Source: AFP
Rangers dire week ends on suitably low note
Ten-man Rangers failed to give their fans something to cheer about as the crisis-stricken club ended a dreadful week with a 1-0 loss to Kilmarnock at Ibrox on Saturday.The largest crowd of the season crammed into Ibrox for the Scottish champions? first game since they entered administration on Tuesday following the non-payment of around £9 million in tax after Craig Whyte?s takeover of the club in May 2011.Manager Ally McCoist was desperate to give the fans something to shout about after events off the field saw his side docked 10 points by the Scottish Premier League to all but end the Ibrox club?s title hopes.But the noisy Rangers support were silenced as early as the 12th minute when Dean Shiels finished low past Allan McGregor to give Kilmarnock an early lead.David Healy?s 23rd minute effort was ruled out for offside before Sasa Papac saw red two minutes before the break for a lunging challenge on Liam Kelly.Despite their numerical disadvantage Rangers had Kilmarnock pinned in their own half for the majority of the second half and thought they had equalised in the 68th minute when Lee McCulloch headed past Cammy Bell but referee Iain Brines ruled he had fouled the keeper in the build up.Motherwell?s 3-0 win over Hearts saw them close the gap on Rangers to just six points - they also have a game in hand on the ailing Glasgow giants - while Celtic could go 17 points clear at the top if they defeat Hibernian on Sunday.At Ibrox, the home side nearly got off to the perfect start when Maurice Edu connected with Sone Aluko?s corner but his header was stopped on the line by Ben Gordon in the eighth minute.However it was Kilmarnock who made the breakthrough in the 12th minute when Shiels slalomed his way through the Rangers defence before slotting low past McGregor to bring silence to the charged atmosphere at Ibrox.Rangers suffered another scare a minute later when Paul Heffernan beat the offside trap to run on to Jamie Fowler?s through ball but he sliced his effort wide.Gordon then fired an angled shot over the bar after being set up by Garry Hay as Kilmarnock kept Rangers on the backfoot.The Ibrox crowd erupted in the 23rd minute when Healy got on the end of Kirk Broadfoot?s pass to poke the ball under keeper Bell but their joy was short lived as his effort was flagged offside.Dorin Goian limped off to be replaced by youngster Ross Perry and he was relieved to see Fowler fire a low drive just wide of McGregor?s post moments later.Things went from bad to worse for Rangers in the 43rd minute when Papac was shown a straight red card by Brines for a lunge on Kelly.Rangers brought on Mervan Celik and Salim Kerkar to add some cutting edge up front but it was Killie who came closest to adding a second when Fowler headed Hay?s free-kick across goal for Mohamadou Sissoko who fired his volley over the bar from six yards.The hosts, being urged on by a passionate home crowd, had the ball in the net again in the 68th minute when McCulloch bulleted a header past Bell from Aluko?s corner but Brines ruled he had fouled the keeper in the build up.