Another failed takeover for Rangers. With Celtic’s match at Inverness rained off, they were presented with the perfect chance to reclaim leadership of the Premier League for the first time this year, yet failed to approach the task with due diligence. They had the lead twice and carelessly lost it twice. Then, in the final minute, they also lost the match.
It was all or nothing for Rangers, as Steven Whittaker’s header hit the crossbar and United broke upfield. Morgaro Gomis got to the ball first and played in David Goodwillie, who held his run from his own half to stay onside and was acres in front of any puffing Rangers pursuers with only Craig Conway, his teammate, for company and Allan McGregor to beat. Goodwillie had played with an assurance bordering on swagger all afternoon and his calm finish also reeked of confidence.
So Rangers remain two points behind Celtic with the clubs now having played 28 matches each. They may claim they still have matters in their own hands as the final Old Firm game of the season will be at Ibrox, but it is a hollow consolation given that they failed to press home the chance of landing a psychological blow here. “If people consider we will win the next 10 games, then it won’t happen like that, league championships never happen like that,” noted Walter Smith, afterwards.
If Goodwillie and Danny Swanson never doubted themselves, then perhaps some of their United teammates grew into the belief they could actually win this game. It certainly dawned on them after they drew level for the second time, with 13 minutes left. Paul Dixon sent in a David Beckham-style cross from on his own halfway line and Jonny Russell followed its flight faithfully and finished with an emphatic header. A Goodwillie cross had to be turned onto his own crossbar by McGregor moments later, underlining that the outcome was very much in the balance as the match entered its final 10 minutes.
As Rangers went looking for a winner for the third time they stretched themselves too far. Smith named only five of his permitted seven subs in a teamsheet that read like a letter of complaint at his lack of resources.
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It irks many at Ibrox that they have turned a profit of £23.1m in the past 18 months and paid off £21m of debt without much credit in consequence. A banner in the Broomloan Road stand read less like a request for the takeover to be concluded this week and more like an order. “Step Up and Pay, Mr Whyte,” it declared. Although sinking £50m into a club, half to buy and the other half to sustain it, is hardly like heading up to the bar to get your round in.
In this impoverished era at Ibrox, Nikica Jelavic is as much of a splurge at £4m as the £12m lavished on Tore Andre Flo at the height of the folly of the Dick Advocaat period a decade ago.
Yet the Croatian international looks worth every penny when fit and in full flow. Following on from his extra-time winner in the Co-Operative Insurance Cup final, he started brightly and had soon burnished his performance with a goal.
It came when he drove at Barry Douglas on the edge of United’s box and drew a free kick. It was delivered by El-Hadji Diouf and United’s zonal marking evidently did not include any provision for the Rangers centre-forward, who was completely unfettered as he powered home a header.
Rangers wanted a penalty to extend their lead shortly afterwards, but Steve Conroy was unmoved by their insistence that Dusan Pernis had obstructed Steven Naismith as he hungrily pursued Steven Davis’ pass in United’s box. The complaints would have been more vociferous if Rangers knew what lay ahead.
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Although they prodded United, they could not find a second goal in the remainder of the first half and were then stung by an equaliser right on half time.
Pernis launched a low kick to Goodwillie who tamed it on Swanson’s behalf. Swanson then skipped inside diagonally from the right, evading the lunging challenges of David Weir and Whittaker, before poking a pass through to David Robertson, who finished impeccably with his left foot.
Ibrox grumbled darkly and the unease did not dissipate until Rangers reclaimed the lead eight minutes into the second half. Diouf delivered a corner towards Weir and Maurice Edu at the penalty spot and when the ball broke from the American’s attempted header it sat up nicely for Naismith to slice home a volley. The Scotland forward would later miss a similar chance as United continued to look vulnerable from Rangers corners.
They were still game going forward, though. Particularly Goodwillie, who cheekily nutmegged Weir, and Swanson, who drove down the right, bouncing Gregg Wylde away, then spotted a glimmer of light at McGregor’s near post but could not guide his finish into it and the ball ran across the face of Rangers goal and was cleared. Yet it was also a glimmer of hope for United and they went on to seize it, claiming their first victory at Ibrox since April 2005. “To twice come from behind against a good Rangers side shows resilience, I can’t praise them highly enough,” said Peter Houston, their delighted manager.
Rangers: McGregor 6; Foster 6, Whittaker 6, Weir 6, Papac 6; Davis 7, Edu 6; Naismith 7, Diouf 7, Wylde 6; Jelavic 7
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Dundee United: Pernis 6; Watson 5, Dillon 6, Dixon 6, Douglas 5 (Severin 74min); S Robertson 6 (Conway 74min), Gomis 6; Swanson 7 (Buaben 82min), D Robertson 7, Russell 6; Goodwillie 8