Rangers vs Aberdeen. Scottish Premiership.
Ibrox StadiumAttendance49,959.
Match report as Aberdeen claimed a 3-1 win at 10-player Rangers to pile the pressure on Michael Beale; Stefan Gartenmann, Jamie McGrath and Jack McKenzie scored as boos rang around Ibrox; substitute Scott Wright was sent off for Rangers, who lie seven points behind Celtic
Sunday 1 October 2023 22:02, UK
Michael Beale's future at Rangers was put into further doubt after his 10-player side were beaten 3-1 at home to Aberdeen, who continue their mini-revival under Barry Robson.
Beale's hosts dominated the first half but it was Aberdeen who took the lead with their first shot of the match, with Stefan Gartenmann finishing unmarked from a corner for his first goal for the club, eight minutes before half-time.
Rangers, who saw Cyriel Dressers miss a host of chances on a frustrating afternoon, continued their dominance after half-time but Aberdeen hit a second against the run of play as Jamie McGrath crashed home from close range.
And as the boos rang around Ibrox, the frustration spilled onto the field as half-time substitute Scott Wright was dismissed for two quickfire yellow cards. Rangers pulled one back as Abdallah Sima finished from close range but Jack McKenzie sealed the points with a late finish from close range.
Rangers now lie seven points behind leaders Celtic, who claimed a dramatic 2-1 win at Motherwell earlier on Saturday, which leaves Beale's position in a perilous position.
"I haven't spoken to anybody right now," said Beale, when asked if he has assurances from the Rangers board over his future. "I think everyone realises where we are and that the standards and the results need to be better.
"You can't hide behind the fact that we've just won four games because today's performance wasn't good enough and at Rangers, it's always about the next performance.
"Today we had enough opportunity in that game to win it and we end up getting beat off a scoreline we should never get beat here at Ibrox against a team like Aberdeen, we shouldn't.
"The criticism that comes is fair. We'll see. We'll see what happens."
With kick-off preceded by an Armed Officer abseiling down from the Ibrox roof, it was Rangers who got off to a flying start.
Dressers was played through down the right with a good ball over the top but messed up his lines by blasting over from inside the box.
It was a dominant start for the hosts, Sam Lammers dragged an effort wide, while Sima then headed wide a cross from the right, before Aberdeen goalkeeper Kelle Roos kept out Dressers with a smart reflex save.
But it was Aberdeen's first shot of the afternoon that brought about the shock opener. Leighton Clarkson's corner found Gartenmann all alone at the back post, who finished easily past Jack Butland.
Dessers, in his fourth close-range shot of the first half, headed straight at Roos before the interval - with Rangers booed down the tunnel by their own home support.
Rangers brought on the soon-to-be-maligned Wright and Borna Barisic at half-time and it was the latter who had a positive effect straight away, drawing a save from Roos.
But Aberdeen came within inches from a second as Bojan Miovski struck the post from a few yards out from Clarkson's cross from the right.
Eventually, the visitors got their second as McKenzie's shot from the edge of the area was deflected into the body of Butland and McGrath was there to finish at the rebound.
The boos from those in Ibrox went up a level but then the home crowd saw it go from bad to worse as Wright was given his marching orders for clattering Gartenmann, which earnt him a second yellow card.
Rangers got hope when Roos made a mess of Barisic's cross which allowed Sima to tap home, but that hope was extinguished as Aberdeen claimed a third.
Substitute Duk was denied by a goal-saving challenge and fellow replacement Jonny Hayes saw a shot well-saved from Butland. The Rangers goalkeeper could do nothing about McKenzie's finish though, as the home fans who had remained went for the exits.
Sima missed two big chances in 12 minutes of stoppage time, which extended Rangers fans' agony even further.
Rangers manager Michael Beale:
"It was a horrible result. I thought the first half we were in full control and Aberdeen tried to sit in and play on the counter-attack.
"We had three or four big chances to go in front, and we didn't. We get caught with a sucker blow on a set play where we did not do well enough.
"We did not do well enough on both set plays for the first two goals today but, either side of that we, were the most dominant team.
"After the sending-off, things became difficult. In terms of chances in the game we had the most but if you do not defend your box... the way we did was schoolboy stuff.
"It is not good enough, people are not tracking their runners and not getting first contacts and we have lost 3-1 because of that today."
Rangers' next Scottish Premiership match is away to St Mirren on October 8, live on Sky Sports. Kick-off 12pm.
Aberdeen are at home to St Johnstone on the same day. That game kicks off at 3pm.
