Former Rangers captain Lee McCulloch could see the positives in Cyriel Dessers’ winner against Motherwell with Jose Cifuentes and Scott Wright combining excellently.
As the boos rang around Ibrox – and not for the first time this season either – it’s probably safe to say a well-worked winner against Stuart Kettlewell’s high-flying side was not enough to brighten the pitch-black mood on the terraces.
Rangers were poor again, all the goodwill built up against Real Betis on Thursday dissipating as Mick Beale’s side were once again indebted to Jack Butland and some inspired James Tavernier defending.
But while Cyriel Dessers’ first-half finish certainly won’t win any Goal of the Season awards – Matondo’s daisy-cutter clipping his heel and flying in – the move which picked apart the Motherwell backline certainly caught the eye; Cifuentes breaking the lines, Scott Wright flicking it onto Lammers who, in turn, set up the in-form Welshman before Dessers wheeled away.
Cyriel Dessers nets Rangers winner
“A little bit of magic from Cifuentes. He can go (and play the ball) wide again but, if you look at Scott Wright, he’s just pealed in and what a great touch that is, taking the midfield four out with the pass,” McCulloch tells BBC SportsSound.
“It’s a tremendous touch (from Wright to set up) Lammers. Yes, they get a bit lucky there with Matondo. I don’t know if that’s going in but, obviously, it takes a deflection from Dessers, who is going in to gamble on it.
“Very, very fortunate. But it’s tremendous play in the build-up is my point.”
First of many for Dessers?
Unfortunately for Rangers, moments of such free-flowing fluidity were few and far between against Motherwell, the latest in a series of underwhelming domestic performances from a side already four points adrift of Old Firm rivals Celtic in third place.
Dessers’ long-awaited first Premiership goal, at least, should be a welcome confidence-booster for a man who has looked short on exactly that over recent weeks.
