James Tavernier helped inspire a Rangers turnaround to record a potentially crucial 2-1 victory over Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership.
The Ibrox skipper, 31, netted a stunning long-range free-kick to equalise for Rangers after Danny Armstrong converted from the spot after a controversial penalty award.
Prior to the strike, the Rangers team cut a nervous outfit as Kilmarnock’s physicality and Rugby Park’s amateur surface contributed to a stuffy game in Ayrshire.
Only minutes later, the impressive Tom Lawrence would complete the scoring by rolling into the bottom corner with a goal which has the power to be huge in the Scottish Premiership title race.
Here’s four things we learned:
Rangers hold Scottish Premiership nerve v Kilmarnock
Coming in at half-time 1-0 down, you’ll have been hard-pressed to find many Rangers fans who were optimistic following the first 45 v Kilmarnock.
The Ibrox side had struggled to impose themselves in the match with Kilmarnock not only taking the lead, but also having the better of the first-half chances.
Kilmarnock also started the second period brightly and there was a feeling that it may well be one of those games for the Ibrox side.
But kudos to the Rangers team; they stepped up in the face of the Kilmarnock challenge and found a way to win.
With Old Firm rivals Celtic thrashing Dundee 7-1, it’s also kept us at the summit of the Scottish Premiership.
He’s James Tavernier…
Rangers’ captain fantastic is such a crucial player for the club and once again stepped up when the club needed him most v Kilmarnock.
The flying right-back netted his 20th goal of the season – and his 121st for the club – with a stunning long-range free-kick which had Will Dennis hopeless.
Really, this was an effort of the highest quality and with Rangers running out of ideas it was always going to take a moment of quality to haul us back into the game.
Step forward Tavernier, who like a fine wine is getting better and better with age.
Super Jack Butland in goals
Rangers goalkeepers are defined by retaining their concentration and coming up big when they’re called upon.
Jack Butland is then, by definition, a Rangers goalkeeper.
With the Gers struggling to contend with an aggressive Kilmarnock at the beginning of the second half, Butland pulled off an Allan McGregor-esque worldie to halt a goal-bound effort.
Getting down low to somehow keep the score at 1-0, without the save Rangers would’ve struggled to get back into this game and the keeper helped win three points as much as James Tavernier or Tom Lawrence.
Rangers v Kilmarnock substitutions land
Come half-time, Philippe Clement wasted no time in changing the Rangers team v Kilmarnock and hauled a disappointing Borna Barisic and Portuguese striker Fabio Silva off the park.
On came Ridvan Yilmaz and Cyriel Dessers who offered a physicality and sturdiness which was missing from the first half.
Utility man Dujon Sterling also made a big impact when he replaced Ross McCausland whilst Nicolas Raskin helped shore up the midfield when he came on for Tom Lawrence.
Squad rotation is central to the Philippe Clement mantra, but increasingly he’s proving that it’s both before the game and during it.
