Rangers crashed, or should that be splashed, to a second successive defeat in a rain sodden encounter against Wolves. In a game that was played in some of the most farcical conditions I have ever seen both teams to their credit tried to play and a decent Wolves side just had too much for Rangers.

There were yet more changes to the starting eleven as the squad began to look thinner that one of the Cheeky Girls. Furlong was a late withdrawal with a groin injury so it was time for yet another reshuffle. Day was in goal behind a back four of Bignot, Santos, Simek and Rose. The re-jigged midfield was Branco, Bean, Bircham and Cook with Rowlands playing just off of striker Gallen.

Rangers very nearly made the perfect start to the game when Wolves conceded a corner with less than two minutes on the clock. Cookie swung the ball in and Beany rose to head goalward. The blocked effort fell to Matthew Rose and he cracked a shot against the outside of Michael Oakes’ left hand post. Given his goal scoring exploits of late it was surprise that it didn’t bulge the net.

The away side were dominating the attacking exchanges with Serge Branco in particular providing some good attacking forays down the right. He was showing the form that Olly wanted the board to see and sending in some nice looking crosses that Furlong would have loved had he been fit. Rowlands was playing up with Gallen and looked to be a fish out of water (no pun intended) as he seemed to be off of the pace all too often and Gallen was often left ploughing a lone furrow. This in itself was no easy task against a big back four and one that contained the impressive Joleon Lescott.

It was very much against the run of play when Wolves took the lead. Kevin Cooper, who had tormented Derby in midweek, flew down the right before delivering a fabulous cross that Carl Cort met with a firm header. Day had no chance as the ball went back across him and found the net. There didn’t seem to be enough pressure on the cross or enough pressure on the finisher and I don’t think Olly will be very pleased when he sees the video of this one.

Wolves were visibly lifted by this as were a vociferous Molineux crowd. There can be few more vocal and intimidating sets of fans in this division and that is one of the reasons that I love this stadium. If the ref does something they don’t like they bloody well let him know and it wasn’t long before he was getting some serious stick. Moaning Scottish international Colin Cameron had found himself dumped on the floor a couple of times without getting a freekick before he mowed down Branco when he was in full flight. Serge hit the deck then rolled over about eighty seven times before referee Probert brandished a yellow at Cameron. Moments later fellow Scot Kenny Miller was in the book for a deliberate handball, this one would prove costly later in the game. There were howls of derision toward Probert now and he was clearly feeling the pressure as his decisions became odder by the minute.

Both teams had chances to score before the break. Day had to be alert to punch away another excellent cross from Cooper and Santos intercepted a shot from Cort following great work from South Korean Seol Ki-Hyeon. At the other end Gallen seized on a mistake from Manchester City loanee Mikkel Bischoff but could only fire his shot straight at Oakes.

At half time the weather took a turn for the worse if that was at all possible. There was now standing water everywhere and as the half progressed it was only getting more and more farcical. You could not pass a ball more than five yards before it held up in a puddle and the players going in for sliding tackled were leaving wakes like a powerboat. Despite the conditions though both teams refused to resort to hoofball and they all deserve massive credit for that.

As in the first half Rangers started the better of the two teams. Bean and Rose both had efforts and Bircham seemed to be hauled down for what looked a certain penalty. He picked up the ball and drove toward the area before playing a neat one-two with Gallen. As he tried to get the return Lescott intervened and sent Bircham sprawling. It was no surprise that Probert or his lino didn’t give it given the bird they were getting from the Wolves fans.

Georges Santos came within a whisker of getting his second of the week when he met a Cook corner with a firm header that drifted just wide of the post. Olly decided that now was the time to throw the precocious talents of Scott Donnelly into the action and the sixteen year old made his second appearance of the week. Bean made way as Olly tried to go to a more attacking formation.

It was not long after this that Carl Cort scored his second of the game. Rangy Nigerian Seyi George Olofinjana burst powerfully through the middle drew Santos and then slipped a lovely ball into the gap he had vacated. Cort ran onto the pass before slotting coolly past Day.

Wolves found themselves reduced to ten men when Miller picked up his second booking of the game for mouthing off at Probert. He, Bircham and Branco had a coming together in the middle of the park and sensibly the ref took the conditions into account and decided there was no foul. Miller went spare and talked his way into the book for a second time. An incredibly cheap sending off for a handball and being mouthy and one that Dave Jones will be less than pleased about.

Olly now threw McLeod into the action in place of the American Simek. The Arsenal man had looked impressive again and it was no reflection on his contribution. Santos was also slung up front so Rangers were effectively playing a front four of Gallen, McLeod, Santos and Donnelly as they tried to get back into it. Donnelly slipped a low shot wide after a slick passing move before Gallen grabbed an injury time consolation to give the scoreline a much fairer look.

Gallen received the ball some thirty yards from goal before looking up and sending a delicious chip sailing over Oakes’ head into the net. It was just a bit too late for Rangers to get back into it and the referee’s whistle soon came.

Given the conditions this was a decent game to watch. As I mentioned earlier both teams tried their hardest to play in farcical conditions and I think that if the game had been level in that second half then referee Probert would have called a halt to proceedings. But with Wolves winning and having already felt the wrath of a partisan Molineux crowd that was never going to happen.

The weather cannot be held as an excuse though and on the day Wolves just had a little too much quality for Rangers. Cort was the difference, they made him two chances and he scored two goals. We on the other hand struggled to create many clear cut opportunities for Gallen and he was too often left splashing about on his own up front. He was tireless though and never let his head drop as he proved with his fine late goal.

Burnley await next Saturday and hopefully by then we will have a bigger squad to pick from with Thorpe and Furlong hopefully fit enough to be a part of things. Fingers crossed that Shittu might make another of his superhuman recoveries and we should stand a decent chance of getting back to winning ways.

simon@qprnet.com