Help Sitemap Home Skip Navigation Contact Us Disability Statement


Rangers 3 - 3 Dundee United: United hold Rangers in six goal thriller

Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image

Published Date: 04 November 2008
By Stephen Halliday
DUNDEE United last night made the boldest statement yet of their intent to emerge as the best of the rest in the SPL this season when only a dramatic stoppage time goal from Kevin Thomson denied them all three points from an epic contest.
Rangers 3 (Davis 11, Papac 37, Thomson 90)
Dundee United 3 (Sandaza 17, 27, S.Robertson 59)

In seeking to banish the memories of the controversial defeat at Ibrox at the end of last season which ended their hopes of European qualification, Craig Levein's team came agonisingly close to inflicting upon Rangers their first loss in 25 home matches.

Walter Smith's team needed any sort of victory to leapfrog Celtic at the top of the SPL on goal difference, but ended the night simply relieved to have salvaged a draw against their opponents who climbed into third spot.

United were indebted to a brilliant performance from goalkeeper Lukasz Zaluska who kept Rangers at bay during the home side's most dominant periods, but had no failures on a night when their mix of doggedness and enterprise merited a point.

Rangers sent captain Barry Ferguson on for Novo with eight minutes remaining but it was Thomson who rescued them two minutes into stoppage time, shrugging aside Flood and steering a low left foot shot beyond Zaluska.

Teams with substitutions:-

RANGERS (4-4-2): McGregor, Broadfoot, Bougherra, Weir, Papac (Lafferty 88); Davis, Mendes, Thomson, Novo (Ferguson 82); Boyd, Miller. Subs not used: Alexander, Edu, Whittaker, Loy, McMillan.

DUNDEE UNITED (4-4-2): Zaluska, Dillon, Wilkie, Dods, Dixon; Flood, S.Robertson, Gomis, Conway; Sandaza (Goodwillie 90), Feeney. Subs not used: McGovern, Swanson, Kenneth, Kovacevic, D.Robertson, Buaben.

Referee: C.Thomson.

Attendance: 48,686.

Page 1 of 1

 
1

,

04/11/2008 21:15:03
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
2

,

04/11/2008 21:29:12
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
3

Daillyman,

04/11/2008 21:42:48
obligor another tedious post, time to change you're tune.

Remember the tic are playing tomorrow, or will it be another day of RFC posts.

Sad isn't it.
4

BEMUSED EXILE,

04/11/2008 21:53:59
Perhaps not the ideal result, but to grab a late draw from a game that looked like heading for defeat can, in many ways, feel like a victory.

So, the first round of fixtures is over. Everybody has played everybody else once, and although Celtic have a slight advantage, the home/away imbalance means that Rangers are very much in contention.

One further point, which is also worth making, relating to one of the most extraordinary home records in European football...

Kevin Thomson's last-gasp goal means that Rangers have still never lost a league match in which they've held the lead at any point at Ibrox in the 21st Century.

Truly remarkable.
5

,

04/11/2008 21:54:05
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
6

,

04/11/2008 21:58:14
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
7

,

04/11/2008 22:06:30
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
8

,

04/11/2008 22:07:37
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
9

,

04/11/2008 22:11:20
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
10

Helter Skelter,

04/11/2008 22:14:05
This is a disastrous result for the rearrangerz...it's the fact that they are given an opportunity to win at home to go top of the league....and they blow it...in fact, they come within a whisker of defeat.

The signs are not good for rearrangerz....that's four points from their last three game, two of which were at home, the away match being at the home of then bottom of the league saint mirren.

Absolutely superb stuff. That gives us a cushion going into the next quarter which we can build on. After tonight it's reached the stage where Saint Mirren doesn't look like a one off and , hamilton and caley aside, every spl team will see rearrangez as a real opprtunity to pick up points...not so with the champions.
11

Helter Skelter,

04/11/2008 22:19:34
BTW

Just to change the subject briefly...anyone see the penalty liverpool got tonight...I was surprised that Stephen Gerard could keep a straight face post match interview.

I've nothing at all against liverpool, but that was an absolute scandal. I hope Athletico lodge an official complaint which leads to that referee being dropped for champions league matches...either he is a total buffoon or he's on the take...either way, he should be shown the door.
12

,

04/11/2008 22:21:06
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
13

,

04/11/2008 22:34:20
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
14

BTO,

04/11/2008 22:37:58
The Rangers reserve team fielded, and we still score three goals.

Says it all really.
15

Boyne Bhoy,

04/11/2008 22:41:33
#17 Really? Why were players being rested? Any big games coming up down Govan way that I haven't heard about?
16

Richardinho,

04/11/2008 22:46:48
I hadn't realised this game was being played until just now-
An unexpected bonus! Hopefully this will kick off a great night that'll end with an Obama victory.
17

BTO,

04/11/2008 22:52:18
Both Rangers and Liverpool showing that "never say die" quality.

18

BTO,

04/11/2008 22:53:59
Richy

You just can't resist the wee political comment, can you..
19

Boyne Bhoy,

04/11/2008 23:03:22
Kind of ironic really-I'm supporting the blues tonight while hoping the Republicans get stuffed.
20

BTO,

04/11/2008 23:09:13
"Blue Steel" from Rangers as they show how it's done in the closing minutes.
21

Richardinho,

04/11/2008 23:22:28
#23 Can't help it. both in football and in politics I always support the honest side.
22

Helter Skelter,

04/11/2008 23:52:04
Walta wouldn't have been the cheeriest of managers in the dressing room tonight. Boydbenchio and Misser must've been avoiding eye contact, although that probably proved an impossible task. Sorry boss...nae goals fae us, likesae....ehhh, we did well gettin' a point likesae ?? Hmmm?

Walta would have glared back with a face like thunder.
A point ? Salvaged in injury time ? When we were poised tae go tap ?

Nope! There'll be nae ice cream for boydbenchio and misser efter lunch the morra! An' whit's mair, as soon as we get the door frames widened at Minty's Park, 3 nerses is right back in the team! An' that's blinkin' well that!
23

Keyboard supporter,

04/11/2008 23:53:22
Well i never - a Rangers thread with posting allowed. I'll give it another hour to be closed

Rangers weren't too bad tonight but disapointing result but by no means the catastrophe taleban are painting. Defence looked ropey tonight and we still lack a player capable of something different - case in point being Maloney for the soap dodgers on Sunday when i didn't think they were particularly impressive against a timid Hearts side.
24

Richardinho,

04/11/2008 23:56:59
#28 'they were particularly impressive against a timid Hearts side. '

I take it you weren't at the game then?
25

Keyboard supporter,

05/11/2008 00:01:49
Seen it on sultana - i don't expect a non comically biased viewpoint from yourself
26

Helter Skelter,

05/11/2008 00:03:51
It's the doomsday scenario for minty you know.
He's given Walta the best part of £18m to spend in a season that screamed for prudence given the £10m shortfall in the accounts.

The spectre of having to "promote" Walta edged a little closer tonight, and if it comes to that, Minty will be looking for a new manager happy to come in and build a team with tuppence hae'p'ny. Big Eck might be getting his jotters down at B'mingham ...could we see another return of the big man as he tries to cobble together a squad on a shoestring with many of his signings proving pure cauld porridge ?

He's bald, he's fat, would have his tounge hanging out...until Minty broke the news about how much was in the kitty, at which point his tounge would roll back in again.

Calderwood would jump at the chance, and me thinks that is about the level minty will be looking at, unless he intends , for the second time, to take the rearrangerz debt way over the £50m mark.
27

Richardinho,

05/11/2008 00:11:31
#30 Ok, so you admit you weren't at the game.
I think it was perhaps Celtic's most impressive performance this season. Not because we scored lots of goals or were particularly spectacular, but because what looked on paper like being a very tough game (such as we have had in recent years at Tynecastle) turned out to be a fairly routine victory.
28

Keyboard supporter,

05/11/2008 00:15:25
Course i wasn't at the game - i'd stand out a mile as the only person from Glasgow without a fighting oirish baseball cap, shellsuit and with an unusual aroma of soap

It was potentially a tough game granted but you weren't dynamite and Jam Farts were undeniably rank
29

Richardinho,

05/11/2008 00:18:24
#33 It wouldn't be the first time that were talking about something you didn't know about.
30

Keyboard supporter,

05/11/2008 00:26:30
#33 you are indeed correct - giro collection techniques, monobrow styling methods, the best method of making your shellsuits appear permanently washed out, robbing the collection box in the pineapple for some bucky etc - the list is endless but all par for the course to the average dhim
31

Richardinho,

05/11/2008 00:28:20
#35 That's a terrible way to talk about your father.
32

Helter Skelter,

05/11/2008 00:28:31
As the Scottish Champions prepare for a meeting with the european champions, spl runners-up rearrangerz lick their wounds after another disappointing result in just three weeks.

I'm very glad to see that Neville's off the menu as he caused us endless problems at OT.
Not that bothered about Van Der Sar being out...as a goalie, I don't rate him that much anyway although he made two very good saves at OT, particularly Caldwell's shot which had blistering pace on it.

But Neville out I think is a bonus for us...whoever comes in won't be able to do a better job that's for sure.
33

Keyboard supporter,

05/11/2008 00:33:44
#36 - my old man never went to the pineapple

#37 - Young Brazilian fullback is far more of an attacking threat anyway and as he's got a bit of pace/power will have Oiden in his pocket. If Chesney has any sense he'll drop the aformentioned and play Maloney instead whos' twice the player. You probably won't agree as Oiden is beloved as he plays for the "homeland" of all the plastics
34

Richardinho,

05/11/2008 00:35:41
'my old man never went to the pineapple'

So the other stuff is true then.
35

BEMUSED EXILE,

05/11/2008 00:50:07
I think that 26 points is a good return for Rangers from the opening round of fixtures, especially given that 6 of the 11 matches have been away from home, including visits to CP, Pittodrie and Easter Road. I would certainly have settled for it at the start of the season. Dundee Utd had already drawn with Celtic this season, so I wasn't amazed by tonight's result.

I have to say that all 3 of Rangers goals tonight were excellent, with the individual efforts of Davis and Thomson particularly impressive. Dundee Utd scored a good first goal, but McGregor was fooled at the second, and the defence was poor at the third. Rangers still finish the first quarter with the SPL's best defence, however, so they can be satisfied overall.

As for tomorrow night? I wish Celtic well. However, if Man Utd start with around 70% of their strongest 11, and those players perform to around 70% of their potential, then the points are heading south, and there won't be a thing that Celtic can do about it, as the first game showed the massive ability gulf between the sides.

Should be an enjoyable match regardless.
36

Keyboard supporter,

05/11/2008 06:31:36
#39 - Whoosh - right over your head
37

Bemused and above it all,

05/11/2008 10:35:58
the usual stuff from the usual suspects.
Heres hoping Man U at least give you lot a cuddle afterwards tonight!

 

Comment on this Story

 

In order to post comments you must Register or Sign In

 
 
RSS Feed of this article's comments
Delivery formats: RSS, Atom, Javascript & Email
 
 

More Sport

More Sport >>

More Rangers FC

More Rangers FC >>

Features

Drink Driving - Don't Risk It Drink Driving - Don't Risk It
Online Supplements
Paperboy Paperboy Customised news


Sister Newspapers:
Press Complaints Commission

This website and its associated newspaper adheres to the Press Complaints Commission’s Code of Practice. If you have a complaint about editorial content which relates to inaccuracy or intrusion, then contact the Editor by clicking here.

If you remain dissatisfied with the response provided then you can contact the PCC by clicking here.