EVERYONE may still have three weeks of frenzied Alfredo Morelos speculation to contend with until the Chinese transfer window closes but something Rangers can take away from this one is the fact their team now look very capable of winning matches without him.
Fresh from a home setback to Hibs on Saturday, not everyone had this short trip to Maryhill pencilled in as a straightforward away win beforehand.
But, with Graeme Murty going with Jason Cummings instead of the little Colombian from the start for the first time on league duty, scintillating strikes in each half from Josh Windass and James Tavernier meant this match was all but won before the stocky little frontman made an appearance with ten minutes remaining.
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Murty, who played under Walter Smith as Scotland manager in the nation’s victorious 2006 Kirin Cup side, is still the recipient of occasional advice from the 69-year-old national team target. He would surely have admired the quiet steps the club are generally taking forward, not least the fact the role that a solid defence is playing on it. His side have now won five and drawn one of their last seven in all competitions, five of them clean sheets, with the gap to Aberdeen in the battle for second back to three, with the distraction of the William Hill Scottish Cup to come at Somerset Park on Sunday. There is less respite for their beaten Glasgow rivals Thistle, who now face a cup visit to the other side of the city and Celtic on Saturday.
Murty made just one change from the team for the sole defeat in that sequence, the home defeat to Hibs on Saturday – Jason Cummings starting for the first time in the league instead of the benched Morelos. That meant Greg Docherty had to settle for on the bench, alongside Kenny Miller – available again for the first time since December with a hamstring problem – and Joe Dodoo, a forgotten striker with form for scoring one of a couple of last-minute heartbreakers for the home fans at this venue.
It was actually Thistle who grabbed the last minute equaliser in this fixture in the BetFred Cup earlier in the season, only to go down in extra time, but Alan Archibald, on the first part of an Old Firm double this week, kept the scorer of that goal, Kris Doolan, in reserve. It was just one part of a list of Thistle replacements which is far stronger than they were capable of fielding earlier in the campaign.
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Having won four of their last seven in all competitions before tonight, Thistle are in decent form, and a key part of their danger comes from the thrusts of Conor Sammon. Had things gone differently, the big Irishman might have had a couple of goals in this first half, testing Wes Foderingham early on after neat interplay between Paul McGinn and Blair Spittal, then beating the Englishman with a low finish only to strike the inside of the post, the ball rebounding back across goal at an acute angle before being cleared.
The only goal of an even half, though, belonged to Rangers. The Thistle backline had dealt with much that Rangers had to throw at them in the early stages of this one with a measure of comfort, but the goal when it came oozed quality.
Daniel Candeias flicked the ball round the corner into Cummings’ feet, using his pace to attack the space in behind as the former Hibs striker found him with the return pass. Again, the Portuguese winger saw the possibilities with his early cross and the onrushing Joss Windass guided a sweet left-foot finish into the top corner. He may have missed a chance or two at the weekend but this was another illustration of the pace which this former Accrington Stanley midfielder can bring to Rangers’ game and Murty deserves credit for identifying that he is a player to build around.
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There was nothing in the game at this point – although Russell Martin should really have done better from a pinpoint Sean Goss delivery – but the second half began with Rangers threatening to make the game safe. Jamie Murphy and James Tavernier walked through the centre of the Partick defence only for the full back to take too long to get his shot off.
The Englishman might have fluffed his lines on that occasion but he was far less profligate just before the hour mark, stepping into midfield with urgency and working a one-two with Windass then guiding an inspired curling finish under Tomas Cerny’s crossbar. Rangers were rampant, David Bates beating a man and bringing the ball from the back before releasing Jamie Murphy, Cummings only being denied by the bravery of Cerny.
Morelos arrived in relief of Cummings as the game reached the closing stages but any late hope of a home revival came and went when Miles Storey’s stabbed effort following a corner was claimed by Foderingham. The match ended on a comic note as set-piece expert Goss fired in the kind of free-kick more redolent of Murrayfield at this time of year, but this was another statement of intent from the Ibrox side.
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