Rearguard Rangers Stifle Pie MuncHers

An Ollyless and injury ravaged Rangers side came away with an excellent point following a war of attrition at the JJB Stadium against Wigan Athletic. It was clear from the off that we had come for a point and the plan panned out almost perfectly aside from a couple of interventions from Joey Woodwork

The team had been picked on Thursday so Olly could go scouting and leave the three wise men in charge. Rossi made his debut in goal behind a back four of Bignot, Shittu, Santos and Padula. The midfield four were Cureton, Gallen, Bean and Cook with Miller playing just off of lone striker Baidoo.

From the off it was clear to see how the game would pan out. Kavanagh was almost constantly on the ball probing for opening against this makeshift R’s line-up. All Rangers could offer were long balls up the pitch to the barely seventeen year old Baidoo and against Matt Jackson and Ian Breckin he was struggling to hold onto anything. He was getting precious little support from Miller who seemed to be struggling to cope with his position off the front man.

For all Wigan’s possession they weren’t creating a whole lot and this was thanks to a combination of things. Shittu and Santos were dominating when they could and Jason Roberts was being partnered by Brett Ormerod, who appears to be pony. Quite why he is in the side ahead of Nathan Ellington is beyond me, perhaps Paul Jewell sees something in him that is invisible to the untrained eye.

It was Ormerod who wasted the first real chance of the game when he failed to test the weighty looking Rossi in the R’s goal. Shots off target were to be the theme of the afternoon as Wigan were wasteful on more than one occasion. Much of the good work Wigan were doing was coming via Lee McCulloch on the left wing. He is excellent in the air and was giving Bignot a real run for his money. Indeed it was McCulloch that came close to opening the scoring when he headed over the bar at a corner.

With almost half an hour played Rangers had yet to muster a shot in anger that was until Shabazz Baidoo got into the thick of the action. Having been forced to play for much of the half with his back to the opposition goal he then had three efforts at goal in the space of ten minutes.

Firstly he showed good strength to roll Breckin and get a shot on target that was easily saved by Filan. He was then denied by an excellent block from left back McMillan before he showed everyone a glimpse of his blistering pace. He has already been involved in a move near halfway that saw the ball moved wide to Cureton. Curo seemed to be dallying on the ball and when he crossed into an open space everyone wondered why. Then Baidoo came screaming into the space and was unlucky to see his shot go wide.  In the midst of all this Adam Miller had missed the best chance either side had managed to create.

From a corner won by a Baidoo shot Cook played it short to Gallen, who played it short to Cook, who played it short to Gallen! Finally Gallen swung a beautiful cross in that flew down the corridor of uncertainty between keeper and defender. Miller was unmarked six yards out and inexplicably tried a diving header that went straight into the grateful arms of Filan. He could have had a touch and shot, he could have sent a cushioned volley into the gaping space wide of the Wigan keeper, the only thing he didn’t need to do was head it.

On the half time whistle McCulloch missed a great chance to give Wigan the lead when he headed wide of the target with only Rossi standing in his way. Bignot had been pulled into the middle and Santos could not make up the ground to put enough pressure on the Scotsman.

Jewell would no doubt have been urging his men to be more ruthless in front of goal in the second period. Roberts in particular had looked bang out of form when he got a sight of goal and it was making a mockery of his rating as the best player in this division.

Roberts was off target almost as the half began. He is not a natural finisher, things fly in off his knees and shins rather than being cleanly struck and he was giving an able demonstration of this. Had he made clean contact then Rossi may well have been in bother as he sometimes looked a little slow on his feet and you had to wonder whether he would have been able to get to shots right in the corner.

Former Cardiff City man Graham Kavanagh tested Rossi with a freekick but the big Italian plucked it from the air with ease. Ten minutes into the half the three wise men decided to make a change and Baidoo left the fray to be replaced by Luke Townsend. Shabazz had worked like a dog against two excellent centre backs and in truth was probably not 100% after his injury on Tuesday.

Wigan also made a change; Gary Teale came on for Jason Jarrett and immediately took up station on the right wing. He gave Gino problems from the off and the Argentine was getting little help from an off colour Cook. Five minutes later Cook was off to be replaced by Aaron Brown to make his R’s debut. In doing so he became the second player of the day to make his debut and the sixth player to do so this week!

Roberts was unfortunate not to score with twenty five minutes left when he managed to work some space and finally get a clean shot away. He escaped the limpet like attentions of Shittu for a fraction of a second and placed a curling shot wide of Rossi but against the base of the post. The ball rolled agonisingly across the goal line before running away to safety. In truth Rangers had earned that slice of luck by battling like troopers against the second placed team.

With just under twenty minutes to play Jewell replaced the awful Ormerod and threw on the divisions leading scorer, Nathan Ellington. The difference in the two players is marked and Wigan looked a better side straight away. Indeed Ellington should have won the game for Wigan with their last real clear cut chance.

Shittu for once failed to clear the ball adequately and the ball dropped to Ellington, his first effort was a wild air shot, his second was cleanly struck and flicked off the top of the bar.

The final ten minutes were played out seemingly with Wigan playing Santos and Shittu. The two big men were heading and hoofing anything that came near them, Georges even had time for one of his legendary moments of calmness as he knocked a ball back to Rossi whilst under severe pressure from Roberts.

With the game entering injury time Rangers had a chance to win it. Townsend, who had battled hard since he came on, was still a little ginger following a horrendous (yet ludicrously unpunished) challenge from Kavanagh when he picked the ball up on halfway. He drove at Jackson and tricked his way past him before squaring the ball to Cureton. He had time to consider his options and he did, and then he considered them some more, and then he had another good long think about what to do. Whilst he was pondering away Breckin took the ball off him. This is indicative of the lack of sharpness that Curo has shown all season and a similar moment of indecision cost us dear at Burnley.

This was an excellent defensive display from Rangers and they fully deserved their point. With the side we put out there was no way we could come and take them on so we settled on spoiling tactics and they were executed to perfection. Things will be a lot different against Forest next week and I fully expect us to be leaving the dressing room to the sound of the trumpets.

I have yet to mention the referee for this one so a final word on Paul Danson. Embarrassing.

simon@qprnet.com