Rangers 5 – 2 Dundee

Rangers put Celtic’s title celebrations on maintain for at the least one other night time as they got here from behind to beat Dundee 5-2 at Ibrox.

Dundee scored twice in simply over two first-half minutes via Jordan McGhee and Antonio Portales to place Celtic inside touching distance of the title, however Ross McCausland handed Rangers a lifeline simply earlier than the break.

It proved to be important as Rangers marched on to victory due to targets from Cyriel Dessers and Todd Cantwell within the second half. Scott Wright added two of his personal off the bench late on as Philippe Clement’s facet signed off in type at Ibrox.

Regardless of Rangers’ greatest efforts towards Dundee, Celtic want to say only a level at Kilmarnock on Wednesday night time to develop into Scottish Premiership champions – dwell on Sky Sports activities.

Dundee’s defeat ensures St Mirren seal fifth place, which implies a return to European soccer for the primary time in 37 years.

WATCH: All of the targets from Ibrox

How Rangers recovered from a rocky begin

The Rangers followers who turned up lower than enthusiastic after the demoralising weekend defeat to Celtic knew that boss Clement was with out the companies of 10 injured gamers with John Lundstram suspended after being despatched off at Parkhead.

Ridvan Yilmaz, Nico Raskin, Cantwell and McCausland got here into the facet as did Leon King, who made his first begin of the season.

Ibrox was moist and subdued however the followers had been alerted by a robust Yilmaz drive within the third minute following a neat flip which drew a effective save from Jon McCracken.

The Taysiders had been neat and tidy in possession however within the sixteenth minute Fabio Silva took a cross from Dessers, tip-toed previous the Dundee defence and clipped the bar with a vicious angled-drive.

Rangers captain James Tavernier cleared the bar with a free-kick from 25 yards on the half-hour mark earlier than McCracken tipped a shot from McCausland over the bar, after Luke McCowan gave the ball away.

Dundee attacker Amadou Bakayoko then pressured Jack Butland into a good save with a 20-yard drive however the Englishman didn’t look too intelligent when McGhee popped up on the again publish to stab defender Owen Dodgson’s looking out cross down into the bottom and into the roof of the web.

Extra condemnatory boos rang across the stadium when Portales’ cheeky end from a Dodgson cross following a fast Dundee free-kick sped previous Butland and into the far nook.

McCausland lowered the deficit simply earlier than the break when he poked the ball via the legs of McCracken after the Dundee defence hesitated however it was not sufficient to cease the half-time boos from the disgruntled house supporters.

Higher was anticipated after the break and the house facet drew stage when Dessers headed in a Cantwell cross from six yards for his twenty second Rangers aim of the season and the hosts discovered contemporary zest.

McCracken parried away a Cantwell effort, Yilmaz fired simply over earlier than he was changed with 21-year-old Robbie Fraser making his debut.

Cantwell’s aim took most individuals abruptly, together with McCracken, with the midfielder selecting up a cross from Tavernier extensive on the appropriate and firing the ball excessive over the Dundee ‘keeper and into the web.

McCracken then made terrific saves from Silva and Dessers earlier than the latter in some way knocked a Cantwell cross over the bar, whereas Wright, certainly one of a clutch of substitutes, added a fourth following a cross from fellow substitute Kieran Dowell and grabbed his double with a effective end on the loss of life.

Clement: We needed to make ourselves indignant on the break

Rangers boss Philippe Clement: “It’s a well deserved win. We did really good things on the ball all game long, but in the first half we conceded stupid goals.

“We missed our aggression and the response after dropping the ball [wasn’t good enough]. We had been solely pondering with the ball. Then you definately get in hassle.

“[We had] to make ourselves angry at half-time and then you see the reaction from the players and what they can do.

“A vital night with a whole lot of high quality targets and a whole lot of younger guys out of the academy approaching.

“We showed that we are a really good team. We need to get more consistency with that. It’s now about these last two games.

“After the frustration of some days in the past, to go 2-0 down and getting the boos from the followers and reacting that manner, it reveals the resilience that’s on this group.

“We need to show that in the final two games.”

Docherty: Naivety value us

Dundee supervisor Tony Docherty: “Very much a game of two halves. First half I thought we were by far the better team. Losing a goal on half-time was pivotal. We had to try and hold it that bit longer, but we didn’t.

“Their third aim – there isn’t any manner he meant that, no probability. All people remembers how a sport finishes, however we needed to win the sport for our targets, so we went to 4-4-2, which opened us up.

“It’s important to note that we are a work in progress. The players have done magnificent to get into the top-six position. There’s a lot of learning from tonight and the last three or four games in the top six.

“They deserve big credit score for attending to this stage, however there was a little bit of naivety tonight.”

What’s next?

Rangers’ final Scottish Premiership match of the season is away to Hearts on Saturday, while Dundee host Kilmarnock.

Both games kick off at 12.30pm.

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