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Over the Years: Rangers
04/12/2020
After a heroic display last week at Celtic Park, the Staggies return to action this weekend to face league leaders, Rangers.
Just a week after ending Celtic’s remarkable run of 35 consecutive cup wins, Stuart Kettlewell’s side are looking to halt Rangers’ own impressive run of 23 unbeaten matches in all competitions.
The two sides met in early October, with the Ibrox club snatching all three points through a first-half James Tavernier penalty and a late Brandon Barker effort: after a spell of sustained late pressure from County. However, only Polish side, Lech Poznan, have conceded fewer goals than Ross County to Steven Gerrard’s men this season.
Following last week’s result, County go into the match with a new breath of confidence in a packed December schedule for the Staggies.
There have been plenty of hotly contested encounters between the two side over the years. Let’s take a look at five of the best:
Stalemate at Ibrox- September 17, 2016 (0-0)
In Autumn 2016, all eyes were on Rangers as they returned to the top-flight of Scottish football for the first time in four years. County travelled to Ibrox on matchday six just one point behind their opponents. In contrast to the eventual score line, the pulsating game strangely ended in a goalless draw as County recorded their first ever point against Rangers.
Make it a double- November 6, 2016 (1-1)
Two months later, despite sitting bottom in the league at the time, the Staggies shared the spoils with Rangers again. Clint Hill’s early header was cancelled out by Andrew Davies mid-way through the first half in a largely uneventful afternoon at the Global Energy Stadium.
Hattrick! Kind of… February 4, 2017 (1-1)
Later that season, County snatched another point from Mark Warburton’s side, completing a hattrick of draws and becoming one of only two teams to go undefeated against the Ibrox club in the 2016/17 season. Alex Schalk opened the scoring before Rangers’ skipper Lee Wallace grabbed an equaliser in the 70th minute. The point raised County to 7th in the league, the position they would eventually finish in a successful league campaign.
County come close- February 18, 2001
In February 2001, Ross County were in the midst of a mediocre first season in the old Scottish First Division. However, the Staggies nearly dealt top-flight Rangers the fright of their season in an agonisingly close Scottish Cup Fourth Round tie. County recovered a two-goal deficit to level the match at 2-2 as Alex Bone matched £12 million Tore Andre Flo’s early double. However, just ten minutes after Bone’s equaliser had erupted Victoria Park, Barry Ferguson extinguished County’s near impossible Scottish Cup dream.
Staggies dare to dream- November 28, 2001
Later that year, Rangers returned to Victoria Park for a Scottish League Cup quarter-final in what was nearly one of the most dramatic cup comebacks in Scottish football history. Rangers cruised ahead thanks to goals from Shota Arveladze and Claudio Reyna and looked to be in full control of the tie. However, with just one minute of regulation time remaining, Steven Mackay slotted the ball past Stefan Klos, giving his side, who had already knocked out Dundee and Hearts from the division above, a glimmer of hope. Extraordinarily, just moments later, Lorenzo Amoruso was sent off for bringing down Conor Gethins in the box. Ian Maxwell stepped up to take the spot kick, knowing that conversion would take the match to extra-time. With Rangers already down to ten men and still healing from an Old Firm defeat from the previous weekend, extra-time favoured the home side. Unfortunately, Maxwell was spectacularly foiled by Klos and the eventual cup winners advanced to the semi-finals.
Despite having never recorded a win against Rangers, County have been no stranger to offering a tight contest. With both sides riding on the high of last weekend’s results, this fixture will not disappoint.
