Rangers 2 - 0 Kilmarnock: Gers seize chance to stretch gap

By Saturday evening this lead might have stretched to the not inconsiderable margin of ten points if Hibernian are dealt with in the same efficient manner as Kilmarnock were last night.

Ally McCoist’s side did not have it all their own way in the opening half as Kenny Shiels’ side saw no reason to deviate from the passing game that has become their calling card. This philosophy did not serve them so well after the interval, although between Rangers’ quick-fire goals – from Nikica Jelavic after 64 minutes and Gregg Wylde two minutes later – Gary Harkins did bash Allan McGregor’s bar with a header. Indeed, this incident actually led to the goal which settled the game. Wylde and Maurice Edu, later named man of the match, broke up the park, with the former taking advantage of the latter’s clever ball to finally break Kilmarnock’s spirit, and extend Rangers’ impressive run in the league. Not since against Hearts on the opening day of the season have Ally McCoist’s side dropped any points.

Desprived of top scorer Steven Naismith, the hosts initially struggled to make the most of the few chances presented in the opening half. The banned Naismith’s place was taken by Juan Ortiz in the only change to the side who defeated Dunfermline 4-0 on Saturday. But this game developed into a far more fascinating affair than that one-sided encounter at East End Park.

Kilmarnock might have been pinned back in their own half for long stretches but their willingness to work for each other and determination to find their man with each pass meant it was the home side who left the field at half-time looking like the more frustrated team.

Rangers’ best chances were mostly the result of Kilmarnock mistakes. Their admirable desire to play football was the Rugby Park side’s Achilles heel at times, particularly when they tried it in or around their box.

A flick from Gary Harkins was intercepted by Steven Davis but a well-timed challenge from Zdenek Kroca, who was the last man, averted the danger. Dean Shiels then caused his manager father some alarm when he sought to pass the ball out of defence. Jelavic intercepted and then, in turn, played in Sasa Papac, whose shot was well saved by Cammy Bell.

Kilmarnock had their own chances to score, too, and failed to take advantage of perhaps the most glaring opportunity to open the scoring in the first half. James Fowler’s cross from the right after only nine minutes was missed by Dorin Goian but Paul Heffernan, positioned just behind the Rangers defender, could not react quickly enough to turn the ball into the net. A touch was all that would have been required.

They wanted European football at Ibrox this Autumn and they were getting it. Yet it had to be considered slightly surprising that Kilmarnock were the ones providing such continental elan with their sleek passing and patient build-up play. Had things worked out differently, Rangers might have been contesting a Champions League tie last night. Instead, they were engaged in a rather a more humdrum domestic fixture, although such was Kilmarnock’s determination to play possession football from the back that we were nevertheless granted a flavour of European football.

The mask skipped slightly for Kilmarnock as the half wore on and Rangers began to exert more sustained pressure. The visitors were reduced to looking rather less stylish. Instead, they were more reminiscent of a typical Scottish team trying desperately to clear their lines at Ibrox. Goian should have done better with a header when an Ortiz cross found him unmarked in the box. Another header, this time from Jelavic, was then tipped wide by Bell. The sound of the half-time whistle was a relief for Kenny Shiels’ side after a first half where they had begun to live dangerously. But then this is the price that has to be paid for such daring football.

Few teams will have remained so bullishly committed to possession football at Ibrox and, even after half-time, Kilmarnock refused to be deflected from this noble purpose.

The flow of the game was still directed very much at Bell’s goal, although the keeper again distinguished himself with a brave block to deny Lafferty at the far post on the hour mark. With Ibrox becoming more interested in the attempts by police to deal with some unrest within the Blue Order section of the ground Rangers seized a foothold on the game. Attention was further diverted by a Rangers substitution, with Ortiz replaced by Lee Wallace. However, the home side managed to wrestle back the attention of the supporters after Fowler had conceded a free kick on the edge of the Kilmarnock area for a foul on Wylde, and with 64 minutes on the clock. For all of Kilmarnock’s pretty patterns, they were undone by a devastatingly-simple passage of play.

Davis stroked the dead ball to Jelavic and the striker swept the ball past Bell from 12 yards.

Just how much football is a game of margins was illustrated once more just two minutes later. Harkins rattled McGregor’s bar with a header from Shiels’ corner. From the rebound Rangers broke up the field and scored a second, all but sealing the match. It was a triumph for Edu, who exchanged passes with Wylde and then played the winger in with an intelligent final ball. All Wylde had to do was roll the ball into the net. Edu was smothered by his team-mates, who were again showing their appreciation for a player who is often undervalued by the Ibrox support.

Kilmarnock sought to regain some composure and Liam Kelly went close with a shot with 11 minutes left. But Rangers had proved themselves unwilling to stand back and admire their opponents’ undoubted craft.

Rangers: McGregor, Whittaker, Goian, Bocanegra, Papac (Broadfoot 83), Juanma Ortiz (Wallace 63), Davis, Edu, Wylde, Jelavic, Lafferty (Bedoya 75). Subs not used: Alexander, Healy, Perry, McCabe.

Kilmarnock: Bell,Fowler, Sissoko, Kroca, McKeown (Hay 82), Pascali, Kelly, Shiels (Silva 82), Fisher, Harkins (Dayton 74), Heffernan. Subs not used: Jaakkola, Panikvar, Hutchinson, Racchi.