Rangers 5 – 1 Kilmarnock

Rangers moved as much as second within the Scottish Premiership and minimize leaders Hearts’ benefit to a few factors with a 5-1 win over Kilmarnock at Ibrox.

The night began nicely for Danny Röhl’s Gers, with the information Celtic’s recreation at Aberdeen had been postponed because of a waterlogged pitch. That gave them the prospect to leapfrog their rivals into second and shut in on the Jambos.

It bought higher inside 5 minutes, too. Killie’s Dominic Thompson clumsily introduced down Djeidi Gassama because the Rangers man seemed to manage a neat move to toes, resulting in referee David Dickinson awarding a penalty and displaying the left-back a straight purple card.

James Tavernier made no mistake from the spot, but the storm anticipated to comply with didn’t materialise. Mikey Moore seemed shiny when he minimize in from the left on quite a few events, however there was a definite lack of urgency or creativity in any other case.

Regardless of being right down to 10, the guests ought to have no less than been stage by the break. Greg Kiltie charged down the precise and minimize the ball again for Bruce Anderson, who in some way swept a shot throughout the face of aim and behind when it seemed less complicated to attain.

Rangers breathed a sigh of reduction when Bojan Miovski fired in a low shot, after an alternate of passes with Mohamed Diomande, to double their lead simply earlier than the hour, which appeared to take the wind from their opponents’ sails.

January signing Andreas Skov Olsen made it 3-0 with 16 minutes to play with a trendy end after Moore’s sq. ball, however a contact of gloss was taken from an in any other case strong second-half efficiency when Jack Butland gifted Kiltie a comfort when his misjudged clearance was seized on.

However Rangers quickly made them want that they had by no means performed so.

Debutant Tuur Rommens teed up Oliver Antman to roll in a fourth within the ninetieth minute, earlier than Moore scored the aim his stellar efficiency greater than deserved when he stroked house after Antman turned supplier.

Röhl nonetheless relaxed about Rangers’ title hopes

Rangers head coach Danny Röhl chatting with Sky Sports activities:

“5 good objectives. Additionally good to see that some gamers scored and bought some minutes. I am glad for the group. They work very arduous to win video games and video games and video games. We knew earlier than the sport it could not be a straightforward one.

“I am very constructive about this primary scenario, the pen, as a result of we spoke after the Hibs recreation precisely about these runs and, on this case, Gassama made precisely the aggressive run we want extra.

“Everybody who performs soccer is aware of what it means when 10 gamers are behind the ball; you need to break them, you want the persistence, after which we created good alternatives, had lots of possession, lots of photographs, created alternatives to attain extra. However 5-1, it is a good step, no more.

“I am very on the bottom in the meanwhile. I do know it is 13 video games to go, nonetheless a great distance, however my group is excellent they usually deserve lots of credit score.”

McCann: The end result looks like an injustice

Kilmarnock supervisor Neil McCann chatting with Sky Sports activities:

“There was a lot to love about it [our performance]. I genuinely felt that we had been the higher aspect within the first half, with 10 males. We gassed a wee bit within the second as a result of we had been nonetheless asking them to bomb ahead. There’s one or two gamers which have recovered from damage to enter final weekend’s recreation after which we requested them to go once more as a result of they deserved to, they usually simply drained.

“There’s a few pivotal moments within the match that I feel have gone in opposition to us. Dom Thompson would not see Gassama coming; Gassama in all probability slows up a little bit bit and initiates the contact. It is so harsh as a result of I do not assume each foul within the field needs to be a purple card, however I perceive the legal guidelines of the sport. From then, we reacted brilliantly.

“However the massive second within the match for me is at 1-0, when James Tavernier is already on a yellow card and we have a ball excessive, the place our striker Tyreece John-Jules is in on aim – and he utterly shoves him. There’s contact there, with out query, and it is each bit as massive a contact as Thompson’s, but I am informed it is not sufficient contact. I can not perceive what which means.

“I spoke to the fourth official, who was glorious tonight, I’ve to say. I requested him why it is not a purple card and the reason I bought, coming from the referee, was that there is not sufficient contact. It is pure contact. It is not – it is coming from behind. James Tavernier has bought himself able the place we’re goal-side and the contact is produced from a participant who’s on the flip and he is in on aim. Whether or not it is a yellow or a purple, James Tavernier’s already on a yellow and he ought to’ve been despatched off.

“I really feel it is a bit of an injustice to take a look at that scoreline. I’ve stated to them within the altering room that they need to be happy with themselves, when it comes to they by no means, ever gave up. They by no means, ever grew to become separated. They had been a whole group tonight. I feel there is a spirit in that dressing room, there is a bravery about them as nicely that I am so inspired about shifting ahead.”

What’s coming up in the Scottish Premiership?