Scottish League Cup semi-final to relish. It’s difficult to tell what constitutes a difficult week at Rangers. Such has been the turbulence of the club’s recent history their results have become little more than a footnote. But in a week that has seen yet more boardroom upheaval – and Mike Ashley’s arrival at Ibrox – Rangers at least have a Scottish League Cup semi-final to relish.
Lewis Macleod’s late header was enough to secure a place in the competition’s final four for Ally McCoist’s side, who face the prospect of meeting Celtic for the first time in almost three years, should their rivals overcome Partick Thistle on Wednesday. It was not pretty but nothing much is at Rangers Lewis Macleod’s late header was enough to secure a place in the final four for Ally McCoist’s side, who face the prospect of meeting Celtic for the first time in almost three years, should their rivals overcome Partick Thistle on Wednesday. It wasn’t pretty but nothing much is at Rangers.
News of Ashley’s victory in the boardroom power struggle that has rocked the club has been met with hostility, as was evident in the sparse crowd for the first game since his £2m emergency loan was accepted. The Sons of Struth supporters group has already vowed a boycott of Ashley’s Sports Direct stores, now it would appear the general Ibrox fanbase might also stay away. The retail tycoon is no more of a popular man on the Clyde than he is on Tyneside. “There’s been a lot going on off the field for what feels like a long, long time,” McCoist said. “It was easy to concentrate on the game in the respect that that’s our job. The only thing that we can have an effect on is the results on the park.”
The irony of a “Forever Ibrox” banner – in reference to Ashley’s hoarding of the stadium’s naming rights – held immediately above a Sports Direct advertising hoarding was perhaps intended, but it was illustrative of the underlying fears that have bubbled to the surface at Rangers over the past week. News of Ashley’s victory in the boardroom power struggle which has rocked the club has been met with hostility, as was evident in the sparse crowd for the first game since his £2m emergency loan was accepted. The Sons of Struth supporters group has already vowed a boycott of Ashley’s Sports Direct stores, now it would appear the general Ibrox fan base are notable in their widespread absence. The retail tycoon is no more popular on the Clyde than he is on Tyneside.
Hibernian brutally exposed Rangers’ defensive failings when the TV cameras’ last visited Ibrox, running out 3-1 winners, and St Johnstone set out with similar intent. With Rangers struggling to impose themselves on the game, Michael O’Halloran broke beyond the opposition defence to square for Simon Lappin in the six-yard box. Had it not been for the desperate late challenge of Richard Foster the visitors would have taken the lead. The irony of a “Forever Ibrox” banner – in reference to Ashley’s hoarding of the stadium’s naming rights – held immediately above a Sports Direct advertising hoarding was perhaps intended but it was illustrative of the underlying fears that have bubbled to the surface over the past week.
It was Rangers who created the clearest opportunity of the first half, with Kris Boyd afforded the freedom of the St Johnstone box. However, the 31-year-old saw his effort smothered by Alan Mannus. Having scored just once in the league this term, Boyd could do with a return to the form that brought 22 goals in 36 games for Kilmarnock last season. “I don’t know at the moment,” McCoist bashfully confessed when asked who he reports to in light of Graham Wallace’s resignation as the chief executive on Monday and Derek Llambias’ arrival as a consultant. It’s over two years since Rangers entered administration but the future of the club is as vague as ever.
Murray Davidson, the St Johnstone midfielder whose career has been blighted by injury, was taken off on a stretcher following a gruesome first-half clash with Nicky Law. But his departure failed to deter Saints, who continued to make headway down the right wing, with Lee Croft’s clipped cross from the byline finding Frazer Wright unmarked. The defender planted his header from eight yards over the bar. Who they will face in the League Cup semi-finals also remains uncertain until Saturday’s draw but the thought of a long-awaited Old Firm clash is at the forefront of minds at Ibrox, and undoubtedly Parkhead too.
Wright did better at the other end following the restart, deflecting a Boyd shot from close range just past the post. The corner led to a Saints counterattack, with Steve Simonsen tipping a O’Halloran drive wide. The keeper was again called into action just moments later, clattering into the post in the process of clawing a Brian Graham header off the line, subsequently departing the pitch on a stretcher, complete with neck brace. “It would be a massive occasion given everything that’s happened,” said Macleod, who has been a rare shimmering star in what has been a dull season for Rangers thus far. Although McCoist was less accommodating when presented with such a possibility, conceding, “I’d probably take anyone other than Celtic, to be honest.”
Lee Robinson – now in his second spell at Rangers – came on in Simonsen’s place and nearly gifted St Johnstone an opener, straying off his line to clumsily collide with Richard Foster. He was rescued by O’Halloran’s slip, delaying him from reaching the loose ball and surely scoring into the empty net. Macleod’s flicked header from a Fraser Aird cross was a moment of quality in a game that largely lacked any as Rangers and St Johnstone struggled to impose themselves. “I’ve not seen that very often from him,” said McCoist, in reference to the 20-year-old’s apparent aerial prowess in nodding home the winner. “It was Jon Daly-esque. We asked him at the start of the season if he could contribute a little bit more in the final third, and he’s certainly doing that.”
Rangers have toiled against higher-ranked opposition since their banishment to the basement of Scottish football, suffering cup defeats to Inverness and Dundee United, and for much of the game that pattern looked set to continue. Rangers have toiled to make their mark against higher quality opposition since their banishment to the basement of Scottish football, suffering cup defeats to Inverness and Dundee United in recent seasons, and against St Johnstone that pattern looked set to continue, as the Perth side frequently exposed the defensive flaws that have undermined McCoist’s side of late.
But with just over 15 minutes left the substitute Jon Daly came within a post’s width of finding the net with his first touch of the ball, rattling a header off Mannus’s near post. Lee McCulloch saw a headed effort ruled out for offside soon after, as the hosts finally cranked up the pressure. “I think we did well enough to take it to extra time at least,” said the Saints manager Tommy Wright, whose side passed up chances of their own, particularly in the first half. “We could have got something out of the game and that’s disappointing. It’s a missed opportunity.”
Macleod made the breakthrough in the 86th minute, flicking home a Fraser Aird free-kick to secure Rangers’ place in the semi-finals and keep the possibility of a long-awaited Old Firm clash alive.