Scottish Third Division
Elgin
Dec 22, 2012 12.30pm
2
6
HT : 2 4
FT
Rangers
  • Daniel Moore 0' goal
  • Mark Nicolson 0' goal
  • goal Andy Little 0'
  • goal Lee McCulloch 0'
  • goal Lewis MacLeod 0'
  • goal Kyle Hutton 0'

Live Commentary: Elgin City 2-6 Rangers - as it happened

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Elgin City 2-6 Rangers - as it happened
© PA Photos

This afternoon's fixture marked the first time that Elgin City had hosted Rangers in their history, a match that was re-arranged following last month's ticketing blunder.

Rangers moved nine points clear at the top of the division with a resounding 6-2 victory. Andy Little and Lee McCulloch both bagged braces, while Lewis MacLeod and Kyle Hutton also found the net.

Find out how the action unfolded with our minute-by-minute commentary below.

2.26pmThat's all from me here today. Many thanks for joining us!
2.25pmYou can read our full report on the match here.
2.19pmAn outstanding second half from Rangers sees them pick up their ninth win in a row. There were plenty of talking points across the 90 minutes, some superb finishing from both sides, controversial refereeing decisions in the first half and young Kyle Hutton's first goal for Rangers.
90 minsFULL-TIME: Elgin City 2-6 Rangers
89 minsIt's been a truly dominant performance from Rangers in the second period, a completely different story to the first. All credit to them for getting the job done in style.
84 minsPENALTY! Hutton comes crashing back down to earth, giving away a penalty at the other end, but Alexander comes to his rescue, stopping his second penalty of the week!
83 minsA superb finish by Hutton, who lashes home his first goal for the club to dump more misery on Elgin.
83 minsGOAL! Elgin City 2-6 Rangers 6 (Kyle Hutton)
83 minsGOAL! Elgin City 2-6 Rangers (Kyle Hutton)
82 minsCHANCE! And Sandaza almost makes his presence felt, jumping up for a corner but heading straight at Gibson.
79 minsSUBSTITUTION: McCleod goes off to a round of applause from the Gers fans. He is replaced by Spaniard Fran Sandaza.
77 minsRangers go in search of a sixth through Crawford. Lee Wallace tears the Elgin defence apart with his space and lines up the sub for a shot on goal, but his effort cannons off Nicolson and away from danger.
73 minsSHOT! Rangers are battering the Elgin goal now! Hegarty's thumping strike is met by another good save by Gibson, who parries the ball away.
72 minsCHANCE! Superb pace from McKay leaves the Elgin rear guard for dead. He plays in Crawford in the area, who forces a finger-tips save from Gibson. The substitute almost made an immediate impact there!
70 minsSUBSTITUTION: Robbie Crawford replaces Templeton for Rangers. The former Hearts man is likely being given a well-earned rest with 20 minutes left on the clock.
68 minsAll credit to Rangers. They've come out swinging in this second half and killed off Elgin. Macleod has been particularly impressive. Promising young players like him are the future of this club!
63 minsA great finish from just outside the area from the young midfielder. His strike went through a mess of bodies, wrong-footing Gibson in the Elgin goal, before hitting the back of the net. No way back for the hosts now, surely.
63 minsGOAL! Elgin City 2-5 Rangers (Lewis Macleod)
60 minsCome the hour, come the man - and that man is Lee McCulloch. The Gers skipper takes the ball on the turn and puts away his 22nd of the season to put Rangers in the driving seat.
60 minsGOAL! Elgin City 2-4 Rangers (Lee McCulloch)
59 minsCHANCE! A good opportunity for an Elgin equaliser goes begging. Alexander misses a cross from the left and the ball falls to Gunn, who misses the target.
58 minsCHANCE! A great cross in from the left by Wallace is headed wide by Little. The delivery was top-drawer, but Little's glancing header was well off target.
55 minsMiscommunication between Gers substitute Ross Perry and goalkeeper Alexander almost lets Elgin in for an equaliser. The ball was played long and both players went for it with an Elgin forward bearing down, but Alexander recovers and clears.
53 minsA good spell of possession for the hosts. They've held the ball in the final third, but can't quite create anything of substance. The ball is now out for a Rangers throw in the centre of the park.
50 minsLittle wins a corner for Rangers as his cross is hacked behind. McKay swings a low cross in to Templeton, but he is dispossessed and the danger is cleared.
46 minsRangers go straight on the attack as Templeton attempts to pick out Little with a through ball, but Niven produces a vital interception to prevent the striker going through on goal. Elgin clear the danger.
45 minsThe action is back underway!
1.29pmThe weather has had an impact on the play out there on the pitch. The teams are competing in subzero conditions, with fierce winds and a slippery surface. Rangers play with the wind behind them in the second half, which will give them an advantage.
1.23pmSo there's everything to play for in the second half. A fourth goal for Rangers would likely kill the game as a contest, but an Elgin equaliser could see it go either way. Whatever the case, expect more goals after the break.
1.18pmBoth Moore and Nicolson provided a masterclass in shooting, while McCulloch's finish at the other end was equally impressive. You can't fault Elgin's fighting spirit, but they would likely be all but out of the game were it not for the controversial refereeing decision that led to their equaliser.
1.17pmWhat looks like a great advert for the Scottish League on paper has been quite scrappy in practice, but that first half has produced no shortage of talking points.
45 minsHALF-TIME: Elgin City 2-3 Rangers
44 minsCan the Gers hold on to their lead this time? They've dominated the majority of the game in these wet and windy conditions, but Elgin certainly have some fight in them.
42 minsRangers lead for the third time in the game, and it comes courtesy of another first-class finish. Hutton and Little linked up to find McCulloch in the box and the veteran cut inside and drilled the ball past Gibson, his strike going in off the underside of the bar.
41 minsGOAL! Elgin City 2-3 Rangers (Lee McCulloch)
39 minsThere have been some questionable refereeing decisions this afternoon, and McCoist is letting his frustration show. He's just given the official an earful, running the risk of being sent to the stand.
35 minsCHANCE! Cameron has an opportunity to put Elgin in front after picking up the ball in the area following a long throw-in, but his bottle goes and he directs his strike straight at Alexander.
33 minsA superb edge-of-the-box free kick from Nicolson draws Elgin level, but the set piece was hugely controversial. Hegarty was adjudged to have committed a foul, though the replay shows it was him that was pushed to the ground. McCoist has every right to be angry!
32 minsGOAL! Elgin City 2-2 Rangers (Mark Nicolson)
30 minsBOOKING! A shocking challenge from Crighton on McCulloch sees him become the second Elgin player to go into the book. He went on from behind and completely missed the ball. That could well have been a red.
27 minsAnother Elgin attack is foiled thanks to a crucial block by Macleod. He timed his challenge to perfection to prevent the hosts from breaking through.
24 minsNo less than what Rangers deserve! Great work from Templeton on the left. The former Hearts man beat two Elgin defenders and laid the ball across the face of goal for Little to bang in his second of the afternoon.
24 minsGOAL! Elgin City 1-2 Rangers (Andy Little)
22 minsThe wind has really picked up here and Rangers are playing into it. That will give them the advantage in the second period no doubt.
20 minsYou could see just how much that goal meant to the Elgin players by the way they celebrated. The crowd are still in raptures, too.
19 minsFrustration for Rangers. They controlled play throughout this first half, but a momentary defensive lapse has seen them surrender their lead. How will they respond?
18 minsOh my word! What a strike from Moore! The midfielder is given all the space in the world by the Rangers defence, but his finish from outside the area was top drawer. Pick that one out!
17 minsGOAL! Elgin City 1-1 Rangers (Daniel Moore)
14 minsElgin earn a free kick in a good position after Cameron goes down under Cribari's challenge. A wind-assisted ball is swung into the Rangers area, but ends up drifting over the crossbar.
11 minsHegarty plays a long ball into the danger zone directly from a free kick but Hutton loses possession and Elgin go on the attack. Rangers keeper Alexander gets his first touch of the ball as he dashes off his line to claim a low cross.
9 minsGers goalscorer Little appears to have taken a knock. He's left the pitch for treatment, but I think he should be okay to continue.
7 minsBOOKING! Nicolson goes into the book for a late challenge on Templeton. Judging by the treacherous conditions here today, I suspect he won't be the last player to receive a caution.
5 minsLittle times his run to perfection to beat the offside flag. He rounded the Gibson in the Elgin goal, and appeared to have overran it at first, before recovering to find the net from a tricky angle. That's his 12th of the season!
5 minsGOAL! Elgin City 0-1 Rangers (Andy Little)
2 minsRangers have started with conviction, going straight on the attack through Templeton. Elgin skipper Niven clears the danger and the hosts pick up possession in the Gers half.
12.30pmWe're now underway here at Borough Briggs.
12.25pmRangers took their time adjusting to life in the Scottish Third and struggled away from home initially, but they've set that straight of late. I'm going for 2-0 to the visitors, a result that could put them nine points clear at the top of the table with a game in hand.
12.23pmHowever, the Gers have defeated Elgin twice already this season at Ibrox. 5-1 in the league and 3-0 in the Scottish Cup, so I can't seem them causing McCoist's side too many problems today, even with the home advantage.
12.20pmMcCoist is certainly right in saying Elgin are one of the better sides in the division. They have netted 33 times in the league this season and currently occupy second place, six points behind leaders Rangers.
12.19pmAlly McCoist: "There is no doubt it will be a very difficult afternoon. We’ve obviously played them in the league here at Ibrox and indeed the Cup as well. "I thought they performed very well, particularly in the Cup game. They will obviously be a different proposition on their own pitch and I’m pleased it’s a grass pitch. "But I’ve gone on record as saying I believe Elgin are one of the better teams in the league."
12.17pmRoss Jack: "We are going into the game on the back of a nine-game unbeaten run and I cannot ask for any more than that. "Rangers have started to pick up wins away from home but we have hope that we can score against them and if we can score then we can win."
12.16pmQuotes from both managers coming up...
12.14pmJust the one change by Ally McCoist then, with the fit-again Brazilian defender Emilson Cribari returning to the starting lineup. Lee McCulloch will join Andy Little in the attack.
12.13pmRANGERS XI: Alexander; Argyriou, Hegarty, Cribari, Wallace; McKay, Hutton, Macleod, Templeton; Little, McCulloch
12.11pmWell, there may not be too many household names among that starting XI, but Elgin go into this game off the back of a nine-game unbeaten run. They're also boosted by the return of their skipper, David Niven (not to be confused with the actor, of course).
12.11pmELGIN XI: Gibson; Wyness, Harkins, Crighton, Niven, Cameron, Gunn, O’Donoghue, Leslie, Nicolson, Moore
12.09pmGood afternoon and welcome to our live text coverage of the Scottish Third division clash between Elgin City and Rangers. We'll have team news for you and quotes from both managers in just a moment.
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