| THE CROWD THEY HAILED YOU AND
CHANTED YOUR NAME
Whoooaaaaaa Gino!
Finally the man the fans think is the best left back at the club
finally got a chance to prove his worth and how. More importantly
though Rangers grabbed a third win on the bounce and our fourth in
five games. The performance was also improved on recent weeks.
Suspensions meant that changes were
enforced. Culkin kept his place following two consecutive clean
sheets. Padula was given a start for only the second time in his
Rangers career, this meant that Rose was allowed to start in his
best position of centre back. He partnered Carlisle with Forbes on
the right. Dennis Oli started wide right with Palmer and Langley in
the middle and Cookie on the left. Gallen and Pacquette started up
front.
Rangers got off to a stuttering start
with neither Carlisle nor Rose taking command of the Barnsley front
two of Dyer and Betsy. Barnsley forced an early corner when Rose
deflected a Neil shot wide but fortunately they were not able to
carve out a decent chance. The thing that was most noticeable about
the opening period was the touch and poise of Padula. On three
occasions he committed the cardinal sin for a Rangers defender of
controlling the ball before finding a team mate with a simple pass.
He had the crowd chanting his name and seemed to be revelling in his
belated opportunity.
Rangers took the lead after only
eleven minutes through the seemingly rejuvenated Richard Pacquette.
Rangers won a left wing corner which Langley took and as expected,
hit the first defender. The ball rolled to Cook and he gave Langley
a second chance to cross. His deep ball found Rose at the back post
and he headed back for Pacquette to volley home from ten yards.
The match had a decent flow about it
largely due to the fact that Barnsley had come for a game rather
than the usual bunch of jokers we come up against. As a result there
was space in midfield to play and even Steve Palmer managed to use
the ball well on a couple of occasions. He still couldn't get
anywhere near making a challenge but it was better than his normal
turgid efforts.
Gino and Cookie seemed to be linking
well although Cook didn't seem his usual self in the first half.
Perhaps that is a testament to the high standards he has set himself
in this loan spell as he probably wasn't doing that badly. Gallen
should have doubled the lead when he was played through by
Pacquette. Only the intervention of Chris Morgan prevented him
testing keeper Marriot. Gallen and Pacquette seem to have developed
a good understanding in the last game and a half and it would be
great to see them get an extended run together.
Minutes before half time Rangers lost
Matthew Rose courtesy of a blockbusting challenge from Terrell
Forbes! As Neil attempted to trap the ball on the edge of the box
Forbes flew in with a challenge that took everything. Rose hit the
deck and remained almost motionless until Prav and the stretcher
team arrived. It didn't look good and I wish him a speedy recovery.
He was replaced by Wes Daly and in truth, he didn't take his chance.
Just on the stroke of half time
Rangers had a massive slice of luck. A corner was only half cleared
and the ball fell to Kevin Donovan who sent a stinging volley
against the underside of the bar with Culkin well beaten. The
whistle went almost immediately and the Rangers players could
consider themselves fortunate.
Minutes into the second half it was
Gino to the rescue as he scorched across the turf to deny Betsy as
he bore down on goal. The mulleted Argentine is quite something in
full flight and you could see that the Barnsley players were
beginning to single him out for a bit of treatment. One late
challenge from Jones nearly cut Gino's legs off at the knee and how
he only escaped with a yellow card I will never know.
Chris Morgan was another player lucky
to escape censure when he flattened Carlisle with what appeared to
be a flailing elbow. The referee didn't even speak to him even
though the linesman was flagging furiously. Barnsley seem to be a
team moulded in their manager's image. Glyn Hodges was a bad
tempered niggling bastard when he was a player and it seems his team
have followed his example.
Steve Palmer was now playing at centre
back and seemed to turn in a more competent performance, he did well
to clear an effort off the line with Culkin beaten. He did still
find himself beaten for pace time and again by Betsy and he has
again done little to convince me he is worth a regular starting
place.
Rangers were still dropping like flies
under Barnsley's rough house approach and both Oli and Langley were
forced off through injury. Angell and Burgess replaced them and
Kevin Gallen found himself playing in central midfield alongside
Daly with Burgess wide right.
Chances were now at a premium although
Cook did have a volley blocked and Richard Pacquette smashed a
thirty five yarder over the bar. Gino almost got on the scoresheet
as well as his cross/shot sailed over the angle of post and bar. Due
to injuries and subs there were in excess of five minutes injury
time but luckily the Rangers goal was not sufficiently threatened in
this time.
This was an improved performance
although still not up to the standards I would expect. Man of the
match by a mile was Gino who turned in one of the best left back
performances seen at Rangers since Willo left for Spurs, he was
actually that good. It makes a mockery of Holloway's earlier comment
about him not being the player he thought he was! If he is dropped
now then there will be a mutiny. Richard Pacquette also turned in a
performance of note with a strong battling display up front.
I find myself worrying about the form
of Carlisle at the moment. He seems hesitant and reluctant to take
command of situations in which he used to excel. The lucky thing for
us is that with displays like this he will still be a Rangers player
next year.
Plymouth away is going to be a real
test and it is difficult to say how we will do in light of the
injuries we picked up. I think if all are fit then we have a decent
chance of a win but I think I would still take a draw if you offered
it now. If we can add a bit of skill to the battling side of things
then we may be able to maintain this play off push but it will still
be a big ask.
simon@qprnet.com |
