Football: Revival of the fittest

(First Edition)

Rangers . . .2

Aberdeen. . .1

A TALE of two strikers settled the outcome of Scotland's match of the day at Ibrox.

The game was billed as a personal contest between the strikers Ally McCoist and Duncan Shearer, who have both had impressive starts to the new season. However, their fortunes could not have differed more as Shearer found himself sent off and McCoist struck a typical goal.

This was due in no small part to the contributions of Ian Durrant and Alexei Mikhailichenko. They rescued what had looked like a lost cause for the champions at half-time, when Rangers had gone in trailing to a tremendous Roy Aitken volley after 28 minutes.

Rangers' fitness told after the break and their goals, when they did at last arrive, were all from the top drawer. First, in 53 minutes Mikhailichenko and Durrant played a swift one-two on the edge of the penalty area and Durrant placed a low shot into the far corner of the Aberdeen net. Durrant then turned provider when he released McCoist to convert the type of chance which he simply never passes up.

The frustration of the Aberdeen team came to a head in 72 minutes when Shearer, who had made only a minimal contribution to the proceedings, chose to take centre stage with a clumsy trip on Durrant, which earned him a second booking and an early bath.

Mikhailichenko struck from 18 yards to give Rangers the points three minutes from time.

Rangers: A Goram; N Spackman, D Robertson, R Gough, D MacPherson, J Brown, I Durrant, D Ferguson, A McCoist, A Mikhailichenko, P Huistra. Subs not used: G McSwegan, O Kuznetsov.

Aberdeen: T Snelders; G McKimmie, S Wright, R Aitken, B Irvine, G Smith, P Mason (Thomson, 72 min), P Kane (D Winnie, 57 min), E Jess, D Shearer, M Paatelainen.

Referee: B R McGinlay (Balfron)