MICHAEL MOLS was the two-goal hero at Ibrox as Rangers battled their way to victory over Aberdeen to give them a six-point cushion at the top of the table.
Aberdeen may have changed managers since their last visit to Ibrox but they stuck with the negative approach that Ebbe Skovdahl usually favoured when he brought his side south to Glasgow.
On paper it looked like they would attack Rangers with an adventurous 4-4-2 but Darren Mackie was brought back into midfield every time the Light Blues poured forward out of defence.
It was proving difficult to break through this red sea of defenders but Mols had a great chance to break the deadlock when sent through by Mikel Arteta but goalkeeper David Preece pounced to snatch the ball from the Dutchman’s feet.
While harbouring the bulk of possession, Rangers were not creating many scoring chances and the crowd welcomed the diversion when Jerome Bonnissel jogged along the touchline to warm up from the substitutes bench.
Their attention was soon switched back to the action and an audacious piece of skill from Ronald de Boer almost handed the Light Blues the lead.
The former Ajax star shuttled the ball from foot to foot at the edge of the Aberdeen box before curling a precise shot that battered off the right post.
Relieved by the let-off, the visitors enjoyed a brief spell of pressure and Stefan Klos executed a wondrous double-stop from first Steve Tosh and then Mackie before Leon Mike volleyed over the crossbar from a dangerous position.
Arteta was having a lively afternoon in his first appearance for two months and the young Spaniard – and about 49,000 others – thought Rangers were due a penalty when he was upended in the penalty box by Jamie McAllister.
Referee Willie Young is no stranger to controversy – or drawing attention to himself – and the whistler won no new friends within Ibrox by turning down what looked like a certain spot-kick.
Thankfully, Rangers only had a further four minutes to wait for the opening goal. It was a goal made in Holland as Arthur Numan and Fernando Ricksen worked a short corner before the latter crossed for Mols to glance a header past the stranded Preece.
Both sets up fans raised the volume in the second period but there was very little for any within Ibrox to shout about.
De Boer had a great turn and shut that Preece did well to block for a corner before Craig Moore powered a header over for a corner.
Aberdeen seemed to gain extra momentum from Rangers’ struggle to finish them off and Mike shot wide before clattering into Klos after Moore was short with a passback.
Alex McLeish replaced the tiring Arteta with Claudio Caniggia to try to regain the initiative but it was Aberdeen who grabbed the next goal when the impressive Tosh was allowed to run unchecked into the box to curl a low shot into the far corner.
Within two minutes Rangers were in front again. Mols it was who again grabbed the vital strike as he latched onto the loose ball after Caniggia’s effort had been blocked.
French signing Bonnissel then took his bow – replacing McCann – before Mo Ross had a spectacular volley well stopped by Preece as Rangers held on for the win.
RANGERS (4-4-2): Klos; Ross, Numan, Moore, Malcolm; Ricksen, Ferguson(c), Arteta (Caniggia 68), McCann (Bonnissel 78); de Boer, Mols (Maclean 89)
Subs: McGregor, Konterman
Booked: None
ABERDEEN (4-4-2): Preece; McNaughton (Dk Young 88), McAllister, Anderson, McGuire; Tosh, Clark, Rutkiewicz, Sheerin; Mike, Mackie (Hinds 71)
Subs: Kjaer, O’Donoghue, D’Jaffo
Booked: None
Referee: Willie Young
Attendance: 49,667
Man of the Match: Mikel Arteta