Attendance 10,271
Rangers retained their eight-point lead over Celtic in the Championship race with a comfortable 4-1 win over Dundee United at Tannadice this afternoon, courtesy of two goals apiece from the majestic Ronald De Boer and from Shota Arveladze.
There were three changes in the Rangers line-up from Wednesday night with Kevin Muscat, Craig Moore and Shota Arveladze replacing Lorenzo Amoruso, Barry Ferguson and Michael Mols against a Dundee United side fielding three ex-Rangers in Captain Gary Bollan, Russell Latapy and Charlie Miller.
The game kicked off on a bare pitch with huge gaps in the home support – and it was United who threatened first when a Miller cross in six minutes deceived the ‘Gers defence, only for Bob Malcolm to come to the rescue with a goal-line clearance.
That near miss perhaps served to waken Rangers up, duly taking the lead four minutes later when a Peter Lovenkrands cross found Ronald De Boer who had the time and space to control the ball before volleying a low drive into the net from the edge of the box.
De Boer was clearly in the mood – a 25-yard effort was net-bound all the way until Paul Gallacher touched it wide in thirteen minutes.
Four minutes later it was 2-0, and again De Boer had a major part in the goal – taking a Bert Konterman pass wide on the left, his curling cross into the heart of the United defence was headed home by Arveladze.
Rangers were in complete command, even on such a dreadful surface, yet almost conceded an own goal when Latapy’s corner struck Bob Malcolm, only to be cleared off the line by De Boer.
United were coming more and more into the game, no doubt due to the League Leaders having taken their foot off the accelerator. Arthur Numan might blame the pitch however when his slip allowed Mark Wilson to send a twenty-yard drive against the crossbar.
The visitors re-established their superiority before the interval however – Fernando Ricksen heading wide when De Boer skinned Andy Tod before sending a deep cross to the far post.
The third goal was merely delayed however – and when it arrived it was superbly executed – De Boer flicking the ball over the advancing Gallacher from a Mikel Arteta pass right on the half-time interval.
United introduced Billy Dodds for Craig Easton five minutes into the second-half, the former Ranger receiving a welcome ovation from the visiting support.
Sixty seconds later the inauspicious Latapy at last made a mark on the game with a 25-yard drive that produced a superb save from Stefan Klos, then from the resulting corner the goalkeeper again came to the rescue, turning Jim McIntyre’s effort over the bar.
Arthur Numan bizarrely received a yellow card for dissent on the hour following an accidental collision between Billy Dodds and Craig Moore.
Dundee United were now forcing the play, as Rangers appeared content to sit on their three-goal lead. Both Dodds and McIntyre had shots blocked in quick succession, and then Charlie Miller raced clear following a one-two with Dodds only to slice his shot wide.
Nevertheless the fourth goal when it arrived came at the other end – and once again it was De Boer the creator at the heart of the move, cutting open the home defence with a reverse pass to Arveladze who crashed the ball home off the underside of the bar in 69 minutes.
Two minutes later United managed a crumb of comfort when slackness in defence allowed Billy Dodds to scramble the ball home after Miller’s corner was headed on by Bollan. Made at Ibrox indeed.
It was almost 4-2 soon after when Klos turned wide Jim Paterson’s volley when Dodds flicked McIntyre’s cross on.
Rangers were however content to play out time with a 4-1 lead.
Manager Alex McLeish afterwards expressed his satisfaction:
"This was a great win on an extremely poor surface. Ronald De Boer was excellent – he has been very consistent."
United Boss Ian McCall was outspoken as always: "We could have scored three or four goals in the second half. Rangers will never get it easier at Tannadice than they did in the first half. De Boer was excellent, absolutely awesome, on a shocking pitch."
With Celtic defeating Kilmarnock 2-0 the lead remains at eight points as we go into the split.
DUNDEE UNITED Gallacher; Duff, Griffin, Tod, Bollan; Wilson (Lauchlan 63), Latapy (Smart 71), Easton (Dodds 50), Paterson; Miller, McIntyre
UNUSED SUBS Combe, Ogunmade
RANGERS Klos; Muscat, Moore, Malcolm, Numan; Ricksen, Arteta (Caniggia 64), Konterman, Lovenkrands (McCann 79); De Boer (Thompson 74), Arveladze
UNUSED SUBS McGregor, Hughes
REFEREE Dougie McDonald