Incredibly, in a hotly contested match, Dundee missed two penalties and Rangers also missed one of their own. Juan Sara was the sinner on both occassions for the home side while comeback striker Billy Dodds blundered for Rangers.
However, Konterman’s strike was enough to scrape Rangers the win they needed nin a match where Tugay again performed excellently but the overall team showing was quite poor.
In keeping with the selection difficulties Dick Advocaat has faced all season, the Rangers manager was forced into two changes with Fernando Ricksen starting his five-match ban and Claudio Reyna on international duty.
Lorenzo Amoruso was back in the heart of defence, while Sergio Porrini came in to play left back and Allan Johnston was preferred to Kenny Miller. With Neil McCann also playing it meant Tore Andre Flo was a loan striker.
That said, the Norwegian might have scored twice inside the first seven minutes. Had he done so this would have been much less of s slog for Rangers.
Barry Ferguson picked him out with a smart pass in five minutes and Flo tried to place a right foot shot into the right corner in similar fashion to his two strikes at Dingwall last Sunday but Marco Roccati made an excellent save.
Two minutes later it was Tugay who was the creator with a superbly weighted pass which released Flo charging in on goal. Roccati, however, was more than up to the task again as he saved at the striker’s feet.
The ball spun in the air and hit Steven Tweed on the arm but there was little the Dundee defender could have done about it and Flo’s claims for a penalty were, at best, ambitious.
It had been a decent start, but it was not a sign of what was to come as Rangers toiled in the snow storm which affected the first part of the match.
Indeed, Rangers were fortunate not to go behind in 19 minutes in a move which highlighted all of the talent of Claudio Caniggia. The Argentinian ripped Rangers apart with a 50-yard run before releasing Juan Sara who seemed certain to score but Stefan Klos made a brilliant blocking save.
Rangers just could not get any real rhythm going on the slippy surface and Dundee enjoyed more of the game than might have been expected. However, a shocking refereeing decision nearly gave the home side a real advantage.
In the final minute of the first half Scott Wilson brought down Sara just outside the box and referee Hugh Dallas was going to award a freekick but his linesman Derek Lowe stuck his flag up.
After consulting his assistant, Dallas awarded a penalty ro the astonishment of the Rangers players. Fortuantely, justice was done as Sara blazed the spotkick over the bar.
If anything, Dundee were even more menacing in the early moment of the second half and the Rangers defence struggled to cope at times.
Javier Artero grazed the outside of the post in 50 minutes with a right foot shot while Caniggia’s pace and power was a constant threat.
In 73 minutes it proved too much for Amoruso who brought down the South American star to give Dundee their second penalty of the match. This time Dallas got it right but, fortunately for Rangers, there was a similar outcome.
Sara was either brave or daft but he stepped up to take the kick. He failed to hit the target again, this time curling his effort past the right hand post.
The Rangers fans roared to mock the unfortunate Argentinian and there was worse to come for Dundee as the Ibrox men scored what proved to be the match-winner three minutes later.
Bert Konterman was the unlikely goal hero and he celebrated in style as his right foot driven shot following Barry Ferguson’s short freekick zipped into the bottom left corner.
The spotkick madness was not over, however, as Rangers managed to miss a penalty of their own four minutes from time. Billy Dodds, making his comeback after two months out, was fouled by Steven Tweed and opted to take the penalty himself.
It would have been a nice way to return to the action, but Dodds pulled his spotkick past the left hand post. Fortunately, it did not matter as Rangers secured the win which takes them second.
DUNDEE: Roccati; Smith, Coyne, Tweed, de Marchi; Artero, Nemsadze, Rae, Garrido; Cannigia, Sara. Subs not used – Langfield, Del Rio, Russo, Falconer, Yates.
Bookings: De Marchi (62)
RANGERS: Klos; Malcolm, Wilson, Amoruso, Porrini; Johnston (Dodds 55), Ferguson, Konterman, Tugay, McCann (Miller 72); Flo. Subs not used – Christiansen, Kauppila, Carson.
Bookings: Ferguson (25), Amoruso (73)
Ref: Hugh Dallas.
Att: 9778
Man of the match: Tugay
Moment of the match: The Turk’s throughball for Flo in seven minutes was quite exquisite.