Rangers 4-1 Dunfermline: Rangers show reliable side

The back pages focused on the imminent arrival of striker Daniel Cousin, and included criticism from his agent, frustrated at the protracted nature of the dealings. Hardly the perfect pick-me up for beleaguered fans and players as they headed to Fife.

Once again the players on the pitch had to shove all that to the back of their minds and make the most of a taxing situation which has left them feeling real pressure. With both cups now out of their season’s reckoning, they couldn’t afford the backlash any slip-ups at East End Park would provoke. But with Cousin’s paperwork still to be completed, the Gabon international watched from the stand. It meant options remained limited for manager Ally McCoist.

But while the evidence given by Whyte in court was deemed far from unequivocal, Lee McCulloch proved that there are still people at the club who can be relied upon as he filled the role of makeshift striker and turned in a performance which galvanised his team-mates and drove them on to a convincing 4-1 victory.

With the kind of link-up play, movement and determination that many quality strikers possess, McCulloch was also a deadly marksman, getting himself into positions which allowed him to test the Dunfermline rearguard, feed off the supply from players such as Sone Aluko and ultimately bury the goal which put his side into the lead after they had battled back from losing the opener.

“It wasn’t the best of starts,” said the 33-year-old. “And after last week’s result we could have crumbled but I thought we showed a bit of character and I think all in we have to be delighted. We showed the fight and the togetherness we have got.”

Dunfermline manager Jim McIntyre must have been delighted with the opening from his men, who are stuck at the foot of the table and still looking for their first home win in the SPL.

The visitors had started brightly and Alex Keddie had to block an early McCulloch attempt, before Mark Kerr had to do the same when Carlos Bocanegra got a head to Aluko’s 12th-minute corner. But Dunfermline kept a foothold in the play and a minute later David Graham was very direct as he stole upfield and drove a blistering shot off the post. Liam Buchanan got to the rebound but his first attempt was blocked before he crumbled to the ground. The appeals for a penalty were ignored, though.

The Dunfermline breakthrough came in the 15th minute. Paddy Boyle crossed from the left, picking out Andy Kirk at the back post and he found the back of the net.

Rangers restored parity just eight minutes later.

Keddie had to make a great block as Maurice Edu tried to pull the trigger, but the fastest to react was David Healy, who latched onto the loose ball and slotted it past the out-rushing Chris Smith.

If that disappointed McIntyre, the second goal infuriated him – he disputed the free kick which was given when Kerr challenged McCulloch. That set up the chance and Rangers made the most of it. Steve Davis provided the delivery, pinging the cross on to the head of Bocanegra and he nodded it down for McCulloch blast into the net.

It came at a time where Rangers had been looking more and more dangerous and it kept the momentum firmly with the Ibrox side. Showing an intensity and crispness in their movement as they ventured fluently into the final third, they were stretching the East End Park side and no-one was more instrumental in that than Aluko and McCulloch.

The latter had only played 16 minutes for the first team since the turn of the year but said he had no qualms about filling in a role he expects will soon be occupied by Cousin.

“It’s been a frustrating season for me so far and every time I’ve got in the team I’ve broken down with injury. It was a different position today, somewhere I have played a few times before but I would never say I used to be a striker.

“People can’t moan about being asked to play in a different position, you just have to get on with it. The squad is quite thin so the boys have to stick together.

“If I can get a game there then I would like to play and help the boys but we have signed Daniel and hopefully he can come in and get the goals.”

The outcome was put beyond doubt in the 70th minute. Almost from nothing, Aluko unleashed a belter of a strike from outside the box which rifled into the top right-hand corner of the net to make it 3-1 and then with six minutes remaining substitute Salim Kerkar signalled his introduction, getting on to the rebound from fellow sub Marvan Celik and completing the scoring.

McIntyre said that his men would not be judged on the results against the Old Firm but the outcome of head-to-heads with those around about them at the foot of the table. For Rangers there is no such luxury, they are judged week-in-week-out but they found some answers yesterday and they were ones that people could believe in.