Klos call as crisis looms for McLeish

Livingston 0-0 Rangers Subs: Hughes for Emerson 45, Burke for Nerlinger 63.

Not used: McGregor, Ross, Berg.

Booked: Moore 23.

Attendance: 9,627.

IT is now officially a mini-crisis. This entertaining, yet goalless draw in West Lothian yesterday means Rangers have now gone five games without a win in all competitions, after the frailties of Alex McLeish's threadbare squad surrendered momentum to Celtic in the Premierleague title race for the second away game in successive weekends.

Rangers followers seeking mitigation may point to severe injury worries and a Nuno Capucho effort that trickled wide late on, but equally things could easily have been even worse for Alex McLeish's side. Home goalkeeper Roddy McKenzie was named the sponsors' man of the match, but the moment where Stefan Klos scooped away Lee Makel's first-half penalty was the game's most dramatic goalkeeping intervention.

Livingston's Geordie midfielder even claimed post-match that he should have had a second penalty shortly afterwards, tumbling right on the edge of the box after a challenge by Zurab Khizanishvili.

"I've cut inside and I was just about to shoot," Makel said, "and he stood in my path. If that's not a penalty I don't know what is. But maybe you don't get two penalties against the Old Firm."

All such borderline decisions aside, having gone toe-to-toe so admirably with Manchester United during the week, it is perhaps understandable that the visitors looked a little leaden yesterday. Still, with Steven Thompson and Ronald de Boer on the long-term injured list, McLeish could have done without Michael Mols succumbing to a chest cold, and Shota Arveladze and Peter Lovenkrands calling off due to minor strains.

It all meant that Capucho and Paolo Vanoli had to be dragged into advanced positions on the flanks, with Emerson vainly attempting to conjure in the middle. With Egil Ostenstad appearing more than a little ring-rusty on his first full start, the only real comfort for McLeish's shot-shy side came in a clean sheet, a heroic performance from Mikel Arteta, and enterprising cameos from substitutes Stephen Hughes and Chris Burke.

"I have seen over the years managers lamenting the fact that they lose top players," McLeish said. "Sometimes it doesn't wash, but there is not a team that can hope to aspire to winning titles and winning in Europe if their top players are going to be out of the squad. We had five or six players that we couldn't have in the squad today and I've not got a magic wand. It wasn't a wonderful performance by any stretch of the imagination. We looked tired and lacked a spark." With Rangers having scored 33 goals so far this season, McLeish attempted not to be too concerned about his team's lack of goals.

David Hay, on the other hand, currently gainfully employed as both caretaker coach and general manager of Livingston, appears increasingly keen on maintaining both job titles, and his appetite for day-to-day coaching is likely to be whetted still further after yesterday. His side, thankfully restored to a muscular 3-5-2 system, have now gone 428 minutes without conceding a goal, having only been a goalkeeping glove away from defeating the Scottish Champions.

"I'm pleased with the clean sheets but I don't want to tempt fate," Hay said. "I thought we merited a draw. You either score penalties or miss them, but I don't blame Lee."

Hay had included 16-year-old Robbie Arthur, Inverness Caledonian Thistle coach John Robertson's nephew, in the 16, but otherwise had the luxury of naming an unchanged starting 11. But the game's opening period was surprisingly sleepy, apart from a fierce Arteta shot repelled by McKenzie.

Perhaps like Hay, David Fernandez - currently on-loan from Celtic - may have had more reason than most to try to take points from Rangers, and before long it was his neat pass which found Jamie McAllister making a protruding run from his left wing-back beat to earn Livingston their penalty. The former Aberdeen player's touch was so good it surprised Ricksen and the Dutchman impeded him in the box, and Dallas had little hes-itation in pointing to the spot. Makel stepped up confidently enough but his daisycutter was clawed away from the bottom left corner by Klos.

Such a spurned opportunity can demoralise a team, but there was little sign of that from Livingston, with the game at its most stretched just as half-time approached.

David McNamee, whose last buccaneering run on the right had ended with a reckless lunge on Klos and a booking, rounded the keeper and put the ball in the net only to find his effort ruled out for handball. Soon after, some lovely close control from Makel created a shooting chance but Klos clutched his effort easily.

Back at the other end, an Arteta free-kick flew wide of the left- hand post, Ostenstad headed a deep Vanoli cross back across goal, Capucho blazed wildly over following Vanoli's overhead assist, and then Ostenstad dragged a low shot wide after Vanoli had found him in space.

Yet even into the second half and beyond the stalemate somehow lasted. Just before the hour mark Ostenstad turned and scooped a shot in which McKenzie did well to clutch away from his top corner, and seconds afterwards Dallas ignored Arteta's penalty claim after the Spaniard tumbled with Stuart Lovell in close attendance. Arteta then steered a shot uncharacteristically wide, before Ostenstad's drive was deflected directly into McKenzie's midriff.

Although Fernandez's wit and cunning on the break still threatened to hurt Rangers, the visitors increasing desperation for a winner was largely forcing their hosts back. Moore, leading by example, sprung forward to release Capucho one-on-one with McKenzie, but the eventual effort from the Portuguese striker - whose apparent lethargy was jeered by the travelling fans on more than occasion - merely flew wide into the advertising hoardings behind the goal. Perhaps little Forfar Athletic should already be wary of a backlash at Ibrox on Tuesday night.

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