Rangers 0
Dundee Utd 1
League (Premier Division)

Match Report

Before this match manager Jim McLean stated that the only way to play Rangers at Ibrox is to try and get forward. Well, that is exactly what we did because apart from scoring, Nicky Walker pulled off three tremendous saves and captain Maurice Malpas was desperately unlucky to see a shot scrape past the wrong side of the post. Against this Rangers had plenty of possession but when analysed could only muster an Andy Gray shot which Billy Thomson had to actually save!

In an even first half, Ian Ferguson hit the side net and Davie Cooper came close to scoring for Rangers with a viciously swerving volley that went past the post. At the other end Nicky Walker made great saves from a Mixu Paatelainen header, which looked destined for the top corner and shortly afterwards when he turned a Kevin Gallacher drive from an acute angle away for a corner.

Early in the second half we might have opened the scoring when Maurice Malpas's cross was flicked on by Hamish French to Mixu Paatelainen but his header was wayward in direction. Andy Gray did likewise at the other end, but the longer the game went on the more we looked the likelier side to score. And that was exactly what happened in the 77th minute. Kevin Gallacher chased a long clearance from Hamish French up the left, outpaced John Brown and checked before knocking the ball into the middle for Dave Beaumont, who'd been booked a minute earlier, to sweep the ball high into the net.

Before the end Kevin Gallacher was denied only by Walker diving full length to block his shot. Maurice Malpas was also so close to making it two. There was no real threat posed by Rangers in the final minutes as we recorded our fourth Premier victory at Ibrox.