Dundee hold Rangers
Dundee United 0 Rangers 0
Dundee United’s hoodoo over Rangers continued when they held the Scottish champions to a goalless draw in the Bank of Scotland Premier League.
Alex McLeish will tell you he is not a superstitious man, and that he does not believe in ’bogey teams,’ but the Rangers manager will privately be unnerved by his side’s poor record against Dundee United in the SPL.
A 7-1 thrashing in the CIS Insurance Cup last season provided some comfort to Rangers that they are still more than capable of overcoming United.
But six league games without a win over the Tannadice club do not make good reading for the Scottish champions.
Fans who made the trip to Tayside were treated to the sight of Brahim Hemdani in Rangers colours, the new navy-blue third kit to be precise, for the first time in competitive action.
The former Marseille skipper was given the nod ahead of Ian Murray and there was also a place on the team-sheet for Francis Jeffers, who replaced the injured Thomas Buffel.
Rangers wasted no time putting their hosts under pressure. Chris Burke, trying to establish himself in the team again after illness and injury, was involved in the opening attacks.
His shot cannoned off the United defence before Olivier Bernard fired over and the young winger’s own effort a few minutes later also failed to trouble goalkeeper Derek Stillie.
Desperation was already setting in as far as United were concerned and Barry Robson was booked for diving in the box with just 10 minutes on the clock.
The home side were then forced into some last-gasp defending when Alan Archibald reacted quickly to hook a Dado Prso back-header off the line.
Undeterred, the Croatian striker whipped a dangerous ball across the face of goal, Jeffers failed to connect, but Peter Lovenkrands pounced only to fire well over from a few yards out.
Dundee United had the opportunity to put Rangers under pressure with a free-kick just outside the box as a result of Bernard’s handball but Ronald Waterreus easily punched clear Robson’s inswinger.
Rangers were more dangerous with a free-kick of their own when Burke was hauled back by Paul Ritchie 20 yards out. Stillie signalled to his defence that Barry Ferguson’s effort was going wide but, to his horror, the shot hit the post instead. Prso then claimed he had been brought down in the box by Archibald but referee Charlie Richmond ignored the pleas.
Dundee United looked stronger after the break. Mark Kerr released Jim McIntyre into the box but his effort was weak and easily held by the Rangers goalkeeper.
United were threatening again when David Fernandez set up a Robson drive but, again, Waterreus was up to the task.
At the other end of the park, Lovenkrands was off-target again when he picked up a Prso cross from the right only to volley just over from 15 yards.
As the game headed into the last 10 minutes, there was still plenty of drama to come.
Waterreus was caught well off his line when Robson surged into the box and should have left the net bulging but Julien Rodriguez somehow managed to stand tall and block on the line.
Ritchie then kept United in the game with a last-ditch clearance of his own to deny Prso.
Rangers’ frustration was compounded in the last minute when Sotirios Kyrgiakos was handed his second yellow of the day for a challenge on Collin Samuel.
