It’s an Ibrox replay on 9 April for Dunfermline and
Rangers following this afternoon’s 1-1 draw at East
End Park this afternoon in a dramatic cup-tie where
Ibrox Captain Barry Ferguson was sensationally – and
unbelievably – ordered off in the dying seconds of the
game.
It had been fifteen long years since Dunfermline last
defeated Rangers in any competition – and that had
been a Scottish Cup tie at East End Park in 1988 when
anti-Rangers Referee Alan Ferguson outrageously
ordered off John Brown.
On a day of glorious sunshine in Fife, Manager Alex
McLeish sprang a surprise team selection with four
changes from the side that had defeated Motherwell
last Wednesday – Bert Konterman, Mikel Arteta, Claudio
Caniggia and Neil McCann replacing Maurice Ross, Peter
Lovenkrands, Michael Mols and Steven Thompson. The
home side fielded three former Ibrox men – namely Gus
McPherson, Scott Wilson and Barry Nicholson, whilst
leaving Noel Hunt (who caused Rangers so many problems
at the same venue last month) on the substitutes’
bench.
Remarkably the two clubs had met on just five prior
occasions in the national tournament, almost as many
times indeed as the Light Blues have visited this
particular corner of the Kingdom this season alone –
three previous games resulting in three Rangers’
victories.
The Pars started on the offensive with Gary Mason
testing Stefan Klos with a twenty-yard drive that the
goalkeeper held.
Ronald De Boer created Rangers’ first chance of the
match when he somehow kept the ball in play at the
corner flag before finding Caniggia – the Argentinian
squaring for Arteta who was robbed of a shooting
chance by Ged Brannan.
Dunfermline snatched the lead in controversial
circumstances in 22 minutes when Craig Brewster – in a
blatantly offside position – fed David Grondin whose
low left-foot drive from the edge of the box left Klos
without an earthly. Stand-side linesman Tom Murphy
must have been the only one in the ground who thought
Brewster was onside.
Rangers must have realised by now that they had a
battle on their hands – but within eight minutes it
was all-square when an exquisite pass by De Boer found
Caniggia who squeezed the ball under the advancing
Derek Stillie for the equaliser.
The home side continued to cause problems for the Cup
Holders’ defence – a Kevin Muscat error in 37 minutes
almost proved costly when he gave the ball away to
Nicholson who released Stevie Crawford wide on the
right. Crawford skinned Muscat as he cut inside only
to see his shot whistle across the face of goal.
Rangers made a concerted effort to snatch the lead
with the interval fast approaching. Konterman’s
pile-driver from a McCann cutback in 42 minutes was
deflected wide, then seconds later De Boer’s header
from Neil’s inswinging cross produced a point-blank
save from Stillie.
The pressure was incessant – Stillie again to the
rescue when he parried Muscat’s twenty-yard drive, yet
the half ended with Klos blocking Crawford’s effort
when the striker – looking well offside – was clean
through on goal.
Without question the finest player afield had been the
magnificent De Boer, whose promptings, class and
vision stood him apart from the others.
The game boiled over in an explosive second-half.
Fernando Ricksen was the first to be yellow-carded for
a 54th minute foul on Crawford, then sixty seconds
later the introduction of Noel Hunt would prove to be
the catalyst for mayhem.
Within three minutes Hunt and Muscat tangled in the
middle of the park, both players being booked for
their troubles.
De Boer was continuing to probe Dunfermline’s defence
– and from one pass McCann’s hanging cross was met by
Caniggia only for Chris McGroarty to block his header
in 69 minutes.
Three minutes later McCann found De Boer with another
deep cross, the Dutchman’s header shaving the post.
Rangers continued to press – Barry Ferguson’s 25-yard
drive from a Muscat pass was beaten out by Stillie in
76 minutes, then four minutes later Caniggia somehow
mistimed his header to miss a glorious chance from an
Arteta cross.
The chance of the match – an absolute sitter – was
missed by substitute Shota Arveladze in 83 minutes
when – from virtually underneath the crossbar – he
somehow headed over after Arteta’a corner was flicked
on by Konterman.
Craig Moore was yellow-carded for a foul on Hunt three
minutes later – a booking that will mean suspension
for the Ibrox replay.
Rangers had a strong penalty claim in 87 minutes when
Brannan hauled down Arteta but Referee John Underhill
turned a blind eye.
A game that had been simmering for some time boiled
over in the dying seconds when Ferguson was red-carded
for a foul on that man Hunt (clearly James Grady in
disguise). It was an extremely harsh decision by the
referee – a straight red for a player who had not even
been booked.
The final whistle ended an end-to-end cup-tie that
without question Rangers should have won, but it’s now
on to an Ibrox replay on 9 April.
Manager Alex McLeish said:
“We missed some gilt-edged chances. Ronald De Boer was
magnificent considering he was kicked all over the
park. Barry will be annoyed with himself – but he has
had a fantastic season.”
Dunfermline boss Jimmy Calderwood was honest enough to
admit:
“Our goal was offside. Derek Stillie had some great
saves that kept us in the game. We rode our luck at
times. Ronald De Boer was quite superb. It was a
magnificent cup-tie.”
DUNFERMLINE ATHLETIC Stillie; McGarty, MacPherson,
Wilson, McGroarty; Nicholson (Hunt 53), Mason,
Brannan, Grondin (Kilgannon 74); Brewster, Crawford
UNUSED SUBS Ruitenbeek, Dair, Walker
RANGERS Klos; Ricksen, Moore, Malcolm, Muscat;
Ferguson, Konterman, Arteta McCann (Arveladze 74);
Caniggia, De Boer
UNUSED SUBS McGregor, Thompson, Ross, Eggen
REFEREE John Underhill