Davis keeps Rangers on title track

January 30, 2010

Steven Davis scored one and set up the other two as Rangers retained their 10-point lead at the top of the Scottish Premier League with a 3-0 win over bottom side Falkirk on Saturday.

In the early kick-off, Marc-Antoine Fortune had a penalty saved as Celtic struggled to a narrow 1-0 win over Hamilton at New Douglas Park to put some pressure on their Old Firm rivals.

Danish striker Morten Rasmussen, in only his second appearance for the club, scored two minutes after replacing Georgios Samaras to net his first Celtic goal since signing from Brondby before Tomas Cerny saved Fortune’s spot-kick after Mark McLaughlin was adjudged to have felled the striker.

However, if the Rangers players felt any pressure it never showed and Davis gave them the lead with a superbly hit free-kick before setting up John Fleck and Steven Whittaker to seal the win in the second period.

The league leaders, despite injuries to top-scorers Kris Boyd and Kenny Miller, were expected to run rampant against the team propping up the table but both sides were evenly matched in the opening period.

Danny Wilson had the first opportunity of the match in the 16th minute when he headed Sasa Papac’s floated cross goalward but Robert Olejnik got down low to his right to save.

The much-maligned Kyle Lafferty won a free-kick on the edge of the box after being hauled down by Brian McLean in the 18th minute and from the resultant free-kick Davis gave Rangers the lead.

The Northern Irish international scored his second in two games as he curled his kick into the top right-hand corner of the net.

Scott Arfield should have done better when he was played into the box by Vitor Lima but he hit his shot straight at Allan McGregor.

The Bairns came close to an equaliser when Ryan Flynn’s header from Jack Compton’s corner was cleared near the goal-line by Lafferty.

Rangers could have doubled their lead seconds after the break when Davis picked out Lafferty in the box with a cross from the right but the Northern Irishman headed high and wide under no pressure.

Falkirk had captain Darren Barr to thank two minutes for blocking Nacho Novo’s shot when he bravely threw himself in front of his rasping effort.

The Spaniard and Lafferty both sent shots flying over the bar before Davis set up Fleck to make it 2-0 in the 57th minute.

The midfielder raced down the right wing and cut into the box before firing the ball across goal to the back post where Fleck was on hand to knock in his first league goal of the season.

Rangers fans didn’t have to wait long for their side’s next goal in the 62nd minute and once again Davis had a hand in it.

He sent a pass to Whittaker who controlled it with his back to goal before spinning his marker and racing into the box to fire low past Olejnik.

Elsewhere Hibernian scored a last minute goal to beat St Mirren 2-1 to stay third, Motherwell thrashed Aberdeen 3-0, Kilmarnock and Dundee United ended 4-4 and Jim Jefferies return to Hearts ended in a 1-0 defeat away to St Johnstone.

GLASGOW (AFP)

Tags: Aberdeen, arfield, bairns, bottom side, Boyd, brian mclean, brondby, captain Darren Barr, cerny, danny wilson, Davis, Douglas Park, Dundee, Falkirk, free kick, Glasgow, Hamilton, irish international, jim jefferies, John Fleck, Kenny, kenny miller, kilmarnock, marc antoine fortune, mark mclaughlin, Morten Rasmussen, northern irish, Northern Irishman, olejnik, premier league, Robert Olejnik, samaras, sasa papac, Scott Arfield, Scottish Premier League

Novo extends Rangers´ lead at the top

January 16, 2010

Rangers extended their lead at the top of the Scottish Premier League after Nacho Novo’s late strike secured a 1-0 win over Hamilton on Saturday.

Walter Smith’s side laboured for long periods at New Douglas Park before Novo finally broke the deadlock with 12 minutes.

The Spaniard’s goal allowed the defending champions to pull 10 points clear of second placed Celtic, but Tony Mowbray’s men can close the gap with a victory against Falkirk later on Saturday and also have another game in hand still to play.

Smith made three changes to the side held to a 3-3 draw by Hamilton in the Scottish Cup last Sunday. Kenny Miller and Lee McCulloch were both suspended and Kris Boyd was sidelined after undergoing groin surgery, with Novo, Kevin Thomson and Maurice Edu coming in.

Novo gave Rangers an early opening when he flicked on for Kyle Lafferty, but the Northern Ireland striker fired over under pressure from Hamilton goalkeeper Tomas Cerny.

Hamilton squandered a golden opportunity to take a shock lead when Simon Mensing slipped a pass through to Mickael Antoine-Curier, who touched on for Marco Paixao but he smashed his effort wide from close-range.

Mensing went even closer when he blasted a shot past Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor, only for Danny Wilson to clear off the line.

Antoine-Curier was a constant menace in the first half and he tried his luck with a powerful strike which flashed wide of the target.

Steven Davis shot over from just outside the area as Rangers struggled to find any fluidity before the break.

Smith would have demanded a far more dynamic display at half-time and Rangers were able to pile on more pressure after the break.

Steven Whittaker was close with a well-struck effort which whistled across the face of goal.

Whittaker had another chance when he collected a Davis ball out on the left only to shoot into the side-netting with a weak effort.

Lafferty should have done better than head over with a tame effort midway through the half.

Antoine-Curier was agonisingly close to putting Hamilton ahead moments later but his snap-shot just missed the target.

Paixao threatened with a superb overhead kick that was just off target and Rangers, having rode their luck, went ahead in the 78th minute.

Sasa Papac picked out substitute John Fleck and his shot was parried by Cerny to Novo, who squeezed home from an acute angle.

HAMILTON, Scotland (AFP)

Tags: Allan McGregor, Boyd, cerny, close range, curier, danny wilson, Davis, Douglas Park, dynamic display, Falkirk, fluidity, golden opportunity, Hamilton, John Fleck, kenny miller, kevin thomson, kyle lafferty, Lee McCulloch, long periods, Maurice, mensing, nacho novo, Northern Ireland, premier league, Scottish Premier League, target, Tomas Cerny, tony mowbray, walter smith, whittaker

Rangers teen Wilson out to impress

November 7, 2009

Rangers defender Danny Wilson is not taking his place in the side for granted ahead of Saturday’s Scottish Premier League clash with St Mirren after an impressive start to his Rangers career.

The 17-year-old hasn’t put a foot wrong since being asked to partner David Weir in the centre of the Gers defence after Madjid Bougherra and Lee McCulloch were ruled out with injury.

The teenager made his debut in a 3-1 League Cup win over Dundee and has since made his European bow in the Old Firm side’s 1-1 with Unirea Urziceni on Wednesday.

Bougherra expects to be fit enough to return when Rangers take on St Mirren this Saturday at Ibrox but Wilson’s early contributions will cast genuine doubt over whether the Algerian merits an instant comeback after injury.

The teenager insists he is taking nothing for granted but there’s no doubt he has given manager Walter Smith something to think long and hard about as Rangers aim to cut Celtic’s lead at the top of the table.

Wilson – who became the club’s youngest Euro debutant since Willie Henderson in 1961 – added: “I’m just taking things as they come.

“I know there are more players in the squad who are capable of stepping back into the team.

“Just to have been given the nod for the couple of games I’ve played in so far has been excellent for me. I think I’ve done well so far but I need to keep trying as hard as I can when my chances come along. If I play I play and if I don’t, I won’t be too disheartened.”

Smith will be without injury victims Pedro Mendes, Maurice Edu and Kirk Broadfoot for the match against the Buddies, who have made a solid start to their league campaign.

On Sunday, league leaders Celtic are away to Falkirk where boss Tony Mowbray will be without midfielders Scott Brown and Shaun Maloney through injury.

But the boss has been boosted by the return of Marc-Antoine Fortune from injury after he made his come-back as a substitute in the 3-0 win over Kilmarnock last Saturday.

His eight-week absence limited Celtic’s striking options but Fortune looked sharp and dangerous when he came on as a second-half substitute.

“It’s easy to look back and say that we’ve missed Marc but you always miss good players when they are out,” Mowbray said. “He adds something different to the team.

“When he was fit and available at the start of the season, the team was generally scoring goals. He gives us a different dimension to the qualities of Scott McDonald and Georgios Samaras.

“Those two players have worked very hard for us, but Marc’s work with his back to goal can give us a platform. We will look to utilise him and the other strikers as the season goes on. They all have a part to play, but I was delighted with Marc’s return.”

Hibernian could join Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premier League if they triumph against Hearts in the Edinburgh derby at Tynecastle on Saturday.

John Hughes’ side are 12 points ahead of their city rivals, who sit in eighth position in the table but the Jambos have home advantage.

In Saturday’s other games Aberdeen take on St Johnstone at Pittodrie, Hamilton take on high-flying Motherwell in the Lanarkshire derby and Kilmarnock host Dundee United.

Fixtures (1500 GMT unless otherwise stated)

Saturday

Aberdeen v St Johnstone

Hamilton v Motherwell

Hearts v Hibernian

Kilmarnock v Dundee United

Rangers v St Mirren

Sunday

Falkirk v Celtic (AFP

Tags: Aberdeen, broadfoot, danny wilson, David Weir, debutant, Dundee, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Ibrox, john hughes, Kirk Broadfoot, league campaign, league leaders, Lee McCulloch, madjid bougherra, marc antoine fortune, mcculloch, no doubt, partner david, pedro mendes, Scott Brown, scott mcdonald, Scottish Premier League, Shaun Maloney, st mirren, sunday league, tony mowbray, urziceni, walter smith, willie henderson, Wilson

Hartlepool send Stoke crashing out of FA Cup

January 3, 2009

HARTLEPOOL, England (AFP) – Stoke City crashed out of the FA Cup with an embarrassing 2-0 third round defeat against League One Hartlepool on Saturday.

City boss Tony Pulis rested seven first-team regulars and paid the price as managerless Hartlepool claimed a Premier League scalp thanks to second half goals from Michael Nelson and David Foley at Victoria Park.

Caretaker manager Chris Turner has been filling in for the recently sacked Danny Wilson at Hartlepool and he masterminded the first shock of the third round in Saturday’s early match.

Pulis’s decision to leave out so many stars reflected his desire for Premier League survival ahead of FA Cup glory, but the damage to Stoke’s morale will hardly help their survival hopes.

Stoke had started brightly and Ibrahima Sonko hit a post with a header from Glenn Whelan’s second-minute cross.

But Hartlepool gradually worked their way into the match and Gary Liddle forced a solid block by Sonko before Ben Clark smashed the rebound well wide.

Rory Delap’s long throws have caused problems for a host of Premier League defences this season and the Stoke midfielder launched another missile to the near post, this time from the right, and Ryan Shawcross sent a header wide.

Michael Tonge had his first chance to go for goal with 14 minutes of the half remaining when he cut inside and drilled in a low right-foot shot which goalkeeper Arran Lee-Barrett saved well at his near post.

Hartlepool pressed even harder for an opener at the start of the second half and got the lucky break that often turns cup ties in the 49th-minute.

Referee Mark Halsey awarded a free-kick after Andrew Davies fouled Joel Porter tangled on the right wing.

Pulis was furious with Halsey’s decision and his anger was compounded when Matty Robson’s free-kick was met at the far post by Nelson, whose thumping header flashed past Steve Simonsen.

It could have been worse for the top-flight side as Hartlepool went for broke, Robson firing another cross just over Jones’ head at the far post.

Pulis made a double change a minute later when he sent on Liam Lawrence and Dave Kitson but it was Hartlepool who got the crucial next goal in the 76th minute.

Foley’s pace was proving a problem to Stoke as they committed men to attack, and he hit the target in spectacular style with 14 minutes remaining when he lashed an unstoppable 25-yard shot into the top corner.

Delap fired just wide at the other end seconds later and had an 81st-minute header saved from close range, but there was no way back for Stoke.

Written by: AFP