CYRIEL DESSERS hopes his late goal can help change the momentum for the Rangers squad after a 1-1 draw with Dynamo Kyiv this evening.
The UEFA Champions League third qualifying round tie sits firmly in the balance ahead of next weekend’s second-leg at Hampden thanks to the Nigerian’s injury time strike.
Speaking to RangersTV at full-time, Dessers said: “I hope that this goal is a very good statement, and this could change the momentum, not only in this tie but hopefully for us also for the coming weeks.
"We have been working so hard and maybe you don't see the results immediately on the pitch but there has been a lot of work and moments like this can turn this around.
“Hopefully, things start falling our way and I think you saw as well after the whistle how Dynamo went in. They were not happy and let's hope that the late goal changed the momentum in this tie too.
“It was a good feeling, everybody could see Dynamo are a very good team tactically and technically, so we had to work hard to keep the spaces close and I am happy to score a goal at the end and take a good result home.”
Dessers was happy to be able to celebrate in front of the Rangers supporters in Poland this evening and said the mentality of the squad was key to keep pushing for the equaliser.
He continued: “We were talking about it in the hotel as well, everywhere we go, you always have these fans if it is in Birmingham, Berlin, Edinburgh, or here in Poland, they are always there with a lot of numbers and we are happy that we could give them something back at the end and it is nice to celebrate the goal in front of your own fans again.
“The mentality to keep going until the end is really important, we did it a few times last season as well when we conceded quite early but we bounced back and I think that says a lot about the mentality in this team, we are not giving up, we keep going even if it is against a good team and then you get rewarded at the end.”