RANGERS earned themselves an excellent victory in the Highlands this afternoon, coming out 4-2 victors over Ross County.
Joe Aribo opened the scoring for Gers and Connor Goldson quickly added another before Harry Clarke pulled one back for the hosts before the break.
Alfredo Morelos made it three and it looked set for a nervy ended when Jordan White grabbed another back from the spot before Scott Arfield made sure of the points six minutes from time.
Manager Steven Gerrard named two changes to his side for this afternoon’s match in what was a gloriously warm and sunny Dingwall.
From the team which defeated Alashkert in Europa League qualifying in midweek, Leon Balogun and Glen Kamara came in for Fil Helander and John Lundstram.
That meant it was a back five of Allan McGregor in goal with James Tavernier, Goldson, Balogun and Calvin Bassey in front of him.
Kamara joined Steven Davis and Aribo in the middle of the park, while up front, Ryan Kent and Ianis Hagi supported Morelos.
The visitors were immediately on the front foot, with that man Morelos forcing a decent block inside two minutes as he looked to finish a Tavernier cross.
Goldson then came close on the end of a Tavernier corner with a back post header before on 15 minutes, Joe Aribo opened the scoring with a screaming finish.
Picked out by Morelos with a superb, defence splitting pass, there looked to be little on for Aribo when he took the ball just inside the area, well to the left of the target and with Ben Paton for company.
But for Aribo, that wasn’t to be an issue for him at all. Shifting the ball from his left onto his right and back onto his left, he unleashed the most incredible, curling effort which whizzed into the top corner, well out of the reach of goalkeeper Ross Laidlaw.
It was a moment of sublime quality which kicked Gers onto that phenomenally high level of football they have shown time and again that they are capable of.
And on 19 minutes, they made it 2-0 – Tavernier claimed another assist, this time for Connor Goldson to rise brilliantly above Alex Iacovitti at the back post to nod into the ground to take the ball past Laidlaw.
Rangers were rampant, and Laidlaw had to save well from a wicked Hagi drive from an angle, before Connor Randall got an important touch to prevent Aribo grabbing another when he weaved a path into the box.
Goldson then had another back post header beaten away by Laidlaw, while Morelos scooped an effort over on the turn from 18-yards.
But with five minute left of the half, County grabbed a goal back. Allan McGregor made a fine initial save from Jordan White, but the ball rebounded out for Harry Clarke to finish back over the Rangers goalkeeper to bring the hosts back within a goal.
Rangers reasserted themselves at the start of the second half, with Hagi seeing a 25-yard free-kick going over, while Morelos poked an effort wide after being played in by Davis.
On 56 minutes, however, Morelos did get his goal. A loose clearance from Clarke dropped to Glen Kamara to play Morelos back in, and with goalkeeper Laidlaw unsighted, the Colombian’s accurate shot kissed the inside of the right-hand post on its way into the back of the net.
Blair Spittal could have brought County to within a goal again, but McGregor saved well from him, while Tavernier should have made it four, lofting over an Aribo pass at the end of some liquid football from Rangers.
The game wasn’t put to bed though, and County were awarded a penalty on 77 minutes for a handball from Calvin Bassey and despite Allan McGregor going the right away, Jordan White’s penalty had just too much power.
There wasn’t to be too much panic, however, with Scott Arfield restoring that two-goal advantage on 84 minutes.
John Lundstram, who had come off the bench just before, did exceptionally well to turn the ball over in midfield before feeding Arfield. He sprayed it wide for Morelos whose cross-come-shot was parried into the path of the incoming Arfield to nab his first of the season.
Laidlaw did well to deny Arfield another in five minutes of stoppage time at the end, while the keeper also grabbed onto a Balogun header from another Tavernier corner.
There was time for Laidlaw to save superbly from Kent on 94 minutes as Gers hunted that fifth, but four was what they’d have to settle for to set Gers up well for their return leg at Alashkert in the Europa League on Thursday.
RANGERS: McGregor, Tavernier, Goldson, Balogun, Bassey, Aribo (Roofe, 83), Davis, Kamara (Lundstram, 74), Hagi (Arfield, 78), Kent, Morelos.
SUBS: McCrorie, Helander, Itten, Patterson.
ROSS COUNTY: Laidlaw, Randall, Cancola (Hungbo, 70), Spittal, Callachan, Iacovitti, Charles Cook (Samuel, 90), Clarke, Tillson, Paton, White.
SUBS: Maynard-Brewer, Shaw, Robertson, Watson, Donaldson.
REFEREE: David Munro
ATTENDANCE: 6450