Rangers' title hopes are blowing in the wind as two points are dropped A rare Goram error throws it away

But it had happened, and so for the first time in many seasons Goram looked, momentarily at least, prey to the frailties which can affect every goalkeeper.

Perhaps the ball moved in the cruel wind which whipped in every direction across the ground. A few minutes earlier there had been a mis-timed punch-out by the keeper, which suggested that the ball was doing strange things.

Goram, though, will not be a man to hide behind that excuse no matter how valid it might be. His pride will be hurt and, knowing him, that will increase his determination to reach even greater heights than normal in the two Old Firm games which loom ahead.

Celtic should not look for encouragement from this error, because I doubt if Goram will give them any when the matches arrive.

As the Aberdeen manager Roy Aitken pointed out afterwards: ''Every player makes mistakes at some time or another. But the great players make fewer mistakes than others do and that is the category Andy Goram is in. He does not normally make mistakes!''

Aitken spoke as a man who has suffered against the Rangers goalkeeper over the years and Goram's own team manager Walter Smith added succinctly: ''He has been five years here and he has proved his worth to Rangers over that spell. Today just shows that he can be the same as any other keeper.''

It says an immense amount for Goram's consistency that one mis-take should dominate the weekend's action across the country.

Of course, the mistake allowed Aberdeen the opportunity to take the lead and only a Craig Moore header saved the champions from defeat. Still, the loss of two points at such an important stage of the season has cut into Rangers lead over Celtic at the top of the Premier League, and suggests that there may yet be a vulnerability about the Ibrox side, which could allow their Old Firm rivals to play catch-up at the end of this so crucial season.

Smith, however, who has lived with pressure at the top since his arrival at Ibrox 10 years ago, did not see these growing because of the result at Pittodrie.

He made the valid point: ''Last season when we had 12 games left to play we were only four points ahead. This season with eight games left we are five points in front. So, the result has effected our position, but we are still at the top and we are in a better situation than we were last year.

''I was pleased with the way we started the game and the way we came back after going behind. Late on we had some half chances and we might have taken the three points, but the draw was probably right.''

It was certainly okay for Aberdeen, who went into the game as outsiders and yet, were able to match Rangers over the 90 blustery minutes. Two vital dressing room meetings between Aitken and his players during the preceding week had clearly contributed to the players being able to bring together the collective force which had been missing in so many of their previous 14 games.

Comeback man Paul Bernard, missing since January, summed it up when he declared: ''I think the players were focused properly on the job we had to do. We all believe in our ability to do well, certainly to do better than we have been doing recently. But we had to have determination too and I think we displayed that today.

''In the talks during the week we tried to work out what was missing. Everyone expressed their own feelings and I think it all worked out right and this could be the result we need to lift us for the rest of the season. However, it will only work out that way if we continue with the commitment we showed against Rangers.

Aitken had special praise for his young players, but even more for Colin Woodthorpe and Scott Booth, two men who are up for sale and yet, who gave as much to the cause as any of the others.

This was Booth back approaching the form which Scotland manager Craig Brown has been looking for him to demonstrate this season. Perhaps he did not score but he was a problem for the Rangers defence throughout the game.

Aberdeen captain Toni Kombouare was the man who scored the first goal for Aberdeen, while Jamie Buchan sent in that fateful cross which Goram allowed to drop over his line 12 minutes after half time. Brian Laudrup had given Rangers a sixth minute lead and Aberdeen must then have feared the worst. But inexplicably Rangers relaxed their grip on the game and it required that equalising goal from Craig Moore, to earn the champions the draw and to allow them the comfort of that five points lead as they face the most demanding 10 days of their season.

Next Fixtures: Aberdeen - Dundee United (home). Rangers - Celtic (away).