Brechin down

TO claim the better team lost would be stretching a point, but what is indisputable is that Third Division Brechin emerged from this game with considerably more credit than Rangers.

The Angus club, a full 31 league places and a financial world apart from the Glasgow multi-millionaires, were in no way cowed and went about their business with relish. The same couldn't be said of the Rangers performance, and even worse for the Ibrox side they lost Ronald de Boer and Jorg Albertz to injuries sustained during the first half.

The German midfielder was taken to hospital after damaging his left ankle setting up his side's second goal, and, although it later emerged it is not broken, Albertz must now be very doubtful for next month's Old Firm double-header. De Boer lasted just a few minutes before his knee started to play up once more and he con-tinues to baffle.

In a post-match summation notable only for its brevity, Rangers manager Dick Advocaat praised the gallant losers and declined to elaborate on his side's listless effort. "Many sides in the Premier League are scared to play the way they did today," he said of Brechin's gung-ho approach.

Unsurprisingly, his opposite number, Dick Campbell, was much more expansive.

"We didn't come here to defend," he pointed out. "I'm proud of my players. I thank the people of Brechin, and I hope they've gone up the road happy. It was a Scottish Cup tie and half the town watched us. I could have played five at the back and four in front of them, but I wanted to have a go."

That they did. True to his promise before the game, Campbell sent out his usual 3-5-2 formation, although wing backs Daryn Smith and Douglas Coulston were quick to drop back when Rangers attacked.

With Italian defender Lorenzo Amoruso out injured, it quickly became evident that de Boer was carrying an injury as well, the former Barcelona player visiting the touch-line in the fifth minute to complain of a twinge.

By that time Brechin had had two decent chances to rattle the home side. The first fell to Lee Baillie, but he couldn't control the ball with his first touch, and the second to Coulston.

A Roddy Grant cross was fumbled by Stefan Klos, but the Brechin man didn't take advantage of the loose ball and the goalkeeper retrieved. Still, the fact the left wing back was in the box at all was ample proof that his duties were not purely defensive.

In the midst of this interesting start Brechin's 19-year-old keeper Derek Soutar had made his first save.

Dealing with a 25-yard Albertz free kick wasn't the ideal way to dirty his gloves, but to his credit the former Scotland Under-18 keeper collected cleanly. Against the run of play, Brechin found themselves a goal down in the ninth minute.

Their defence, marshalled by 39-year-old sweeper Harry Cairney, had previously looked composed but were caught out when a Barry Ferguson pass found Allan Johnston on the right-hand edge of the box and he rather easily slipped the ball past Soutar.

It was a bad goal for Cairney, who made his league debut at Ibrox in 1980 when playing for Airdrie, and his colleagues to concede. Still, the old fellow played with aplomb and has been offered a new contract for next season.

The opener coincided with de Boer leaving the field and being replaced by Michael Mols, but the addition of yet another multi- million-pound player didn't faze Brechin and their excited supporters, who rose to their feet every time their red-shirted players advanced on the goal in front of them.

The 3000-strong band then nearly had cause for real celebration, but Baillie's fine 25-yard volley skimmed the top of the bar. The striker then put Grant into the box with a neat back-heeler, but the veteran couldn't control the ball and, in any event, was ruled offside.

This clumsiness seemed to sum up Grant's performance. His nuisance value is still evident in tight situations, and continues to bag him goals in Division Three, but in open play he is manifestly far too slow against top-flight defenders.

No matter, he should certainly have scored in the 27th minute, but again he was unable to react quickly enough.

A well-worked Brechin build-up ended with Coulston's cross being headed by Roddy Black and the ball found Grant, unmarked on the edge of the six yard box. The old gunslinger managed to take the ball down, but couldn't find the wherewithal to pull the trigger and a superb chance was lost.

If Roddy was ponderous, the exact opposite could be said of the guy wearing the same No 9 number, but in a blue top. Kenny Miller's reactions and runs were razor-sharp, and Rangers' best player showed both when rattling a shot off the underside of the bar before putting his side two ahead.

Mols started the move, allowing Albertz to make ground down the left. The German went to ground in pain as soon as he delivered his low cross, but as he did so the ball reached the inrushing Miller who put his side into the next round of the cup.

The second half followed much the same pattern, with all the effort being put in by the visitors, but the home side creating the best chances.

A magnificent save by Soutar in the last minute, from a Rod Wallace header, further pleased the Brechin supporters who had spent the last 10 minutes singing and waving their red and white chequered flags as the home support slunk out of the ground.

The attendance was the lowest at Ibrox for 10 years, and as they danced in the streets of Brechin last night the only slightly disappointed man was the Glebe Park treasurer.

Rangers, meanwhile, could now face Aberdeen on Wednesday with up to 10 players out through injury and suspension. Despite the winter break, it's a now familiar story in this sorry season down Govan way.

RANGERS 2

BRECHIN CITY 0 09min Johnston 37min Miller Referee: D Somers Attendance: 22,309 Substitutes: Mols for de Boer 9, Tugay for Albertz 41, Wallace for Reyna 69.

Not used: Brown, Porrini.

Substitutes: Donnachie for Black 70, Sturrock for D Smith 79, Campbell for Coulston 79.

Not used: Nairn, Parkyn.

Copyright 2001
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