Not so Alexander the great as gaffe costs Gers in Germany

Thomas BENDIKSEN scored his first senior goal but a Rangers side made up predominantly of fringe players fell to a 2-1 defeat in Hamburg in a mid-season friendly last night.

Bendiksen fired home a 70th minute equaliser after fine work from Sone Aluko down the right flank, but an error from goalkeeper Neil Alexander in the dying minutes gifted Heung-Min Son the winner.

Gers boss Ally McCoist left out a number of regular first teamers including Steven Davis and Nikica Jelavic, while both Kyle Lafferty and Alejandro Bedoya were ruled out due to injury.

And the Bundesliga side largely controlled the opening stages, with Slobodan Rajkovic heading against the post from a corner then Robert Tesche’s long-range drive beating Alexander but also clearing the bar.

Kane Hemmings came close to giving Rangers the lead when Hamburg keeper Tom Mickel spilled a Steven Whittaker drive into his path, but the keeper made amends by saving his close-range effort.

Hamburg grabbed the lead seven minutes before the break when the impressive Ivo Ilicevic finished off a neat one-two with Tesche by steering the opening goal past Alexander.

The home side were on top early in the second half with Son shooting just wide and Zhi Gin Lam also coming close, before Tesche should have made it 2-0 with a volley which hit the top of the bar.

Rangers grabbed the equaliser against the run of play when Bendiksen showed admirable composure to fire home after Aluko had beaten two men before cutting the ball back.

But nine minutes from time Hamburg netted their winner when Alexander spilled a simple back-header and Son was on hand to bundle the loose ball into the net.