QUEEN OF THE SOUTH 3, RANGERS 0
(LYLE 32 MINUTES, WALLACE OG 46, REILLY 68)
REPORT: BERT HOUSTON
QUEEN of the South stunned Rangers with a “hit and run” 3-0 victory at Palmerston to bring to an end an unbeaten five-game run by the Ibrox side.
With the Glasgow side apparently on better form, few rated Queens chances of repeating their 2-0 success earlier in the season, but it all turned sour for Rangers as they fell victim to Queens’ breakway raids.
It wasn’t an unexpected victory however for Queens manager James Fowler: “We’ve been playing well and I felt we had a good chance of success.
“The players gave their all and Rangers just didn’t have an answer for the speedy switch from defence to attack.”
Rangers lined up with two former Queens favourites in their side in Nicky Clark and Lee Robinson and in fact Clark was prominent in the opening stages colliding with keeper Zander Clark leaving him flat on the ground.
And the Dumfries keeper had his work cut out minutes later saving a deflected shot from Lee Wallace.
Play was switching from end to end in the early stages with defences well on top.
Rangers though began to show more of a threat up front and Clark was forced to tip a long range shot from Andrew Murdoch over the bar as it dipped in the final stages then David Templeton cracked in a drive which was just over.
Templeton again threatened from the wing and tried to lob the keeper but it went just over.
But it was Queens who made the breakthrough in 32 minutes when the Rangers defence were caught out on the edge of the box and seemed to pull up and the ball went to Derek Lyle who drilled it past the helpless Robinson.
And seconds later Lyle cracked in a drive which too Robinson to full stretch to prevent a second goal for the Dumfries men.
Rangers attacked with a fury and were unlucky when keeper Clark and striker Clark both went for a ball and the Rangers man won only to see the ball go just outside the post.
And the Ibrox men again came close when Kenny Miller headed a cross against the bar.
Queens shook Rangers immediately after the break going further ahead in just 18 seconds.
Reilly cut down the wing and crossed the ball and it looked as if everyone had missed it but Lewis Kidd cut it back into the path of Lee Wallace who could only see it go into his own net.
Rangers pushed forward in a bid to haul themselves back into the game and keeper Clark pulled one shot down from under the bar as they turned on the pressure.
Then the keeper pulled down a cross under the bar as the Rangers forwards homed in on goal.
And then he dived across goal to turn a 35-yard drive from Bilel Mohsni round the post for a corner.
But was Queens who went further ahead when the Rangers defenders failed to clear a long ball from the Dumfries half and it went clear for Gavin Reilly to run in and beat the advancing Robinson.
But Rangers certainly hadn’t given up and Queens defence rode their luck on a number of occasion and were lucky to get away with it.
But on the other hand the Dumfries forwardas had chances to go further ahead on the break but the attack broke down at the last man.
And the keeper again defied Rangers in the late stages as he dived across goal to turn away a shot from Haris Vuckic and then saved a header at point blank range from Kris Boyd.
Teams –
Queen of the South – Clark, Holt, Dowie, Durnan (Hooper 76), Higgins, Reilly (Russell 87), Kidd, McKenna, Carmichael, McShane, Lyle (Pickard 85).
Substitutes not used – Atkinson, Paton, A. Smith, D. Smith.
Rangers – Robinson, Mohsni, Wallace, Law, Vuckic, Templeton (Crawford 58), Clark (Boyd 76), Miller (Hardie 72), McGregor, Zaliukas, Murdoch.
Substitutes not used – Simonsen, Black, Shiels, Sinnamon.
Referee – Mr Don Robertson.
Attendance – 5393.
tags: queens, rangers, goals, palmerston
share:
