Amad Diallo on target and Joe Aribo in the mood, but Rangers title defence blown off course amid Dingwall drama

Dingwall may have escaped the very worst of Storm Malik on Saturday afternoon but Rangers’ title defence was blown off course in a dramatic finale to a remarkable contest.

Matthew Wright pounces on a mix-up in the Rangers defence to score Ross County's stoppage time equaliser in the 3-3 draw in Dingwall. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

Teenage substitute Matthew Wright claimed his first goal for Ross County with the 96th minute equaliser which saw the visitors drop two points.

It was a painful setback for Giovanni van Bronckhorst who had seen Rangers trail on league business for the first time in his tenure after debutant Amad Diallo’s early goal was cancelled out by Jordan White and Regan Charles-Cook before half-time.

The champions produced a strong response after the break as James Tavernier and Connor Goldson struck to put them back in front. But after missing good chances to put the game to bed, they were undone by County’s stoppage time stunner.

Amad Diallo celebrates after scoring five minutes into his debut for Rangers against Ross County in Dingwall. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

It had all started so serenely for Rangers as Manchester United loanee Diallo made the perfect start to his spell with them. The 19-year-old will never score a simpler goal than his fifth minute opener but deserved credit for being in the right place at the right time to tap the ball home from close range after Aribo had driven it low across the face of the six yard box.

With Aribo looking very much in the mood, the visitors appeared set fair to press home their advantage.

Instead, a comedy of errors in the Rangers defence turned the game on its head as County took full advantage of the gilt-edged invitations presented to them and scored twice in the space of four minutes.

The equaliser came from a scarcely credible blunder by Allan McGregor as the veteran goalkeeper spilled a harmless looking cross from Joseph Hungbo into the path of White who gratefully poked the ball in from a couple of yards out.

Rangers were still trying to regain their composure when they found themselves 2-1 down. Borna Barisic and Goldson were both guilty of sloppy touches around the edge of the penalty area before a fresh-air swipe at the ball from Calvin Bassey allowed Charles-Cook to nip in and slot the ball beyond McGregor for his 10th goal of the season.

There was a much greater tempo to Rangers’ play in the second half and good skill from Diallo saw him get away a shot which Ash Maynard-Brewer parried, the ball eventually breaking to Tavernier who forced it home.

Rangers looked more potent when Cedric Itten was replaced by Kemar Roofe and went 3-2 up in the 73rd minute when Goldson headed home from close range after a desperate scramble in the County box.

Roofe hit a post and fellow sub Fashion Sakala drove a shot straight at Maynard-Brewer when he should have scored. Lengthy treatment for an injury to Maynard-Brewer contributed to seven minutes of stoppage time and in the penultimate of them, Rangers shambolically failed to clear a corner and Wright stabbed the ball past the hesitant McGregor.

Ross County (4-2-3-1): Maynard-Brewer, Ramsay, Baldwin, Iacovitt, Vokins (Watson 64); H.Paton (Samuel 57), Tillson; Charles-Cook, Callachan (Burroughs 83), Hungbo; White (Wright 83). Subs not used: Laidlaw, Randall, Drysdale, B.Paton, MacKinnon.

Rangers (4-2-3-1): McGregor, Tavernier, Goldson, Bassey, Barisic; Aribo, Kamara; Diallo (Sakala 66), Arfield (Lundstram 90), Kent; Itten (Roofe 59). Subs not used: Jack, Sands, Wright, McLaughlin, King, Lowry.

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