Dundee vs Rangers. Scottish Premiership.
The Scot Foam Stadium at Dens ParkAttendance7,669.
Match report as Rangers come from behind to beat bottom side Dundee; Christie Elliot gave Dundee shock sixth-minute lead before Aaron Ramsey levelled with his first Rangers goal; Goldson's late goal puts Rangers three points behind Celtic in the Scottish Premiership title race
Sunday 20 March 2022 22:14, UK
Connor Goldson's 86th-minute goal gave Rangers a late victory at Dundee as they managed to cut the gap on Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic back down to three points.
Rangers had to come from behind after the game was first delayed and then halted pretty much as soon as it got under way, as stewards were forced to clear away tennis balls and paper that had been thrown onto the pitch by fans.
The frustration deepened for the Rangers players when Christie Elliott gave the home side a sixth-minute lead. Jordan Marshall fashioned an opening down the left flank and floated the ball towards the back post for Elliott, who nodded home on his first appearance for Mark McGhee.
Marshall continued to threaten before the best clear-cut opening of the half for Rangers with Alfredo Morelos heading a Calvin Bassey cross inches wide.
Rangers should have got themselves on level terms just before half-time after they were generously awarded a penalty when Jordan McGhee was adjudged to have pulled Morelos' shirt.
But Rangers captain James Tavernier blasted his penalty high and wide to the left as Rangers failed to register a single shot on target in the first half.
Morelos hit the corner of post and bar on the hour-mark before Dundee goalkeeper Ian Lawlor was called into action to deny the Colombian again and save efforts from Aaron Ramsey and substitute Joe Aribo.
Rangers' best spell of the game produced dividends as another substitute, Kemar Roofe, headed a Ryan Kent cross back across goal for Ramsey to bundle into the back of the net for his first Gers goal since signing on loan from Juventus in January.
And with just four minutes of normal time remaining, Goldson reacted quickest to a Roofe strike on goal that had rebounded to give Rangers their first lead of the afternoon.
With seven fixtures remaining, Rangers moved three points behind Celtic as domestic football stops for the international break before resuming with a crunch Old Firm game at Ibrox.
Dundee remain four points behind St Johnstone but Mark McGhee, in the dugout for the first time after beginning his tenure as boss with an outstanding six-game touchline ban, can take encouragement from the performance.
Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst:
"It's a big relief to go away with the three points. It was a tough game, we didn't start well.
"We had more chances in the second half and sometimes you have to be a little bit lucky, which we were when the ball dropped for Connor.
"Today could have cost us two big points but we kept the belief and worked hard to win the game in difficult circumstances.
"The pitch wasn't great but you have to overcome these situations, play on and make sure you come off the pitch as winners"
Dundee boss Mark McGhee:
"It's tough to take, but we are realistic as well.
"We put an awful lot of effort into the early part of the game, I thought we played pretty well and our strategy nullified Rangers. We didn't let them play well.
"In the second half they pile on the subs and we don't have the strength and depth to maintain that level of performance.
"I don't think we could have given an ounce more than we gave, in that last 20 minutes there was an inevitability about it that we can do nothing about."
Rangers host Celtic after the international break on Sunday April 3, live on Sky Sports
Aberdeen are the visitors for Dundee the day before on Saturday April 2
