There was huge relief for Rangers fans and manager Phillipe Clement yesterday after the Ibrox side turned their Premier League Cup semi-final around in the second half – a 45 minutes in which the Belgium boss may have done enough to save his job.
Rangers made two changes from the Aberdeen defeat with Cerny and Jefte coming into the side ahead of McCausland and Kasanwirjo. Motherwell came into the game also making two changes after a midweek 2-1 win against Dundee United with ex Rangers man Andy Halliday and Liam Gordon making the squad instead of Tom Sparrow and Stephen O’Donnell.
Before kick off both sides were making their voices known considering the lack of Well fans which was around an 80/20 split. Both sets of supporters launched an array of pyrotechnics forcing match officials to delay kick off until the smoke had cleared the pitch.
The first twenty minutes was dominated by Rangers, but no team could break the deadlock until the 25th minute when a cross from Steve Seddon found former Gers’ midfielder Andy Halliday at the back post to stab in past Jack Butland sending the Well end into bedlam.
Halliday, who played for the Govan side between 2015 and 2017 paused celebrations out of respect for the Rangers support who still hold him as one of theirs – his name would be sang by both sets of fans at the end of the tie.
Clement’s side almost levelled the game right before the break when Diomande had his long range effort saved by Oxbourough – the rebound fell to struggling striker Cyriel Dessers who somehow played it wide of the goal despite there being an empty net because the Motherwell keeper was still grounded after his excellent initial save. Cue the cries, despair and abuse from the supporters that fell on the number nine who was clearly lacking confidence and the killer instinct.
The light blues went into the break 1-nil down to a chorus of boos from their fans – a message to their manager that he had 45 minutes to change it around and save his job. Clement needed a reaction from his players – and he got it.
Five minutes into the second half the Glasgow side were back on level terms when Connor Barron put it on a plate for the Nigerian to slot the ball past Oxenbourough. Those boos turned into cheers and song and it was exactly what was needed to lift the blue half of the stadium.
Vaclav Cerny came close and forced a good save out of the Steelmen number 13 towards the final twenty following a tense period of the game following the Dessers goal.
Towards the dying fifteen minutes Rangers were probing and pushing for a goal with Clement hoping and praying for one of his men to step up.
In the 80th minute the goal finally came. Cerny switched the play for Nadim Bajrami who found the net from the left side of the box which ultimately proved to be the winner sending the Ibrox fans into a state of delirium.
After the game, Phillippe Clement said: “I am not going to talk about individual players today” when asked why captain James Tavernier had not been up to his levels of the previous season. He was substituted mid-way into the second half.
Motherwell boss Stuart Kettlewell said he was “bitterly disappointed” when he was asked on his thoughts of the result.
Rangers now face bitter rivals Celtic at Hampden on the 15th of December which will prove to be a vital part of both teams season with Celtic looking to capitalise on a 6-0 victory against Aberdeen on Saturday night.
