RANGERS overcame a wild night of Glaswegian weather and a stuffy Livingston side to record a very hard-earned three points in the Scottish Premiership tonight.
Substitute Scott Arfield’s goal 15 minutes from time was the difference for Gers on a night where they had to dig deep to take the victory.
From the side which faced Aberdeen at Pittodrie eight days ago, tonight’s Rangers starting XI boasted three changes.
Fashion Jr, Cedric Itten and Alex Lowry for a first start all came into the side in place of the injured Ianis Hagi, Alfredo Morelos, who is on international duty with Colombia and the suspended Ryan Kent.
That meant it was a back five of Allan McGregor in goal with captain James Tavernier, Connor Goldson, Calvin Bassey and Borna Barisic in front of him. Glen Kamara and James Sands, who wins a first Ibrox appearance, were joined in the middle of the park by Lowry while Fashion Jr and Scott Wright provided support to Itten.
It was Lowry who was to have the first effort after just three minutes. Fashion Jr made a fine run with the ball across the 18-yard line before laying off for the 18 year-old whose low shot was well held by Stryjek.
Livi were proving to be typically tough to break down, however, despite the Light Blues enjoying a huge amount of possession in and around the visitors’ box.
Itten came close to turning home a drilled Lowry cross across the 18-yard box, before Jack Fitzwater made an excellent block on the line to prevent Wright netting from 20-yards when Gers opened Livi up on the 25-minute mark.
Itten again came close to netting another Lowry cross, this time after he showed outstanding skill to work the angle for the cross from the left, and just after, Goldson headed a Tavernier corner over the bar.
Strykek made a fine save from Fashion Jr at the end of a fluent move from Gers, while Goldson volleyed over this time on the end of a Barisic corner.
Gers began the second half on top once again, and Itten headed an inviting Tavernier cross from the right just over the bar, while Fashion Jr could only find the arms of Stryjek when he was picked out by Tavernier.
Tavernier himself had a header wide from a Barisic cross, while sub Kemar Roofe couldn’t bury a Fashion Jr ball as the home side continued to push.
Strykek was to make a fine save from Fashion Jr when he hit one at the end of a brilliant run from midfield before finally, on 75 minutes, the breakthrough arrived.
It looked like it was going to take something special tonight, and sub Scott Arfield provided it. He made his trademark late run into the area to meet a brilliant Barisic cutback, but with Stryjek right in front of him, he was forced into a quite brilliant finish, flicking it over the goalkeeper and into the back of the net.
That was the moment of inspiration Gers were looking for, and they saw the game out comfortably for the all-important three points.
RANGERS: McGregor, Tavernier, Goldson, Bassey, Barisic, Kamara, Sands (Arfield, 59), Lowry, Wright (Jack 76), Fashion Jr, Itten (Roofe, 59).
SUBS NOT USED: McLaughlin, Simpson, King, Lundstram, McCann, Barker.
LIVINGSTON: Stryjek, Devlin, Fitzwater, Obileye, Longridge (McMillan, , Holt, Pittman, Omeonga, Bailey (Chukwuemeka, 80), Shinnie (Forrest, 76), Anderson (Nouble, 65).
SUBS NOT USED: Maley, Jacobs, Lewis, Boyes, Montano.
REFEREE: Don Robertson
ATTENDANCE: 48,349
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