Rangers travelled to Wolves on Saturday and came away with a draw, on paper a creditable result but after taking the lead on three occasions and letting it slip each time, we should really have been celebrating a fine victory. 

After two decent home wins the side was unchanged for the third game in a row with Lee Camp behind Michael Mancienne, Matthew Connolly, Fitz Hall and Damien Delaney. Akos Buzsaky, Mikele Leigertwood, Martin Rowlands and Rowan Vine made up the midfield with Dexter Blackstock and Patrick Agyemang continuing their partnership for a fourth consecutive game.  

The home side started the brighter, Andy Keogh was a menace all day and the former Scunthorpe striker saw two good early chances go begging, first thanks to Fitz Hall’s intervention and second heading wide from six yards when he might have done better. Michael Gray then tested Camp from some 25 yards with a powerful strike but the R’s ‘keeper managed to parry the shot.  

It took Rangers twenty minutes to get into the game with Buzsaky and Agyemang both carving out chances as The R’s got into their stride.  

The opener came after 28 minutes and it was Rangers who hit the front in some style. Rowan Vine cut inside his man out wide and play the ball centrally to the surging Buzsaky. He took one touch to steady himself before belting it low and hard from twenty yards past the helpless Wayne Hennessey. It was Akos’ tenth of the season and yet another stunner! 

Shortly afterwards Rowly was forced from the action, limping off to be replaced by Gavin Mahon. Rowlands has been so key to our tempo of late and his absence would be felt badly. Mahon for all his qualities is more defensive minded and the pairing of him and Leigertwood though solid lacked the link up play that Rowly has offered so well of late. 

Ten minutes before the break and the home side reversed the pressure, Ebanks-Blake’s header was fumbled by Camp but he was disposed before his follow up shot could be slotted. Camp’s handling from shots was poor all game and on at least three occasions he let balls dribble out of his hands that he should have held. 

Rangers had a further warning when Matt Jarvis hit the side netting before Wolves finally hit back with a late equaliser deep into first half injury time to avoid being booed off the pitch by the Molineux faithful. Some slack defending meant Michael Gray was allowed time and space down the right to put in a decent cross which Andy Keogh duly headed home without being put under any real pressure from the Rangers back line.  

The ever changeable British weather, which had switched from freezing cold to bright sunshine throughout the first half, then treated us to a bit of a snow storm as the second half got underway.  

After the break it didn’t take long for Rangers to take the lead for the second time in the game, a free kick was awarded on the right hand edge of the box, Buzsaky swung it in only for the ball to cleared by the Wolves defence. Then out of nowhere the referee blew for a penalty!  

It seemed bizarre at the time, there were no appeals from our players or fans and the Wolves team looked as shocked as us. The referee deemed that Buzsaky’s cross was handled by Neill Collins, even after seeing the replay it appears incredibly harsh. Not to worry, referee Oliver showed he’d do anything to make it up to Wolves over the rest of the game.  

If we were surprised with the kick being awarded it was even more of a shock who stepped up to take it. With Rowly off the pitch there were no obvious candidates and when Blackstock picked up the ball there were a lot of worried faces in the stands, mine included! No need to be concerned though, Dexter was the coolest man on the pitch, sending Hennessey the wrong way to slot home his first goal since New Years Day.  

A run in the side has clearly been good for Dex, who was also celebrating the birth of his first child this week, and he nearly doubled his tally minutes later but his volley ended up just a few inches over the crossbar.  

Ebanks-Blake broke for Wolves but was cynically bought down by Mancienne who was left with little choice, the ref waved play on and from the resulting attack Keogh was brilliantly beaten by Connolly before he had a chance to shoot. After the play had been completed Mancienne was rightly booked by Oliver. 

Zesh Rehman then came on to replace the impressive Connolly whilst Mick McCarthy threw on Freddie Eastwood, who would play a pivotal role in the final outcome.  

Camp had clearly applied his hair gel with his gloves on before the game and his greasy hands nearly cost us dear once again when he spilled another shot, this time from Ebanks-Blake. Fortunately he was able to block the follow up but his erratic handling was worrying the travelling R’s support.  

After 67 minutes our resolve was broken for the second time when Oliver squared off the dodgy penalty with a dodgy penalty for Wolves. Mancienne chased Jarvis some twenty yards down the right before making the tackle, minimal contact was made but well outside the box, however Jarvis managed to stay on his feet before collapsing as soon as he crossed the white line.  

Ebanks-Blake stepped and hammered the spot kick down the middle of the goal to restore parity for the home side. It was his third against us this season for two clubs and second from the spot.  

Camp then showed the other side of his game on two occasions, first with a fantastic reaction save to stop Karl Henry from close range then denying Jarvis from distance to keep the scores level.  

Twelve minutes after the penalty though and we were back in front again through another twenty yarder, this time from Leigertwood. Ainsworth, now on for Buzsaky, crossed from deep, Wolves headed clear only for the onrushing Leigertwood to outmuscle his man, control with his chest and fire home a powerful drive from the edge of the D.  

The clock was ticking down but just when Wolves needed more, Oliver obliged with five minutes of injury time. You just knew what was going to happen as soon as the board went up, it took Wolves almost all of the five to score though with the equaliser coming at the very last moment.  

It was a right old scramble as well, Ebanks-Blake did well to get a powerful shot in from the right side of the box, Camp was equal to it but pushed it back to the former Plymouth man who fired in again but this time found the post. Olofinjana tried to bundle home the rebound but that was stopped on the line before Camp pushed the ball back out. As it moved along the edge of the box it should have been cleared about three times but it wasn’t, instead Eastwood intercepted, rode the challenges before putting in Keogh who finally beat Camp at his far post. 

It was a devastating blow, there is nothing better than a last gasp equaliser for your side but likewise there is nothing worse than having two points snatched away at the death.  

Overall it was a fair result between two competitive sides but after leading on three occasions this really should have been a victory and that’s something that has been symptomatic of De Canio’s reign so far.  

Since Gigi took over Rangers have lost the lead on thirteen occasions across ten games, six of those have ended in defeat and four have ended as draws. If we’d held on in all those games we’d have an extra 26 points and be top of the league. Obviously that’s unrealistic but it demonstrates the problem the likable Italian will need to iron out this summer if next season is to fulfill its promise. 

Next up for Rangers is another tricky looking away trip, this time to Ipswich. Our run in now doesn’t look particularly appetising with trips to Norwich and third placed Hull coupled with the visits of promotion chasing Charlton, West Brom and form side Preston. We have enough points on the board not to be concerned though, mission accomplished for the season for the players though the remainder of the season could decide what sort of role they play in the Rangers revolution next year.  

Man of the Match: Damien Delaney, somewhat of a second choice as I thought Matthew Connolly was superb before being forced from the action but having missed the crucial last half hour he can’t really be considered. Delaney was his usual composed self, is this the same player Hull fans were pleased to be shot of?