Saturday December 24, 2011 Day 20 Finished Greenhill Road
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Nine-man Rangers slump at St Mirren
Lee McCulloch and Dorin Goian saw red as Rangers crashed to a 2-1 defeat against a spirited St Mirren in the SPL at St Mirren Park. More
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Live Commentary
Time:90'- St. Mirren
- Rangers
- - Follow the action from Celtic Park to see how much this defeat costs Gers... Link
90+4' FULL-TIME: Rangers lump it forward one last time, but the whistle goes! Famous win for St Mirren, terrible news for the men in blue going into the Old Firm derby. Perhaps the first red card was harsh, but Rangers were far from their best. Celtic lead and could gut the gap at the top to just one point.- 90+3' Jelavic lines up a long throw into the penalty area? Why isn't he in the box himself?
- 90+2' Three minutes of stoppages remaining. But don't be surprised to see a touch more after these late incidents.
90+1' MCGOWAN MISSES CHANCE TO KILL THE GAME! He skips around McGregor with panache, but his shot takes too long to get away and Bartley blocks just in time.
90' Yellow for Jelavic, who was in a similar altercation at the same time. Rangers' discipline has cost them. McAusland also penalised.- 89' Davis wins a free-kick but locks horns with van Zanten afterwards - it's yellow for the Rangers man.
- 88' Desperate lunging defending from Edu - he needs to be careful not join the other two red-carded Rangers boys.
- 87' Goian of course will now also miss the Old Firm derby. A frustrating day for McCoist.
86' GOIAN OFF! He tangles with Teale and grabs at the shirt. He can have no objections - but it's a disaster for Rangers' hopes in this one.
85' Hasselbaink on for Thompson. No more changes in this match.- 84' St Mirren get out of their own half - and Teale does well to earn a free-kick. Chance to make the substitution.
- 83' St Mirren pegged back in their own half. A throw forward from Van Zanten ends up immediately back with the league leaders.
- 82' St Mirren eyeing their final change. It looks like Nigel Hasselbaink is going to get a run-out.
- 81' Aluko does well to get down a seemingly impossible channel on the wing, but is aggrieved not to win a foul when he goes down under Tesselaar's challenge.
- 80' If St Mirren can hold on for 10 minutes, they look set to go 6th in the SPL table.
- 79' Whittaker tries to slide it long to Aluko, but he's always going to be secodn to that ball. And in his frustration he brings down Tesselaar for a free-kick.
- 78' Jelavic picks up a free kick. It's his first meaningful contribution in the half.
- 77' Bocanegra off, Bartley on. Looks like Rangers have moved to three at the back.
- 76' A free-kick from just inside the St Mirren half for Rangers. Chance for Rangers to make their final sub.
- 75' Time starting to run out. Rangers' bright start to the second half has faded.
- 74' As it stands, Rangers' lead at the top of the SPL would be trimmed back to one point going into the Old Firm game on December 28. SPL table
- 73' Papac clears as the St Mirren set piece is blocked by the one man wall. Disappointing.
- 72' Teale latches on to a ball by the corner flag, nutmegs Goian, and the Rangers man pulls him back in frustration. Yellow card!
- 71' On the stroke of half-time there's been a goal at Celtic Park. More here
- 70' Silly challenge from Bocanegra on Thompson and he gives a foul away.
- 69' Half a shout for a penalty as Edu goes down challenging with Van Zanten, but the referee doesn't give the incident a second look.
- 68' The delivery is well flighted by Davis, but headed out by Thompson doing his stint at the back.
- 67' Wallace fouled by Barron, which gives the visitors a useful set piece position.
- 66' The zip has really been lost from this pulsating encounter. Aluko has really been the only attacking option for either side since the resumption.
- 64' Still goalless at Celtic Park, but plenty of action elsewhere in the SPL. Keep up with the latest scores and scorers here
- 63' Teale just offside as St Mirren try to break.
- 62' Goalscorer Mooy comes off - he's still recovering from a long-term injury - in comes Hugh Murray who's just recovering from a lengthy spell on the sidelines himself.
- 61' St Mirren string the passes together - much more like it. But the Rangers defence looks firmer, and there's no way into the final third.
- 60' Edu gives Aluko a ball to chase - and he gets to it! The ball is laid back to Davis, whose 20-yarder is blocked.
- 59' Probing down the wing, Whittaker wins a throw for the visitors.
- 58' A rare quiet moment in the second half. Rangers the more dangerous side despite being a man short.
- 57' Aluko has added something to Rangers here. He's a livewire on the right hand side.
- 56' Aluko causes mayhem again! Pinches the ball, runs from nearly halfway into the box and pulls a shot across goal which could easily have been deflected into Edu's path. This time it's St Mirren who survive.
- 55' Samson takes the resulting goal kick and breathes a huge sigh of relief as he does so. Rangers have the capacity to strike at any time, and St Mirren will be punished if they can't keep up their level.
- 54' HUGE CHANCE WASTED BY RANGERS! Jelavic has been quiet but he was played in one-on-one - it looked easier to score than miss, but he stabs his effort wide. Rangers should be back at 2-2.
- 53' DANGEROUS! It's well whipped in by Teale, and Goian gets into a muddle trying to clear it. Rangers survive.
- 52' Set piece for St Mirren, who've been quieter since the interval.
- 51' Big opportunity for Celtic - but it's still all square at home to Kilmarnock. Follow live text commentary here
- 50' ALUKO CLOSE! Lovely pass out wide to him from Edu, then he steps across on to his left foot to create a little space, and lashes a shot into the side netting from the edge of the area.
- 49' A reminder that the scores and scorers from every SPL game can be found right here
- 48' Set piece quite deep on the left - but a chance for Rangers to pump the ball forward.
- 47' Bocanegra left an awkard chase back against Thompson which he does well to win. Surprising that McGregor didn't come out to make it his.
46' The second half begins - Rangers have it all to do!- - Two changes - Teale replaces Carey for St Mirren, and Lafferty off for Aluko for Rangers.
- And if you want something to fill your time during the interval, why not join me, Mark Patterson, on Twitter @Mark_Eurosport- 45+3' HALF-TIME: And excitement at St Mirren Park! The hosts have come back from behind to lead! Rangers begun well, but the red card ruined their balance, and St Mirren dominated, and got their reward before the interval. Can Rangers regroup? Join me what should be a fascinating second half!
45+2' GOAL! ST MIRREN LEAD! MCGOWAN GETS IT! Composed finish to a move which began when Jelavic had his pocket picked. McGowan gets on the end of Van Zanten's pass, and dinks the finish over McGregor! Superb!- 45+1' Thompson and Mooy get in each other's way going for a long ball.
- 45' Two added minutes to negotiate. Edu and Lafferty miscommunicate as they venture into the St Mirren half.
- 44' Special goal from Mooy - and means we're likely to go in level at the break - which would be a fair reflection of the play in the first half.
- 43' GOAL! ST MIRREN ARE LEVEL! A BELTER FROM MOOY! The pressure had been building. Mooy holds the ball strongly after receiving it from Mooy, dances around Whittaker and his colleagues to create a little space, then fires a rocket from 15 yards to beat McGregor at his near post!
- 42' Davis this time the man who has to put out a St Mirren cross. Van Zanten doing well to create more width for the hosts on the right.
- 41' Mooy hoping for a foul as he is brought down linking play with McGowan, but the referee disagrees.
- 40' McGowan flashes a cross across goal which should interest Thompson - but the striker cannot get on the end of it.
- 39' Papac launches a throw from halfway, but Rangers soon lose possession. They're struggling to hold on to the ball for any length of time.
- 38' Another St Mirren corner, this time McGowan's cross from the outside of the boot asks a probing question of the Rangers defence.
- 37' Teasing high ball into the area from Carey, and Lafferty steps up to nod it out for a corner. Rangers firmly on the back foot.
- 36' Yellow card from Lafferty - horrendous challenge on McGowan - very, very late. Referee quite happy to get the cards out - the players need to be careful.
- 35' OFF THE LINE! Thompson does so well to flick the corner from McLean towards goal at the near post, but Davis, waiting on the line, chests it away for Rangers!
- 34' St Mirren enjoying a healthy amount of possession - 65% in their favour. But Rangers are allowing it, happy to sit deep. McLean's cross is cleared for a St Mirren corner.
- 33' And we have our first goal elsewhere in the SPL today. Keep up with all the SPL scores and scorers here.
- 32' Celtic fans watching this game closely - the game at Celtic Park is about to commence. You can follow that one here
- 31' McGowan just caught offside as he surges through to meet a through ball - not this time, but St Mirren are just beginning to make their presence felt again.
- 30' Tesselaar is proving a menace on the left - he's beaten to the byline this time, but at the expense of a corner.
- 29' Change made by Rangers - Wylde comes off, Edu on as Rangers rejig.
- 28' Good cross in from Van Zanten on the right, but Rangers manage to clear.
- 27' Lafferty almost latches on to a loose ball forward, but three St Mirren shirts swarm around him to close out the danger.
- 26' Rangers still have the lead, but they'll need to do a bit of reshuffling. McCulloch, of course, looks set to miss the Old Firm game on Wednesday now.
- 25' That's a big moment in this match. The left elbow certainly made contact with Carey as the two tangled in the area. But was McCulloch just trying to wriggle free rather than hurt the St Mirren man? I know how both sets of fans will see it...
- 24' RED CARD! MCCULLOCH OFF FOR RANGERS! A free kick sails into the net but the referee has stopped play - and he's done so because he feels McCulloch has elbowed Carey!
- 23' Carey's through ball manages to go through everyone and land safely at the feet of McGregor, who picks it up and leathers the ball forward once more.
- 22' Not Samson's finest moment - with the ball at his feet he looks uncomfortable and the goalkeeper shanks a clearance high into the stands not all that far from the corner flag.
- 21' Rangers looking quite happy to sit back and strike on the break - they've carved the St Mirren defence open once or twice already.
- 20' McGowan, Carey and Tesselaar combine to send in a cross from the left - but McGregor is able to catch it with confidence.
- 19' McGowan has a crack - powerful run and shot across the goalkeeper from more than 25 yards out - but this one is dragged just wide of the post.
- 18' Wallace too quick for Barron, who fouls him at halfway trying to keep up.
- 17' Tesselaar's turn to try the long ball, and equally unsuccessful - straight out for a Rangers goal kick.
- 16' Papac tries a ranging crossfield ball to Lafferty, but this one is a bridge too far and over the Northern Irishman's head.
- 15' The rain just starting to fall at St Mirren Park. An extra ingredient to an eventful start.
- 14' Takes a bit of time for the referee to decide what to do as McCulloch recovers, but it's yellow - and well-deserved.
- 13' Oh dear - crass challenge from Carey, and it's floored McCulloch.
- 12' That was Lee Wallace's first goal for Rangers since he arrived from Hearts in the summer.
- 11' I said it had been even so far, and it had been. But Rangers stepped up with a moment of class, and now St Mirren have it all to do.
- 10' GOAL FOR RANGERS! WALLACE! After probing at the front St Mirren are caught on the break! Papac plays the perfect weighted pass for Wallace to beat the offside trap - he cuts in from the left and muscles his way to the box, pokling a finish past Craig Samson!
- 9' Bright start from both sides actually. St Mirren not overawed by the champions., as seen in their draw at Ibrox in October.
- 8' LAFFERTY CLOSE! First good opportunity of the game as the striker is played through into acres of space. He has time to place his shot from a narrow angle but doesn't make the best contact on his left foot and ends up dragging the effort wide of the far post.
- 7' St Mirren fans voice their disbelief as McLean is punished for a foul on Wylde.
- 6' Wallace picked out after some flowing passes from Rangers. Barron gets round to make the block at the expense of a corner.
- 5' Van Zanten gets a second chance to cross from the right after Wallace's failed block - lovely delivery - no man there on the end of it though.
- 4' Papac plays the ball out to touch by the byline - safety first for Rangers. They win the ball back, head upfield, and Wylde blasts a speculative shot from distance for the visitors.
- 3' St Mirren beginning to settle down. Barron, playing in a more advanced role today, wins a couple of challenges to start up the hosts.
- 2' Early initiative all with Rangers. Jelavic tries a chipped ball for Lafferty who is just offside, before Papac tries a bright run down the left.
1' Away we go! It's the home side who kick us off at St Mirren Park.- 12:45 Kick-off just moments away. Remember, if you want to let me know your thoughts and predictions for the game and the SPL title race, you can follow me, Mark Patterson, on Twitter @Mark_Eurosport
- 12:40 McCoist says in a pre-match interview how keen he is for striker Jelavic to stay. The Croatian international is attracting some attention from clubs south of the border. A man to watch out for today.
- 12:35 There's a full programme of SPL games happening across the afternoon. Kicking off as we speak is Inverness Caledonian Thistle against Aberdeen, with four other games starting between 13:00 and 13:30. Keep up with all the SPL scores and scorers here
- 12:30 Ally McCoist (Rangers): "I'm not even looking to the Old Firm game until 3pm on Christmas Eve. The Old Firm game is massive, of course it is, and I would rather go into the Old Firm game with three more points, that's for sure. We will have to earn them again. We saw enough in the game at Ibrox (1-1) to determine that it's going to be a really difficult game."
- 12:30 St Mirren's Danny Lennon on Jim Goodwin's three-match suspension: "On the whole it's a bit of a blow for us, especially with what big Jim brings to team. But I've never been one to worry about something I can't have. I would rather concentrate on the qualities that I do have to go out there and get the job done. I can't condone what Jim did at all to be perfectly honest. We'll take that on the chin and we will move on from it. Jim will take his punishment and will learn."
- 12:25 THE TABLE: Rangers go into this Christmas Eve clash with a four-point advantage over Celtic after 19 games. They'll want to maintain that advantage so they have a clear gap going into December 28's Old Firm derby. St Mirren are nestled firmly in midtable at the mooment - a win today could put them as high as 5th. Full standings
- 12:20 ST MIRREN: Samson, van Zanten, McAusland, Mair, Tesselaar, Carey, Barron, McGowan, McLean, Mooy, Thompson - Subs: Smith, Murray, Thomson, Hasselbaink, McShane, Teale, Haddad /// RANGERS: McGregor, Whittaker, Goian, Bocanegra, Papac, Wylde, Davis, McCulloch, Wallace, Lafferty, Jelavic - Subs: Alexander, Broadfoot, Edu, Aluko, Bartley, Bendiksen, McCabe
- 12:15 Good afternoon all and welcome to live text commentary from the SPL, where St Mirren host league leaders Rangers.
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Summary
- 90+1' MCGOWAN MISSES CHANCE TO KILL THE GAME! He skips around McGregor with panache, but his shot takes too long to get away and Bartley blocks just in time.
- 86' GOIAN OFF! He tangles with Teale and grabs at the shirt. He can have no objections - but it's a disaster for Rangers' hopes in this one.
- 56' Aluko causes mayhem again! Pinches the ball, runs from nearly halfway into the box and pulls a shot across goal which could easily have been deflected into Edu's path. This time it's St Mirren who survive.
- 54' HUGE CHANCE WASTED BY RANGERS! Jelavic has been quiet but he was played in one-on-one - it looked easier to score than miss, but he stabs his effort wide. Rangers should be back at 2-2.
- 53' DANGEROUS! It's well whipped in by Teale, and Goian gets into a muddle trying to clear it. Rangers survive.
- 50' ALUKO CLOSE! Lovely pass out wide to him from Edu, then he steps across on to his left foot to create a little space, and lashes a shot into the side netting from the edge of the area.
- 45+2' GOAL! ST MIRREN LEAD! MCGOWAN GETS IT! Composed finish to a move which began when Jelavic had his pocket picked. McGowan gets on the end of Van Zanten's pass, and dinks the finish over McGregor! Superb!
- 43' GOAL! ST MIRREN ARE LEVEL! A BELTER FROM MOOY! The pressure had been building. Mooy holds the ball strongly after receiving it from Mooy, dances around Whittaker and his colleagues to create a little space, then fires a rocket from 15 yards to beat McGregor at his near post!
- 35' OFF THE LINE! Thompson does so well to flick the corner from McLean towards goal at the near post, but Davis, waiting on the line, chests it away for Rangers!
- 24' RED CARD! MCCULLOCH OFF FOR RANGERS! A free kick sails into the net but the referee has stopped play - and he's done so because he feels McCulloch has elbowed Carey!
- 10' GOAL FOR RANGERS! WALLACE! After probing at the front St Mirren are caught on the break! Papac plays the perfect weighted pass for Wallace to beat the offside trap - he cuts in from the left and muscles his way to the box, pokling a finish past Craig Samson!
- 8' LAFFERTY CLOSE! First good opportunity of the game as the striker is played through into acres of space. He has time to place his shot from a narrow angle but doesn't make the best contact on his left foot and ends up dragging the effort wide of the far post.
- 12:20 ST MIRREN: Samson, van Zanten, McAusland, Mair, Tesselaar, Carey, Barron, McGowan, McLean, Mooy, Thompson - Subs: Smith, Murray, Thomson, Hasselbaink, McShane, Teale, Haddad /// RANGERS: McGregor, Whittaker, Goian, Bocanegra, Papac, Wylde, Davis, McCulloch, Wallace, Lafferty, Jelavic - Subs: Alexander, Broadfoot, Edu, Aluko, Bartley, Bendiksen, McCabe
Team Line-up & Ratings
St. MirrenManager: Danny Lennon
RangersManager: Ally McCoist
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Line-up
Live Team Line-Up
Starting line-up
- C. Samson
- D. van Zanten
- M. McAusland
- L. Mair
- J. Tesselaar
- P. McGowan
- D. Barron
- G. Carey
- K. McLean
- S. Thompson
- A. Mooy
Subs
- S. Thomson
- G. Teale
45′ - H. Murray 62′
- G. Smith
- J. McShane
- N. Hasselbaink 85′
- I. Haddad
Starting line-up
- A. McGregor
- S. Whittaker
- D. Goian
- C. Bocanegra
- S. Papac
- S. Davis
- L. McCulloch
- G. Wylde
- L. Wallace
- K. Lafferty
- N. Jelavic
Subs
- K. Broadfoot
- S. Aluko 45′
- N. Alexander
- M. Edu 29′
- K. Bartley 77′
- T. Bendiksen
- R. McCabe
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Match ratings
Y! Users
11 ratings
4 / 10
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GROUP Table
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SPL
Pos. Team Pl W D L +/- Pts 1 Celtic 38 30 3 5 63 93 2 Rangers 38 26 5 7 49 73 3 Motherwell 38 18 8 12 5 62 4 Dundee United 38 16 11 11 12 59 5 Heart of Midlothian 38 15 7 16 2 52 6 St. Johnstone 38 14 8 16 -7 50 7 Kilmarnock 38 11 14 13 -17 47 8 St. Mirren 38 9 16 13 -12 43 9 Aberdeen 38 9 14 15 -8 41 10 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 38 10 9 19 -18 39 11 Hibernian 38 8 9 21 -27 33 12 Dunfermline Athletic 38 5 10 23 -42 25
