Rangers 2
Dundee 1
League (Premier Division)

Match Report

Newspaper extract from Sunday Post.

If it was Rangers' aggression which got the Light Blues into trouble last week, it was their softly-softly approach which almost did the damage here.

Graham Souness's lads certainly lived up to their Teddy Bears nickname this time round-soft and cuddly.

Just look at the crime count figures-no cautions and just two fouls to their name throughout.

I don't know if it was a directive from above, but it looked to me as though the Ibrox side were under orders to play it oh so cool. And boy oh boy did they overdo the fancy stuff.

Time and again they were content just to knock the ball around in circles. Time and again they played the extra pass-or three when a bit of good old-fashioned direct football was required. In other circumstances it could have proved costly. Up against a side with about as much punch as a Frank Bruno opponent, though, there was never any chance of a shock.

True, Jocky Scott's boys lost the services of Jim Duffy early on, after an accidental clash with Fleck. But that really didn't affect the outcome. Dundee were never at the races.

Goal number one was a disaster for Bobby Geddes. After a couple of great stops from Roberts and McCoist, he really should have done better from a Cooper corner.

With Bobby posted missing, up popped Robert Fleck, by no means a giant, and the wee man's header fairly flew into the net. Goal number two was another tragedy for the visitors. This time it looked as though at least a couple of Ibrox stars were in off-side positions. But Mr McCluskey thought other wise, allowing a McCall chip to reach Durrant, and his knock-down set up Ally McCoist with what will surely be his easiest chance of the season

The Dens Parkers' response was late in coming. A mix-up in the Ibrox box let in Harvey, and his snap shot was pushed into the net by the unlucky Nicholl.

Rangers, as I have said, could really have walked it had they livened up their act a bit. Woods, Roberts, Durrant, McCoist, and McCall were their stand-outs.

Graeme Souness? He was the perfect gentleman throughout. Dundee were a real disappointment.

Mennie and Wright tried hard, but that wasn't nearly good enough on this occasion. There was one caution-Harvey for a wild lunge at McGregor.

Man of the Match-GRAHAM ROBERTS. Cool, calm and collected throughout.

Crowd-38,302.

Rangers: Woods: Nicholl, Phillips, Roberts, Souness, McGregor, Durrant, Fleck, McCoist, McCall, Cooper.

Dundee: Geddes; Forsyth, McKinlay, Glennie, Smith, Duffy (Jack), Mennie, Shannon (Harvey),

Wright, Coyne, Angus.

Referee - J. McCluskey, Stewarton.