Ferguson Finally Breaks Ibrox Duck as Rangers Hit Aberdeen for Four
Barry Ferguson has waited a long time for this. At the sixth time of asking, the Rangers interim boss finally delivered a home win – and in emphatic fashion – as his side dismantled Aberdeen 4-0 in the William Hill Premiership. After a tepid and, at times, tense opening 45 minutes, the match sparked into life in the second half. Vaclav Cerny fired Rangers in front ten minutes after the restart, finishing calmly after a smart through ball from Nicolas Raskin. Cyriel Dessers, who had endured a frustrating first half, doubled the lead shortly after, burying a cutback from Raskin to make it 2-0. From that point, Aberdeen crumbled. Hamza Igamane, introduced at the interval, made a real impact – and his 70th-minute strike was the pick of the bunch. Flicking the ball up and lashing home from distance, the Moroccan offered a moment of real quality on a day when Rangers badly needed a boost. Jefte’s late strike – a deflected effort from Cerny’s shot – added gloss in stoppage time and ensured Ferguson could finally celebrate three points at Ibrox. For Aberdeen, it was a damaging result in the race for third, and with just two games left, they remain three points adrift of Hibs. Having shown promise in the opening stages of the second half – with Topi Keskinen rattling the woodwork – their collapse was as alarming as it was sudden. Rangers, meanwhile, snapped a five-match winless streak at home stretching back to early February. Ferguson, brought in on a short-term deal to steady the ship, has endured a rough spell – and while this win doesn’t change the bigger picture of a trophyless season, it does ease some pressure. The takeover talk continues to dominate the narrative around the club, with the expected arrival of Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises looming large. For many fans, the fresh start can’t come soon enough. Key Moments: 55’ – Cerny opens the scoring after a fine pass from Raskin. 60’ – Dessers doubles the lead with a composed finish. 70’ – Igamane stuns Ibrox with a brilliant long-range effort. 90+2’ – Jefte rounds off the rout with a deflected fourth. It may be too little, too late for Rangers’ season ambitions, but for Barry Ferguson, it was a long-overdue homecoming worth savouring.
Rangers maintain title hunt with Celtic win
Rangers kept themselves in the hunt for SWPL title, edging past Celtic courtesy of Kirsty Howat’s early goal and maintaining their undefeated status against their rivals this season. A long range pass from Tessel Middag saw Howat dart into space with only Kelsey Daugherty to beat, the striker making no mistake in passing the keeper before slotting home the opener. Fife, was called into action after a quiet first-half as Saoirse Noonan fired a low driven shot in the second half, but the keeper was equal to it. It proved to be a difficult afternoon for the Irish striker, who fired another good chance clear over the bar. Howat almost grabbed herself a double, one on one with the keeper she was denied by a sprawling Daugherty as Celtic looked to find a way back into the game. Coming close to adding a second for Rangers, Kirsty MacLean’s rocket from outside the box was well saved by the American shot stopper. However there would be no opportunity more golden than one wasted by substitute Morgan Cross, whose diving header could only send a potential equaliser wide following Smith’s excellent cross. Holding for the three points, Rangers pipped Glasgow City to second thanks to their vastly superior goal and sit just three points behind Hibernian with two games left to play. Line-ups: Celtic: Daugherty, Barclais, Clark (Carstens 89), Lawton, Ashworth-Clifford (Cross 70), Nakao (Harrison 82), Gallacher (Cavanagh 82), Smith, McAneny, Noonan, Agnew (Loferski 71) Unused subs: Dawson, Bruna Lourenço, Rodgers Booked: Cavanagh Rangers: Fife, Docherty (c), Rafferty, Middag, McLeary, MacLean, Wilkinson (McAuley 83), Cornet, Hay (Lafaix 92), Howat (Berry 92), Hardy (Ross 88) Unused subs: Arnot, Cruft, Esson Goals: Howat (12) Booked: Cornet, Howat