Rangers gave a signal of their intentions as they battled to their first Scottish Premiership victory of the season at Dundee. First-half strikes from Harry Forrester and Kenny Miller put Rangers two up as Mark Warburton’s side produced some tidy attacks. However, Mark O’Hara – relishing a new advanced midfield role – gave Dundee hope just before the interval when he lost Joey Barton at a corner to score.
Dundee made Rangers work in the second half but the promoted Ibrox side held on to collect their first top-flight success since beating St Johnstone 4-0 in May 2012.
Having sold Greg Stewart to Birmingham on Friday, Paul Hartley went with the same Dundee side who defeated Ross County 3-1 last weekend. Rangers made six changes to the side who romped past Peterhead in the League Cup on Tuesday, with Miller given the nod ahead of Joe Dodoo to deputise for the injured frontman Martyn Waghorn.
The game took time to warm up but once it did, it was compelling stuff. When the sides met in the Scottish Cup last season, it took Forrester 14 seconds to fire his side ahead. This time, it took 14 minutes.
Dundee failed to cope with a Rangers raid down the right and Barrie McKay was allowed to knock a loose ball into the box. Forrester still had it all to do as Cammy Kerr put him under pressure but he did well to hook an impressive finish into the top corner.
Dundee tried to counter with a Danny Williams effort which the Rangers goalkeeper Wes Foderingham gathered comfortably. But Rangers were quickly back on the front foot. Andy Halliday sent Wallace down the right but Forrester fired over from the cut-back before the former Doncaster playmaker headed over from a James Tavernier cross. Their second goal after 39 minutes, however, was clinically executed as McKay clipped a perfect ball forward for Lee Wallace to sprint on to. The captain pulled the ball back again, with the on-rushing Miller rifling the ball into the roof of the net.
The 36-year-old should have killed off the Taysiders’ challenge off moments later but allowed Scott Bain to pinch the ball as he tried to round the goalkeeper.
And instead of going in at the break 3-0 up, suddenly their lead was cut to one when Barton allowed O’Hara to bullet home a header from Williams’ corner in the final minute of the half.
The tempo dropped a couple of notches as the second period got under way but Rangers relaxed too much on 65 minutes when Williams was allowed to run in behind. Foderingham, though, came to the rescue.
The goalkeeper was almost at fault when he fired a clearance straight at Nick Ross but was relieved when the Dundee substitute Yordi Teijsse could not provide a finish.
Forrester, booked two minutes after the break, was then replaced by Michael O’Halloran to ensure there was no chance he may be sent off after a couple more risky challenges. McKay should have made added a gloss to the scoreline when another of Rangers’ replacements, Dodoo, sent him galloping through on goal, but he nudged his stoppage-time effort wide.
Post-match Warburton sounded relieved with the result. “There was resilience, but we shouldn’t have to show resilience. I thought we were very, very good in the first half. We controlled the game and our movement was good. We should have been more clinical. First half, it should have been game over. It could have been four or five with the chances we had.”
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