Smith hails Jelavic strike

14 April 2011 09:00
Rangers manager Walter Smith paid tribute to striker Nikica Jelavic after his stunning strike gave the Ibrox side a hard-fought win over a stubborn Aberdeen at Pittodrie. The Croatian scored the only goal of a feisty encounter with an acrobatic overhead kick to narrow Celtic's lead at the top of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League to two points. Smith said: "It was a terrific goal. We are delighted to get any goal away from home but that was something special from him. The most important thing was that it was the winner. "The games are coming thick and fast at the moment and like quite a few of our players Nikica hasn't been at full match fitness over the season and we haven't yet seen the best of him overall. "I think that is still to come. He will gain that through his pre-season training next year but at the moment he is doing very well for us and his goals have been terrific."

Source: PA