GOALS from Nacho Novo and Kris Boyd helped Rangers get the point they needed to progress to the last 32 stage of the UEFA Cup in the Stade Abbe Deschamps tonight.
Auxerre found themselves in front on two occasions but Paul Le Guen’s side showed great determination and guts to fight back and record a memorable 2-2 draw in horrendous conditions.
It was a great night for the club and the players who can now look forward to European football after New Year.
Le Guen stressed in his pre-match press conference that he wants continuity in his team selection and he was able to field the same starting eleven that faced Hearts on Sunday.
Nacho Novo retained his place after scoring the a 78th minute winner at Tynecastle while Brahim Hemdani and Karl Svensson were also given the nod despite Julien Rodriguez available for selection having recovered from a thigh injury.
The stadium was surprisingly quiet as the teams strolled out on to the pitch prior to kick-off, many Auxerre fans clearly deciding to watch the match on TV on what was a miserable night.
The rain, however, did not discourage the Gers faithful who gave their side a rapturous welcome.
Having lost their one and only Group A match to Maccabi Haifa on matchday 2, Auxerre were clearly up for tonight’s game and they started in a positive fashion.
After only five minutes Polish winger Treneusz Jelen picked the ball up 40 yards, ran at Brahim Hemdani before unleashing a powerful effort that Allan McGregor did well to tip over the bar.
This early scare seemed to spark the Light Blues into action and the team started to pass the ball confidently on the treacherous surface.
Charlie Adam has been in fine form of late and he was the first Gers’ player to try his luck with an effort on goal. The midfielder curled a 30 yard free-kick towards goal on 9 minutes but Fabien Cool was composed as the ball sailed over his bar.
Rangers were controlling play at this stage and Novo should have given his side an early lead four minutes later. Barry Ferguson chipped the ball down the wing for the Spaniard who had sprinted clear of his marker but his near post effort was saved by Cool.
Le Guen’s plans suffered a blow only seconds later when Stevie Smith, an ever-present for the club this season, fell to the turf clutching his back and physio Joel Le Hir immediately signalled to the bench that the youngster could no longer take part in proceedings.
Julien Rodriguez was given the job of filling Smith’s boots in the left-back role.
The slight delay in play gave Jean Fernandez’s team the chance to regroup and they started to put sustained pressure on the Gers’ backline for the first time in the match.
Jelen was proving to be a handful and McGregor had to be sharp to make a fine save before denying Pedretti on 26 minutes.
This was to be a warning sign for Rangers as the French side then took the lead on the half-hour mark.
Cool launched a clearance up field and the wind helped to take it over the heads of Hemdani and Svensson. The ball fell to Jelen who took a touch before firing the ball into the net with a low drive from just inside the Gers’ 18-yard box.
Rangers were now the team on the back foot and Akale almost doubled his side’s advantage on 34 minutes when he dribbled past Hutton and Svensson but his curling effort narrowly missed the target.
It was a scary moment for the team and Gers’ fans had their hearts in their mouths again minutes later when Auxerre captain Benoit Cheyrou delivered a terrific free-kick into the box and Luigi Pieroni was unmarked as he headed over from ten yards.
With half-time looming the Light Blues pushed forward in an attempt to get back on level terms and Kris Boyd was unlucky to see a downward header sneak past the post before referee Jonas Eriksson blew for the interval.
Having enjoyed a lot of possession in the opening period, Le Guen will have been disappointed to see his side behind but Auxerre showed on more than one occasion that they have players with flair when they are on the attack.
Le Gaffer did not make any changes to his team for the start of the second-half and Rangers, with the howling wind and rain at their backs, immediately set about getting the point that was needed to take the club through to the next round.
After only two minutes into the restart, Rodriguez swung a deep cross into the 18-yard box and Novo brought the ball down after it was missed by the Auxerre defenders but his powerful shot was parried by Cool.
The home side, however, continued to threaten and Pieroni was to hit the side netting with a deflected shot only seconds later.
Auxerre were inches away from making it 2-0 when Kalabane headed against the crossbar from a Pedretti corner but Rangers then stunned the home support by netting an equaliser only 60 seconds later.
Adam played a one-two with Prso on the edge of the 18-yard box before pushing the ball through to Novo who placed his shot under Cool and into the back of the net.
Le Guen decided to make his second substitution on 67 minutes when he replaced Dado Prso with Libor Sionko and the big Croatian looked exhausted as he left the field after his tireless work in recent games.
Rangers, however, did not hold on to their lead for long and Romanian Daniel Niculae scored Auxerre’s second goal on 75 minutes.
The striker had only been on the field for 60 seconds when he headed home from close range after Jelen had again produced a teasing cross into the danger area.
Sionko almost helped his side get back on level terms when he took the ball to the byline and cut it back to Boyd but Kaboul produced a stunning block to deny the prolific hitman.
Boydy, however, made no mistake when his next chance came around on 83 minutes.
Alan Hutton darted down the right wing before crossing to Adam. He knocked the ball to the Gers’ striker who calmly fired home with aplomb.
The Rangers fans erupted as the ball hit back the back of the net and it proved to be enough to earn a point in what was a terrific and entertaining 90 minutes of football.
AUXERRE: Cool; Sagna, Kaboul, Kalabane, Jaures; Thomas, Pedretti (Niculae 74), Cheyrou; Jelen (Ba 79), Pieroni, Akale
Subs Not Used: Sauvage, Martin, Traore, Niculae, Vadocz, Lejuene
Bookings: Kaboul (90)
RANGERS: McGregor; Smith (Rodriguez 17), Svensson, Hemdani, Hutton; Adam, Ferguson, Clement, Novo (Sebo 80); Prso (Sionko 67), Boyd
Subs Not Used: Letizi, Buffel, Rae, Sebo, N’Diaye
Bookings: None
Referee: Jonas Eriksson (Sweden)
Man of the Match: Barry Ferguson