nvager 498 Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 Written by Nvager Tuesday, January 27, 2009 Rangers vs Falkirk, Scottish Co-op Cup Semi Final, Hampden Park, Glasgow We have a chance to reach a Cup Final. Will Walter go for it? The team selection says yes with Naismith at left midfield and Nacho Novo up front with Kris Boyd. Pace trickery and goals. FIRST HALF: 1:03 Mendes has a poor effort at goal from a high bouncing ball. 2:35 Falkirk nearly score an exact replica of the goal they scored against us at Ibrox a few weeks ago. McCann puts through Lovell whose shot brings out a great save by McGregor. 5:13 Broadfoot is dispossessed by Cregg, who feeds McCann who puts Lovell clear and again a great save by McGregor saves the day. Falkirk win a corner which is eventually cleared. Two early scares for Rangers within the first 5 minutes! We should have been two goals down. Thanks McGregor! 7:35 Mendes tries a shot which hits Boyd; Boyd and Novo get in a tangle and Novo wins a scrappy corner. 8:02 Mendes swings in a corner and Novo runs in to poach a goal at the back post. Rangers 1-0 Falkirk. 10:12 A poor ball by Novo towards Naismith is cleared by the Falkirk defence. Both teams have a little spell of pressure with no end product. 12:58 Novo chooses to shoot when a pass to Boyd may have been a better choice. This results in a goal kick. 13:54 Mendes takes a corner, which is eventually cleared. The game is rather scrappy for now. 16:35 Bougherra breaks upfield, passes to Broadfoot to Novo to Naismith who shoots. The ball breaks back to Ferguson who finds Boyd, who shoots narrowly past. 18:24 A poor forward pass by Broadfoot earns a throw-in. Davis collects the ball and fires in a cross that is cleared. 20:00 Mendes feeds Papac whose cross causes trouble before it is cleared. Falkirk are struggling for now under some Rangers’ pressure. 21:00 Naismith gives away a free kick, but McGregor takes the ball well. 21:41 A wonderful ball from Mendes sends Naismith clear, but the Falkirk goalkeeper Mallo wins a race for the ball. 22:13 McCann gets in behind the Rangers’ defence, but the end result is a goal kick. 22:30 Davis feeds Novo who cuts in along the by-line but his cross is scrambled clear. 24:65 Lovell steps over a pass and frees McCann, who wins a corner for Falkirk from which a header sails wide of McGregor’s goal. 25:30 Novo finds Boyd who outmuscles Pressley and sets up Naismith who pulls his shot wide. 27:50 Novo to Broadfoot who is offside. 28:50 Mendes to Papac to Naismith who wins a corner. The corner is cleared to Naismith who just misses with a shot. 29:50 Falkirk break and Arfield finds Lovell, but the danger is cleared. 30:30 Boyd fouls Barr and from the free kick Lee Bullen heads over from good position. 31:52 Novo whips in a ball from the right which just eludes Boyd. 33:23 Pressley looks to have fouled Boyd at the edge of the box, but no foul is given. 34:29 MacNamara fouls Novo and from the free kick Mendes wins a corner. McBride heads clear at the corner. 36:32 Pressley fouls Boyd. 36:50 Pressley fouls Novo 22 yards out but Boyd’s shot hits the wall. 38:08 Novo claims a corner but a goal kick is given. 38:45 A great snap shot by Boyd forces a good save from Danni Mallo. 39:42 Davis releases Novo into the box and he fires a great shot low across the keeper to score! Rangers 2-0 Falkirk! 40:53 Novo is caught offside. 42:31 Scobie tries a shot for Falkirk, but it is a poor one. 43:13 Pressley again fouls Boyd and this time receives a yellow card. About time too. 44:17 A Ferguson pass is well dummied by Boyd for Naismith, who overruns the byline. This was a good effort by Rangers after a shaky start when they should have conceded two goals in the first five minutes. Novo is playing very well and putting in a tremendous amount of work. SECOND HALF: 45:23 Weir gives away a free kick, but it is hit poorly for a goal kick. 47:59 Mendes frees Novo who fires hard at goal. Nearly a hat-trick for Novo. 48:00 Naismith to Boyd who is fouled. From the free kick it is a corner to Rangers, but it is scrambled clear by Falkirk. 49:47 Mendes wins a corner and takes it himself. The ball breaks back to him, but his cross is a poor one. 51:58 McCann dispossess Broadfoot and wins a corner. From the corner a few headers go back and forward and eventually McGregor tips one over for another corner. Arfield fires a shot JUST over. A let-off. 53:45 McCann and Lovell combine well from a short free kick, but Scobie is judged to be offside. 54:30 Ferguson tries a long ball to Boyd and it almost gets there before being cut off by the Falkirk defence. 55:29 D Barr of Falkirk receives a yellow card for a foul on Naismith. 56:34 Broadfoot wins a corner taken by Mendes but when the ball comes back to him he is offside. 59:44 Papac ventures forward and shoots way wide. 60:00 Naismith goes surging down the right side and then tries to find Boyd, but wins a corner. This results in a spell of pressure, but no end result. 62:20 Novo offside. 63:00 Great run by Davis, but the final shot is deflected for a corner, which is scrambled clear. 65:27 Barr just beats Boyd to the ball. 65:50 Mallo just beats Novo to the ball. 67:10 McGregor saves well from Lovell, but Lovell is offside. 68:30 Boyd and Novo combine and Novo’s final ball results in a spectacular Boyd attempt at goal which bounces up off the ground and hits the top of the bar and out for a goal kick. 70:06 Boyd and Novo again combine and win a corner. Davis takes the corner and collects a rebound, but his cross is cleared. 73:00 A sweeping move involving Novo, Mendes and Davis ends with a shot from Davis that the goalkeeper clears and Mendes shoots over the bar. 76:00 A bit of Falkirk pressure ends with another poor shot by Scobie. 77:00 Fleck replaces Novo. 78:00 Fleck sets up Boyd who is blocked out by several Falkirk defenders. 81:00 McGregor saves from Lovell. 82:33 Boyd shoots, but it is blocked for a corner. Davis and Broadfoot combine, but Mallo collects the final cross. 84:00 Falkirk have a half chance but the final ball is poor. 85:59 Lee McCulloch replaces Barry Ferguson. 86:66 A foul by Lee McCulloch. 87:47 Danni Malli the Falkirk goalkeeper comes out of the box for a rather short pass-back and instead of hitting it into the stands he cleverly beats Novo but does not see Boyd following up. Boyd takes the ball off him and places it easily into the empty net. Rangers 3-0 Falkirk! 85:57 McGregor saves from Kevin McBride. 2 minutes of Injury Time. 91:08 Davis half-heartedly appeals for a penalty after good work by Mendes and Boyd. FINAL SCORE : Rangers 3-0 Falkirk Rangers Team today: McGregor: Some very good saves, particularly in the first five minutes. On top form. Rangers Media score: 7.5 points Broadfoot: Tried hard, but lacked quality. Twice dispossessed in dangerous positions. Not at his best. Rangers Media score: 5.0 points Bougherra: Good steady game. Rangers Media Score: 6.5 points Weir: Good steady game. Rangers Media score: 6.5 points Papac: Tried hard without ever really succeeding. Rangers Media score: 6.0 points Davis: Hot and cold. Could be more consistent. Rangers Media score: 6.0 points Mendes: Good game. All over the field and his passing was excellent. Rangers Media score: 7.0 points Ferguson: Again played on the periphery of the game. Not the Ferguson of old. Rangers Media score: 6.0 points Naismith: A good game. Plenty of effort, but his final ball could be better. Rangers Media score 6.5 points Boyd: Not at his very best, but got his usual goal. Rangers Media score: 6.0 points Novo: A terrific game. A great effort topped off with two goals. Rangers Media score: 8.0 points Substitutes: Fleck: On after 77 minutes for Naismith. Did well in that short time. Rangers Media score 4.0 points McCulloch: On after 86 minutes for Ferguson. No time to do anything. Rangers Media score: 3.0 points Manager: After Saturday Walter reversed himself and put out an attacking team. This paid off. Novo was much more effective than Miller has been recently and deserved a start. The question now is will he remain as a starter after such a fine game. A good team selection that kept everyone happy. Rangers Media score: 8.0 points. Man of the Match: Nacho Novo with a mention to both McGregor and Mendes. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts