FOR the first time in ten months, Rangers are back at the top of the Ladbrokes Premiership pile. Only time will tell whether they are here to stay this time. But with a Jermain Defoe hat-trick and goals from Connor Goldson and Borna Barisic rounding off this emphatic rout of Hamilton, the fans who chanted ‘We shall not be moved’ certainly weren’t lacking in confidence in their side.
The Ibrox fans were in party mode well before Paul Gascoigne made a popular visit to Ibrox for the half time draw. The nine-in-a-row legend enlivened the proceedings in his own inimitable fashion by saying ‘no surrender’, announcing the winning half-time draw number as 999 then mock headbutting Broxi the Bear. But what else did we learn on what was another day which suggested Rangers are a force to be reckoned with this season?
TOP OF THE LEAGUE
For the first time since early December, Rangers can see their name up in lights at the summit of the Scottish game. While that is a rather outlandish turn of events just weeks after Celtic crossed the city to win the first Old Firm match of the season, credit to Steven Gerrard’s side for getting the job down while the Parkhead side have faltered earlier in the day against first Hibs and now Livingston. It’s early days still and this was a forgettable Accies display but Rangers go into the international break two points clear of the pack and right in the hunt as they chase their first top-flight title in nine seasons. Set to face Hearts away upon their return, Craig Levein was an interested observer here yesterday. Win at Tynecastle in the early game and it would heap further pressure on their Glasgow rivals.
BIRTHDAY HAT-TRICK FOR DEFOE
He turns 37 on Monday, is referred to as ‘uncle’ by the younger members of the group, and generally plays second fiddle to Alfredo Morelos in the big games, but there are still few men you would want running onto a one-on-one than Jermain Defoe. The man who recently escaped unhurt from a Glasgow car crash helped himself to his 10th, 11th and 12th goals of the season here in only his 15th appearance and how Rangers need him to keep topping up his tally with goals like the one he steered in after seven minutes to set the Ibrox side on course for a routine home win. His mastery of the striker’s art was evident with the timing of the run which Greg Stewart found with some aplomb, not to mention the dinked finish over the onrushing Owain Fon Williams which kissed a post on its way in. If it was uncharacteristic of the little man that he could only strike a post soon afterwards with a straightforward volleyed finish at the far post from a Shinji Ojo cross, his second of the day was a cracker too. Latching onto a Steven Davis pass, he wriggled past two men and found the bottom corner sweetly. He got his second match ball of the season courtesy of a close range finish after an effort from the excellent Greg Stewart.
EASY FOR EDMUNDSON
Steven Gerrard opted to freshen up his defensive ranks again, with no sign yesterday of Filip Helander. That meant a first league start for George Edmunson, picked up for around £600,000 in the summer from Oldham Athletic. While you could hardly claim that he was overly tested by a Hamilton Accies side who rarely ventured over the halfway line, the Englishman may have given his manager even more of a headache when it comes to working out who his best pairing is. He showed pace and strength to deal with George Oakley on one occasion, generally made good decisions and looked decent in possession.
ANSWERING THE CRITICS
The two men on the receiving end of most stick during the unfortunate midweek defeat to Young Boys in Switzerland were captain James Tavernier and defensive mainstay Connor Goldson. They found the perfect way to answer their critics on social media with the second goal here. Taking matters into his own hands as Accies defended in depth in front of them, Goldson broke forward, funnelled the ball wide and made a bee-line for the penalty area. Tavernier’s cross was a thing of beauty and so too was the way the central defender guided his header into the bottom corner.
It wasn’t too long ago that Borna Barisic was on the receiving end, too, but the Croat is becoming a real threat in this Rangers team and his free-kick which flew into the top corner from 25 yards showed the magic he has in that left foot.
JAMIE MURPHY MAY HAVE A PART TO PLAY
It wasn’t long ago that Jamie Murphy’s future was assumed to be away from the club on-loan. But with Jordan Jones on the long term injured list, it was nice for Steven Gerrard to be able to welcome the former Brighton man in from the bench for his first appearance of the season, and he showed flashes of the danger he can possess in the latter stages here as he threatened to get on the end of some neat interplay with the excellent Stewart. Matt Polster was another man given a run out yesterday, although it was surprising that there was no room for Andy King.
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