Rangers 2-0 Clyde: Match Report

13 April 2013 19:01
Rangers 2-0 Clyde: Match Report - view commentary, squad, and statistics of the game as it happened.


McCulloch makes milestone in Rangers victory

Lee McCulloch claimed his 25th goal of the season as Rangers secured a comfortable 2-0 victory over Clyde in the Irn-Bru Third Division.

The Light Blues captain struck early in the second half, before Kyle Hutton doubled the advantage late on to seal the points for the champions.

The match itself was somewhat overshadowed by events off the pitch as the Rangers board announced they will commission an independent investigation into chief executive Charles Green and commercial director Imran Ahmad's management of the club and recent allegations in the media.

The probe follows claims made by former Rangers owner Craig Whyte over his involvement with Green's group when they took control at Ibrox last summer.

It is understood Green and other directors - including former boss Walter Smith - arrived at Ibrox just prior to kick-off following a board meeting at Murray Park earlier in the day.

They took their seats in time to see Clyde players pay tribute to the new champions by forming a guard of honour ahead of kick-off in Rangers' first competitive match at Ibrox since clinching the title.

Andy Mitchell was drafted into the starting line-up after Anestis Argyriou was injured in a midweek friendly against Linfield.

With a number of other injury problems to contend with, Rangers named youngsters Luca Gasparotto and Daniel Stoney on the bench for the first time.

The home side passed up a decent early chance to open the scoring.

David Templeton played the ball wide to Lee Wallace and he squared across goal for McCulloch but the skipper just failed to connect and supply the simple tap-in that was required.

Hutton unleashed a shot from distance that took a slight deflection off McCulloch and forced a low save from goalkeeper Jamie Barclay.

Hutton then turned provider, teeing up the shot for Ian Black on the edge of the box, but the midfielder ballooned well over the crossbar.

Rangers kept up the pressure and Fraser Aird burst down the left flank before cutting inside and trying his luck with a swerving effort that was beat away by Barclay.

Mitchell followed up with a shot that was too high and did little to trouble the Bully Wee goalkeeper, as the first half ended goalless.

Rangers made a chance at the interval, with Gasparotto making his senior debut, after replacing Emilson Cribari, and slotting into the heart of defence.

The home side surged into the lead 10 minutes after the restart when a Templeton ball was met by McCulloch and he lashed beyond the reach of Barclay.

The Bully Wee goalkeeper was then forced into action to block an effort from Gasparotto, as the young defender attempted to add his own name to the score-sheet.

There was another maiden bow when Stoney was thrown into the action for Aird with six minutes to go.

Hutton then made sure of the points with 88 minutes on the clock when he dispatched an angled drive past Barclay and into the far bottom corner.

Source: PA