Aberdeen 2-4 Rangers: Morelos sees red again as Gers defeat Dons in six-goal thriller

Alfredo Morelos and Scott McKenna tussle in an incident that saw the pair sent off. Picture: SNS Group

If they do come up short, it may be they have cause to curse him too. Sent off again last night, Morelos is a devil Rangers cannot do without. He is the magician with the streak of malevolence it seems Rangers will have to live with if they also wish to hang on to him and his goals.

He’s certainly adept at noising people up – around 15,ooo Aberdeen fans among them. When he wasn’t tumbling to the floor, or shushing them with fingers to his lips, he was driving daggers into their heart with two well-taken finishes that brings his total to 22 for the campaign to date.

All this in just 55 minutes’ work, since he was also sent off – for the third time in three appearances against Aberdeen this season. Scott McKenna, the victim when he was sent off on the opening day of the league season for supposedly aiming a kick at the defender (the red card was later rescinded), was also ordered off after another flare-up shortly after the interval. Both were adjudged to have aimed kicks at each other, Morelos’ in a particularly sensitive area of McKenna’s anatomy.

Morelos grabbed a first-half double but saw red early in the second half. Picture: SNS Group

The controversy threatened to overshadow what was a riveting game of football, which had Aberdeen pushing for the equaliser until substitute Jermain Defoe made sure of things five minutes into the seven minutes of time added on played by referee Bobby Madden.

Sam Cosgrove scored a penalty just after the interval - after James Tavenier grappled Lewis Ferguson to the ground - to raise home fans’ hopes after their side trailed 3-1 at half-time. Never mind Morelos, Cosgrove has been even more prodigious of late – 12 goals now since December.

What a riveting game. This was Scottish football in the raw. Broadcast around Britain, the flaws were exposed – contentious refereeing decisions among them – but so too the qualities. It was simply impossible to tear your gaze from it.

It was a typically mercurial performance from Morelos. He scored the opener after 20 minutes with a well-taken, opportunistic finish after Ryan Kent’s shot was only parried by Joe Lewis. A sub-plot was already brewing. McKenna and Morelos, both just 22 years old, are fast becoming old foes. A series of tussles with the central defender prompted Madden to speak to Morelos with a quarter of the game having barely elapsed.

McKenna was sent off. Picture: SNS Group

It was easy to anticipate what would likely happen before the end. Indeed, there could be a charge of negligence levelled at Rangers manager Steven Gerrard, who had every opportunity to withdraw Morelos at half-time. It’s not as if he doesn’t have an adequate replacement in Deofe to come on – the English striker eventually replaced Daniel Candeias.

Morelos was at the heart of everything of note that seemed to occur in the 55 minutes he was on the pitch. Shay Logan was the first player booked after he hauled down Morelos. A minute later the Colombian struck again. This goal was the product of another driving Kent run. The winger exchanged passes with Ryan Jack before heading towards goal. Morelos had found space on the edge of the box. Aberdeen defenders, including McKenna, made the fatal decision to stand off him. This isn’t advised when Morelos is the opposition player. A quick change of feet later the ball was nestling in Lewis’ net.

Aberdeen were stalled in their skins. They had not played badly. Indeed, they had started the game the more dangerous side. Greg Stewart has already done damage to Rangers this season – as a Kilmarnock player. He scored in his then side’s 1-1 draw at Ibrox in October. He looked the Aberdeen player most likely to cause the visitors’ problems. It was not a surprise that Stewart was heavily involved in Aberdeen’s equaliser. His cross was half cleared as far as Ferguson, whose shot rebounded off Conor Goldson into Cosgrove’s path. The big striker isn’t passing up opportunities like these anymore. He steered the ball inside the far post. 1-1. It was just half an hour in.

Morelos had Rangers ahead just seven minutes later before McKenna’s miserable night took another turn for the worse when he conceded a penalty just four minutes before half-time. Tavernier’s free-kick flicked off Goldson’s head with the Aberdeen centre-half then sticking his arm up in what appeared to be a claim for a foul. What it became, after the ball struck the defender’s outstretched hand, was a penalty to Rangers – their tenth of the season to date, including the four awarded to them in Saturday’s 4-0 defeat of St Mirren. Tavenier returned to duty from the spot to make it 3-1.

Morelos (far right, partly obscured) receives his marching orders from Bobby Madden. Picture: PA

Morelos’ hot-headeness contributed to Rangers being forced to hang on at the end after Cosgrove reduced the deficit with a confidently struck penalty. Defoe ensured Rangers are now out on their own in second place, still six points behind leaders Celtic, with a brilliant finish from Tavernier’s pass deep into time added on.