Dundee Utd 1
Rangers 5
League (Division One)

Match Report

United welcomed another of the league's struggling sides, Rangers, to Tannadice. With just a point separating the sides after six games in the bottom half of the table, a close encounter was expected. Changing the side for the first time since his side went on a three match winning streak, Jerry Kerr recalled Alan Gordon, who had recovered from injury, in place of Sandy White.

With Rangers' manager absent, opting to watching their midweek European Cup opponents in Lisbon, United supporters might have assumed the minds of their Glaswegian visitors were also on the continent, however, by half-time, there was no doubting who was going to win this match. The Ibrox men had chalked up no fewer than four goals by the interval. United had the first chance of the match, ironically, before Rangers kicked into action and it was Alex MacDonald who slid the ball into the net after a breakaway to make it 1-0. A few minutes later, Colin Stein scored the second and on 22 minutes, MacDonald scored from fully 20 yards to make it three. The best goal of the game was the fourth, Colin Stein playing John Greig into space to hit a spectacular drive past Hamish McAlpine.

Sandy Jardine scored a fifth goal for Rangers early in the second half as United looked set to crumble, but perhaps with an eye on tiredness levels for their midweek, the Ibrox side "let up" at this point and United came into the game. The Tangerines turned up with fifteen minutes to go and gave the Rangers defence a much tougher time of it, and with almost the last kick of the game, Jackie Copland scored a consolation.