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

Published on Tuesday 4 November 2008 20:44

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.