Rangers 3-1 Ross County: Philippe Clement's side go level with Celtic but miss chance to go top
- Published
Cyriel Dessers' dinked opener set the tone for a chances-laden evening.
Rangers moved level on points with Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic in a chaotic win over Ross County but failed to finish enough of their 23 efforts on target to move top of the table.
Visiting goalkeeper George Wickens' 19 saves, a record since the Premiership era began in 2013, went a long way to preventing Philippe Clement's side achieving the three-goal win that would have lifted them above the reigning champions.
A lovely lofted effort from Cyriel Dessers ignited Ibrox, but Simon Murray rocked the boat in Don Cowie's first game as interim boss when he snuck in behind a sleeping defence to slam the visitors level.
Dessers would end the half with a deflected header to once again claim the lead and, having dominated throughout, Rangers would finally find the back of the net again when John Souttar nodded home in stoppage time.
Victory maintains the pressure on their city rivals, with the Old Firm sides now having played the same number of games, while County remain second bottom.
"I'm not busy with Celtic," Clement told BBC Scotland. "I'm busy with Rangers. To make this team better, to take as many points as possible with this team, to win as many trophies with this team as possible. We are only busy with that.
"It was not about top spot. You can feel the momentum was there to make more goals - that hunger and desire."
Dessers' delightfully dinked finish was the opening Clement would have written on his script and it looked to prize open the floodgates at an expectant Ibrox.
Blue shirts practically lined up to add to Rangers' tally, but just as the home crowd were baying for a knockout blow, they were blindsided by a sucker punch.
A hooked ball in behind found the returning Eamonn Brophy, who fizzed his delivery across the face as strike partner Murray pounced to prompt stunned silence in Govan.
The quiet became discontent as Dessers twice passed up the opportunity for another, the second of which was dramatically blocked off the line by Ryan Leak.
Rangers' enigmatic striker easily could have walked down the tunnel as the villain. Instead, he became the hero when he relocated his finishing abilities to steer a James Tavernier cross home with the help of a County deflection.
Fifteen minutes of reprieve from the madness did not seem to stem the flow. Wave after wave of home attack continued as Wickens stood tall to keep out half-time substitute Oscar Cortes and the influential Todd Cantwell.
Their profligacy was so nearly punished again at a rare County corner when Michee Efete's bullet header zipped inches over the bar.
Cortes, Cantwell and co could have ensured a more comfortable finale before Souttar's header, but as Clement said before the game, the title would not be decided on this night and three points may prove precious as a fierce title race rages on.
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Understandably, there will be a sense of frustration from the home support that their towering pile of chances failed to provide the comfortable win that would have moved them into the driving seat in the Premiership.
Forty-three shots, 23 on target. The pressure was unrelenting on the County again, but Rangers could not find the decisive blow to sit top of the tree for the first time since August 2022.
Their three goals would have ended that long wait if not for their lapse of concentration at the back. When Murray found the back of the net, few inside Ibrox would scarcely believe what they were seeing, such was the dominance that had exhibited prior to the leveller.
While there will be some disappointment, it's a game that previous iterations of Rangers might have found a way to draw or lose.
In a title race as closely contested as the one unfolding this season, the priority is always three points. Rangers remain neck and neck with Celtic, with little sign of letting up any time soon.
While the statistics show that County were brutally battered, a sense of steel can somehow be salvaged.
How did they keep that scoreline down? The chief answer is Wickens, the Fulham loanee's saves drawing the ire of the Ibrox crowd.
They could well have added a second equaliser if Efete's effort was a few inches lower and Cowie will leave Govan knowing his players can huff and puff right to the end.
What they said
Rangers manger Philippe Clement: "It could have been a night with much more goals, but you need a little bit of luck. On the other side, there was a goalkeeper who had the night of his life - with some good saves and sometimes with luck on his side also.
"We will continue what we have been doing. It's important to keep creating those chances and keep up the attacking football everybody loves to see."
Interim Ross County manager Don Cowie: "I am very proud. Rangers were on top form. We had a little bit of luck on our side.
"They missed a few chances, our goalkeeper was very, very good. He was excellent. I've got two very good goalkeeper on the books. He dealt with it very, very well."
What's next?
Rangers travel to St Johnstone on Sunday (12:00 GMT), while Ross County are also on Tayside as they visit Dundee on Saturday (15:00).