AFTER failing at three attempts to beat Alloa it was fourth time lucky for the Light Blues, on a winter’s afternoon at the Indodrill Stadium.
Two draws, home and away and a heart breaking semi-final defeat in the Challenge Cup had made The Wasps Gers bogey side this term.
Between snow showers it Nicky Law’s tenth goal of the season that was to be the difference between the sides. Although Alloa threatened to wound Kenny McDowall’s side once again in a nervy encounter.
Alloa started brightly and gave Rangers a scare with just six minutes on the clock. Daryll Meggatt launched a ball up field to Liam Buchanan, who was storming into the area. The forward took it down nicely to attempt a chip over Steve Simonsen, which bounced just wide of the right upright.
Four minutes later Rangers had their first real foray into the Alloa area. Kenny Miller bore down on goalkeeper Craig McDowall to block his clearance but the ball cannoned out of play for a by-kick.
With quarter of an hour played the Light Blues made the break through after dispossessing Alloa after a home throw-in. Miller picked the ball up by the corner flag and played a ball along the by-line for Jon Daly – the Irishman turned quickly to cut it back to the onrushing Law. The midfielder slotted home under McDowall, from just a few yards out, to give Gers the lead.
After a smattering of Alloa half chances in quick succession Rangers broke away on 23 minutes. Daly’s flick on landed in the path of his strike partner Miller, who skipped into the box to toe poke a chance over the diving McDowall. But the 35-year old would only see his effort bounce back against the inside of the post. David Templeton picked up the rebound but couldn’t find Miller again as his square ball trickled out of play across Alloa’s six yard box.
With half an hour gone Alloa were awarded a free kick about 25 yards out. Their ball into the overcrowded box ended up pinging off the head of Daly and looping toward Simonsen’s goal. The keeper being forced to palm it over his cross bar to avert the danger.
Just a couple of minutes later Rangers were on the attack once again, as they continued to be denied a second goal. Daly opened up his body to move a ball out to the right of him, into the feet of Templeton. The winger let fly into the legs of the outstretched McDowall. And then moment later Miller had a chance to get a goal in a similar area, again his strike only made it as far as the keeper.
Alloa were still testing the Gers defence at the other end as they went in desperate search of an equaliser before half time. Darren McGregor was forced to make a last ditch sliding clearance as Buchanan waited nearby ready to pull the trigger.
The second half was to follow a counter attacking pattern as Rangers poured forward looking to make the game safe and Alloa tried their luck time and time again.
With half an hour left to play Daly found himself in space with just the keeper to beat and McDowall only managed to parry his powerful half volley. Miller couldn’t react quick enough to gather the rebound but Rangers had reacted well to an early period of Alloa pressure in the second half.
The Wasps, looking to sting, went straight down the other end again but Simonsen was alive to Kevin Cawley’s effort and blocked his shot from the right well. The counter attacking continued as Lee Wallace fashioned a shot from the edge of the area and see it land in the arms of McDowall.
Alloa continued to create chances, they looped a lovely ball into the area but no one was there to meet it and Rangers were looking shaky as they went into the final 15 minutes. Fraser Aird reacted instantly launching an attack from the right and thundering his shot into the goalkeeper.
With less than ten minutes left Gers survived a scare. Greig Spence powered a bolt of a free-kick through the Rangers defence which was turned away by Simonsen and then Buchanan couldn’t produce with the follow up. And then moments before the final whistle Kyle Hutton had to make a goal line clearance to save the Light Blues blushes.
RANGERS: Simonsen; Foster, McCulloch, McGregor, Wallace; Templeton (Aird 65”), Hutton, Law, Smith, Miller (Clark 83”), Daly (Boyd 65”)
SUBS NOT USED: Robinson, Black, Faure, Shiels
GOALS: Law 15”
ALLOA: McDowall, Doyle, Gordon, Benedictus, Meggatt, Docherty (Spence 63”), Simmons, McCord, Holmes, Cawley, Buchanan
SUBS NOT USED: Tiffoney, Marr, Hetherington, Ferns, Weatherston, Couser