Rangers 1 - 0 Liverpool: McCulloch settles friendly as Wilson and Adam return

A FIRST half goal from Lee McCulloch was enough to defeat a Liverpool side featuring both Andy Carroll and Craig Bellamy as Rangers put aside their gathering troubles.

Former Rangers starlet Danny Wilson also started for the visitors, while Charlie Adam enjoyed the novel experience of being cheered on to the pitch at Ibrox, when he made his entrance as a 65th minute substitute.

Not so Bellamy. He was made well aware of the displeasure his mere presence provokes among Rangers supporters, who whistled him every time he touched the ball. The former Celtic winger almost managed the impressive feat of being sent off inside the first six minutes. Referee Willie Collum motioned down the tunnel as he admonished Bellamy for some dissent, much to the amusement of the home fans.

This friendly clash, competitive though it was, could not hope to be the focus of attention on a day when both sets of supporters had other issues in mind.

Emotion is high on Merseyside as the spotlight returns to Hillsborough after a first debate on the disaster in the House of Commons on Monday, 22 years on and following an e-petition which gathered nearly 150,000 signatures. Previously withheld Cabinet papers recording what Margaret Thatcher, the then prime minister, knew on the subject will now be released via an independent panel next year. “Expose the lies before Thatcher dies”, urged one banner held aloft in the away section prior to kick-off.

An impressive Liverpool support appreciated another banner carried on to the pitch before the game by six supporters representing both teams, and which paid tribute to the 96 who “never returned” from Hillsborough and the 66 who lost their lives in the Ibrox disaster, 18 years earlier.

For the past ten years the focus for mourning the latter tragedy has been the statue of John Greig which stands on the corner between the main stand and the Copland Road End at Ibrox. The former skipper has been cast in bronze with head slightly bowed, as if in mourning himself.

The stance is appropriate following more unwanted drama at Ibrox. Greig resigned as a non-executive director on Monday, bringing to an end a 51- year association with the club and in the manner no-one would have wished. Greig said he had felt excluded from the club’s daily business since Craig Whyte’s takeover in May. Greig was absent from the directors’ box last night, although Whyte was in place.

The owner’s absence would have reflected poorly on him. Judging from last night, it seems as though the fans are still taking in the news of Greig’s departure.

The atmosphere grumbled along until a full hearted rendition of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” was heard from the away fans. This was resoundingly jeered by the home supporters, who associate the anthem with Celtic. The Rangers fans were more heartened by what they were witnessing on the pitch as the home side took the game to Liverpool in a bid to make up for a 4-0 defeat the last time the teams met, two years ago.

Kenny Dalglish is now back in charge at Anfield and his presence was another strand of intrigue. The former Celtic legend picked a reasonably strong side, but Rangers, with Davie Weir back in place at the heart of the defence, looked by far the more threatening team in the opening half. They went ahead in 20 minutes when McCulloch steered a shot in off the post from six yards after a goalmouth melee following Steve Davis’s corner.

The margin of lead remained one at half-time, but should really have been two or three. Steven Whittaker was denied by a good save from Doni, while Matt McKay, making his first start for Rangers, so nearly made it 2-0 from a header, which was impressive given that he was the smallest man on the park. Lee Wallace’s cross from the left found the Australian, who was later named man of the match, all alone inside the box, but his header was brilliantly tipped over by Doni.

Rangers made three substitutions at half-time, and one of the newcomers, Kyle Lafferty, nearly extended his side’s lead within 11 minutes of coming on. Indeed, many remain convinced that he had done. His shot on the turn was saved on to the post by Doni, but the ball then slipped under his body and appeared to roll just over the line before being desperately grabbed again by the keeper.

Near-side linesman Derek Rose indicated otherwise, however, and play was allowed to continue, but only after Doni was replaced after sustaining a suspected fractured finger. Mr Rose, thereafter, joined Mr Bellamy in being a target for the Ibrox fans’ jeers.

Rangers: McGregor; Whittaker, Weir, Broadfoot, Wallace; Bedoya, Davis, McCulloch, McKay; Jelavic, Ortiz. Subs: Alexander, Fleck, Lafferty, Healy, McMillan, Kerkar, Perry, Bendiksen, McCabe.

Liverpool: Doni; Johnson, Coates, Agger, Wilson; Bellamy, Levia, Spearing, Aurelio, Rodriguez; Carroll. Subs: Reina, Enrique, Henderson, Kuyt, Downing, Adam, Skrtel, Flanagan, Hansen.