Rangers2–0Dundee Utd

We travelled to Ibrox protecting an undefeated record against the title holders and were forced into changes with Billy McKinlay out with a broken leg. However, we were able to welcome back Dave Bowman from suspension, but Ray McKinnon failed a fitness test and the only other change in the United line-up was Victor Ferreyra starting the match in place of Darren Jackson who was relegated to a place on the substitutes bench. From the first whistle we put Rangers under pressure and would have gone ahead in the third minute had Kuznetsov not made a last ditch challenge to block Victor Ferreyra's shot after a knock down by Duncan Ferguson had created the opening for the Argentinian international. Rangers quickly forced their way into the match and Mikhailichenko did have the ball in the net, but was pulled up for off-side. A minute later, however, that man Ally McCoist who has the distinctly nasty habit of seeming to score every time he plays against us put Rangers ahead. Stevens played the ball onto him and McCoist, in space, clipped the ball into the far corner. We certainly didn't take that setback lying down and continued to attack Rangers at every opportunity. A sweeping move down the left gave Dave Bowman a shooting chance but Goram saved his shot from just outside the box ten minutes from the interval. We only narrowly avoided losing a second goal on the stroke of half-time when Hately's shot was cleared off the line by John Clark.

The turning point of the match probably came in the 59th minute. John Clark's long ball out of defence fell kindly for Duncan Ferguson who bore in down the inside left channel before firing in a shot which Goram somehow turned round his near post. Mikhailichenko hit a free-kick which was deflected on to the wrong side of the post for a corner and Guido Van De Kamp touched a Hateley header just over as Rangers stepped up the pressure. Both Gordon and McCoist failed to get a touch to a dangerous Hateley cross. Rangers, however, weren't to be denied and sealed the game three minutes from time when Ally McCoist scored as Rangers recorded their first win of the season against us.