Rangers made it three Premiership wins in a row with a narrow victory over Motherwell. Ryan Naderi’s early tap-in was enough to see off The Steelmen, but the Ibrox side should have scored a lot more.
Derek McInnes’ side were well worth the three points but were guilty of being profligate in front of goal. Minsu Kim missed a penalty after Djeidi Gassama had been upended in the box by Tom Sparrow.
Dominant display but wasted chances
The Rangers duo were also denied goals by Well keeper Alex Paulsen in the first half. After the break, Kim, Daisuke Yokota and new striker Kevin Kelsy all wasted gilt-edged chances to put the game to bed.
It was arguably Rangers’ best performance of the campaign so far under McInnes, with Dan Neil, Nico Raskin, Emmanuel Fernandez and Olwethu Makhanya all putting in impressive displays.
Shankland injury blow
The one body blow for McInnes was the injury to captain Lawrence Shankland, which forced him off after just six minutes and gave Naderi his chance from the bench.
Here’s how Record Sport rated the Rangers players:
Player ratings
Ivor Pandur 7: Didn’t have a lot to do but showed his quality with a stunning first-half save. Alex Lowry drilled a low shot towards his right-hand corner, but he got down brilliantly to keep it out. Thwarted Maswanhise after the break with a comfortable stop.
Dujon Sterling 7: Back in the side in place of Nedeljkovic after missing the Falkirk win. Tried to link up with Curtis on the right flank and produced a cracking cross for Gassama’s header in the first half. Defended well after the break to help Gers see out the win.
Emmanuel Fernandez 8: Took a lot of stick for his Falkirk performance, so no surprise that he kept things a lot simpler here. Did the defensive basics well. Won his headers and tackles and didn’t take unnecessary gambles in possession.
Olwethu Makhanya 8: Strolled through another game for Rangers. Had one loose forward pass in the first half but was sharp in the tackle, not allowing Motherwell’s clever front-men time or space to cause damage.
James Penrice 7: Tough shift up against Maswanhise, who is direct and always looking to run in behind. Tried to defend with intensity and aggression even if he had to sacrifice his own attacking play. Got into the box in the second half and stabbed an effort off the post.
Dan Neil 8: Probably his best game in a Rangers jersey. Looked comfortable alongside Raskin in the engine room. Played with an urgency and tempo required at Ibrox. Showed his passing range on the ball and tenacity off it to win possession back.
Nico Raskin 7: One of his quietest games at Ibrox - but also one of his most effective. Often criticised for trying to do too much and vacating the middle of the park, this was one of his most disciplined displays and that played a huge part in Motherwell not getting the kind of joy they’ve had here recently. Almost scored with a shot cleared off the line in the second half.
Findlay Curtis 7: Has made the right flank slot his own but will now be under pressure after the arrival of Bouanani on loan from Stuttgart. Showed his immaturity with an early shot when he should have passed - but then produced a quality cross from the left for Kim’s header that was saved.
Minsu Kim 5: Disappointing day for the South Korean. Given licence to go and create in the number 10 position but struggled to get involved. Had a header saved, then stood up to take the penalty in Shankland’s absence but fired it wide with a poor miss. Paulsen denied him in the second half from close range before he was hooked.
Djeidi Gassama 7: Continued his impressive start to the season and looks like he’s thriving under McInnes. Had a lung-busting run early on, hit a snap shot wide from the edge of the box, then was so unlucky with a back-post header that forced Paulsen into a wonder stop. Surprise when he was taken off with 20 minutes left.
Lawrence Shankland 2: Must be cursing his luck. Just when he looked to have kick-started his Rangers career and hit the goal trail with a deadly double at Falkirk, he lasted just six minutes here after suffering a hamstring strain. Has to be a major doubt for the Old Firm cup tie next week.
Substitutes
Ryan Naderi 7: Thrown on for Shankland earlier than he’d have expected after the skipper’s injury ahead of new boy Kelsy. The big German put himself about, chased lost causes and tried to use his physicality. Chased the Motherwell keeper down, forcing him into a mistake that earned him a tap-in for 1-0.
Daisuke Yokota 2: Replaced Gassama and missed an absolute gilt-edged chance to make it 2-0 after visitors gifted him it in the box. Woeful finish sailed over the bar, but no excuse for not hitting the target.
Kevin Kelsy 4: On for his debut in place of Kim and must have dreamt about the chance he got on 74 minutes. Timed his run into the box perfectly but leaned back and somehow fired his shot over from 12 yards out. Squandered a huge opportunity for a debut goal, but aside from that, looked the part. Touch and link-up play was good.
Ben Godfrey 1: The big centre-back came on at the death for Fernandez to waste time and help Rangers see the game out.
Not used: Kelly, McCrorie, Devlin, Dragojevic, Chukwuani.
