Rangers 3-1 Kilmarnock: Three things we learned
In their return to league business, Rangers secured a 3-1 victory over Kilmarnock. Let’s look at the main talking points…
The players warm up ahead of the Scottish Premiership clash at Ibrox (Image: Laurie Finlayson)
Relentless Rangers put League Cup woes behind them with dominant first half
After last Sunday’s League Cup final defeat to Celtic, Michael Beale’s Rangers side had a point to prove and they came flying out of the blocks. It only took them six minutes to get themselves in front after Killie failed to clear their lines after a corner. Todd Cantwell had two bites of the cherry, both of which were blocked. Antonio Colak then had an effort parried by Kilmarnock ‘keeper Sam Walker, but unfortunately for Walker, Connor Goldson was poised to apply the finish to put the hosts in front.
Rangers continued to assert their dominance and they doubled their lead through Fashion Sakala in the 25th minute, much to the Rangers winger’s delight as he missed a chance a matter of minutes earlier. The afternoon got even worse for the visitors when Ryan Alebiosu was adjudged to have handled the ball inside the box after referee Willie Collum consulted VAR and James Tavernier calmly dispatched the penalty for his 11th league goal of the season.
It’s easy to play well when you are losing
In the first period, Derek McInnes set up his side in a rather defensive-minded 5-4-1 formation, which is understandable considering they are without a league win on the road all season, but that seriously backfired as they were three goals down at the break. In the second half, McInnes reverted to a back four, bringing on Jordan Jones in place of Ryan Alebiosu.
The introduction of the Northern Ireland international gave the visitors an out ball and some much-needed pace in attack, which allowed them to get further up the pitch and cause the Rangers’ defence some problems. The Ayrshire side knocked on the door a few times and had a penalty claim turned away, however, their persistence eventually paid off after Jeriel Dorsett headed home from a corner with half an hour remaining. That is as good as it got for Killie, however, McInnes can take a positive from “winning the second half”, which they technically did. The fact that Rangers didn’t increase their lead further can be viewed as something to be proud of from a Kilmarnock perspective.
Not performing for 90 minutes can prove costly
Neither Rangers or Kilmarnock put in a 90-minute performance. Rangers were rampant in the first half and somewhat passive in the second. Kilmarnock struggled to get out their own half in the opening period, however, improved after the break.
This has been a recurring theme for both sides this season. Killie, in particular, have fallen foul of this in a number of matches and it has ultimately cost them valuable points. However, Rangers are not immune to this. Despite having only lost one game in Michael Beale’s tenure to date, they have had significant lulls in many of those matches, although their quality has allowed them to escape unscathed.
In the Scottish Premiership, switching off or losing focus mid-game could prove decisive at both ends of the table. For the likes of Rangers, it could be the difference between winning a league title and for teams of Kilmarnock’s ilk, it could be a deciding factor as to which division they find themselves in next season.