Ross County dealt Rangers a huge blow to Dingwall’s Premiership title hopes with their first-ever victory over the Ibrox side.
When Ross County captain Jack Baldwin scored an own goal after quarter-hour it looked just like the hosts were well behind, but two goals in three minutes soon after the break from Simon Murray and George Harmon turned the sport on its head before Josh Sims he added a third after 69 minutes.
Rangers captain James Tavernier scored a penalty within the 89th minute after VAR intervention, however the spirited hosts held on to win 3-2, also improving their probabilities of avoiding relegation.
After 20 defeats and 4 draws in 24 games against Rangers, the Dingwall club finally recorded a long-awaited victory over the Govan club, with the results rippling through either side of the table because the county moved from the opposite end of the table to Tenth-placed St Johnstone.
With six games remaining, Philippe Clement’s side are 4 points behind leaders Celtic with a game in hand against Dundee at Dens Park on Wednesday evening, but Celtic currently seem like leading the best way.
Once again Rangers, with Borna Barisic, Kieran Dowell, Todd Cantwell and Abdallah Sima back within the squad, found themselves under pressure to shut the gap on their Old Firm rivals.
Ross Laidlaw, Yan Dhanda, Sims, Victor Loturi and Harmon were all back in Don Cowie’s side, who began the match nine points clear of bottom team Livingston.
County had their first attempt at goal inside minutes when Michee Efete crossed from the correct and located Harmon on the back post, but under pressure from Sima he tipped the ball over the crossbar.
Rangers struggled to get into their rhythm, but took the lead after Tavernier’s corner kick from the correct.
Portuguese striker Fabio Silva moved on and, attempting to clear the ball facing his own net and difficult Rangers defender John Souttar, Baldwin only managed to get the ball over the road when Laidlaw didn’t keep it, even though it took a while before a goal was registered from traveling fans on the opposite side of the earth.
The game opened up even further and Laidlaw saved a decent shot from Cantwell, before Rangers goalkeeper Jack Baldwin saved Sims’ shot and Laidlaw saved further efforts from Sima and striker Cyriel Dessers.
In the thirty eighth minute, after pressure from County, Harmon fired a shot high over the crossbar from close range, as did Dessers at the opposite end before the break.
The game took an unexpected turn early within the second half when the energetic Murray County striker equalized on the second attempt, slotting the ball in after Butland blocked his first shot together with his foot.
Rangers were still reeling from that defeat when Murray found a free moment again and fired a shot that Butland kicked away, but Harmon was on his way and located the web.
Govan’s side recovered and attempts from Dessers and Sima were of various quality before Sima used his hand and put the ball into the County net, disallowing a ‘goal’.
The hosts got here on the sector moments later to attain a third goal, with Murray breaking into the box and establishing Sims to indicate composure before beating Butland from close range
Cantwell hit the crossbar with a phenomenal strike six minutes later, then VAR Andrew Dallas spotted a possible handball by County substitute Brandon Khela within the penalty area, and referee Matthew MacDermid awarded a penalty after checking the monitor, which Tavernier converted, but there was no return.
Rangers slipped up against essentially the most unlikely of opponents, and it could prove fatal.
Credit : www.independent.co.uk