Tom Lawrence’s early goal proved decisive as Rangers found some respite amid troubled times with a 1-0 win over Dundee United at Tannadice.
The Gers’ response from a comprehensive 3-0 defeat by Celtic at Parkhead before the international break began when the returning midfielder struck in the seventh minute with a clever finish – and he could have added to his tally.
However, Rangers’ grip on the game weakened as it unfolded but the newly-promoted home side could not fashion a leveller as they fell to their first William Hill Premiership defeat of the season.
These are tough days at the Ibrox club.
John Bennett stepped down as chairman on Saturday due to health reasons with the club still searching for a CEO, a director of football and an academy director.
However, the nervous victory for Philippe Clement’s side which took them above United into third place will go a little way to lighten the doom and gloom which surrounds the Govan club.
The Gers fans approached the match and the team news with some trepidation.
Wide-man Oscar Cortes returned from injury but midfielder Kieran Dowell was a surprise inclusion along with Lawrence, with new signings Neraysho Kasanwirjo and Nedim Bajrami ready to make their debuts off the bench.
United, one point ahead of their opponents at kick-off, were unchanged for the fourth game in a row and confident.
After a minute’s applause in tribute to former Dundee United and Liverpool defender Ron Yeats, who recently died, it was the visitors who quickly took control.
It seemed rather easy when Lawrence took a pass from Cyriel Dessers – who moments earlier had claims for a penalty turned down when he went down inside the box after a challenge by Emmanuel Adegboyega – and swept past United defender Declan Gallagher before confidently lifting the ball over Jack Walton from eight yards.
Goalkeeper Walton had to deal with a decent efforts from Dowell and Cortes before Dessers inadvertently blocked a goalbound drive from Lawrence.
It had become a more even contest by the time United boss Jim Goodwin replaced Kevin Holt with midfielder Ross Docherty in the 35th minute to get more traction in the game, albeit Gers keeper Jack Butland had yet to be fully tested.
Adegboyega was booked by referee Don Robertson for a heavy tackle on Connor Barron with a VAR check requiring no further action, to the ire of the Gers fans, who watched Walton save Dessers’ angled-drive before the interval.
Bajrami, the 25-year-old Albania forward, replaced Cortes for the start of the second half which was delayed to allow the smoke from flares lit among Rangers supporters to clear.
United began the second half with more attacking intent and in the 55th minute Kristijan Trapanovski’s strike from the edge of the box deflected off Connor Barron’s back and just missed Butland’s left-hand post, the Govan side surviving the corner.
Just after Dessers was replaced by Moroccan striker Hamza Igamane, Rangers bolted forward and Lawrence just cleared the bar with a curling shot from inside the box, after getting past Gallagher again.
Ross Graham headed a Will Ferry corner just past the post as United threatened again.
Dowell was replaced by Dujon Sterling and Nicolas Raskin took over from Mohamed Diomande before Walton made a crucial save from a Lawrence drive.
United did all they could to get back level but Rangers’ determination to take the points proved too much.
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