Simonsen Back For Cowden Clash



STEVE SIMONSEN comes back into the Rangers side to take on Cowdenbeath this evening.

The keeper was kept out of the Scottish Cup clash with Dumbarton having suffered concussion against St Johnstone in the Quarter-Final of the League Cup last week.

Ally McCoist chose not to risk the 35-year old at the Bet Butler Stadium on Saturday and picked Lee Robinson instead. But having fully recovered from his knock to the head the stopper will be back between the sticks as the Light Blues try and stretch their unbeaten run to seven – Robinson drops to the bench.

Stevie Smith retains his place in midfield, with Fraser Aird finding out yesterday that he now faces four weeks on the sidelines with a thigh injury. And fresh from his call up to the Scotland squad Lewis Macleod will start on the right of midfield. They will be joined in the centre by Ian Black and Nicky Law.

Kris Boyd netted the winner on Saturday to progress Gers through to the next round of the Scottish Cup and will partner Kenny Miller up front this evening. The pair have scored five goals between them in Rangers last five league and cup fixtures.

The back line is unaffected for the trip to Central Park, with Lee Wallace, Darren McGregor, Lee McCulloch and Richard Foster making up the defence.

Rangers: Simonsen, Foster, McCulloch, McGregor, Wallace, Smith, Law, Black, Macleod, Boyd, Miller.

Cowdenbeath 0 - 3 Rangers




RANGERS took their unbeaten run in the League and cup competitions to seven games as they dispatched of Cowdenbeath at Central Park.

Goals from Nicky Law, an own goal from Kyle Miller and a late strike from substitute David Templeton meant Gers took all three points on the night.

Cowdenbeath had not beaten Rangers since 1927 and that was not to change - the Light Blues ground out the result after overcoming the home side’s constant determination to deny the Glasgow side.

Rangers made a storming opening at Central Park, only three minutes had gone when Nicky Law had the ball in the back of the net.  Kris Boyd threaded a neat ball through the middle and into the feet of the midfielder, who dispatched a shot with his right foot under the outstretched Robbie Thomson and into the bottom right corner.

Cowdenbeath made a direct response to falling behind and Kudas Oyenuga, on loan from Dundee United, looked forever dangerous as the home team sought to cancel out Gers opener.

The 21-year old had a cry for a penalty turned down on ten minutes by referee Crawford Allen - the official adjudging the foul by McGregor to be outside the box. Oyenuga took the free kick himself but fired the ball over from 25 yards out.

Three minutes later Rangers were back pushing for a second and Steve Smith curled a free kick round the Cowdenbeath wall but Thomson’s hands were there to meet the effort at his left post.

The Blue Brazil continued to threaten and a series of headers pinged about the Rangers box after a corner was swung in from the left, the ball eventually finding the hands of Steve Simonsen safely.

Former Spurs youth Oyenuga showed his speed again in the 19th minute - he cut a ball back from the by-line across the face of goal to trouble the Lights Blues backline. However the ball bounced away off a Cowdenbeath man to calm the Rangers nerves.

All McCoist’s side replied to Cowden’s pressure through some simple route one football -Simonsen’s 21st minute free kick evaded everyone to reach Kenny Miller who took the ball down with one touch. The 35- year old bounded beyond the Cowden defence into the six yard box, but just as he was about to hit the trigger a last ditch tackle from Marcus Fraser saw the ball taken from the striker’s feet and cleared for a corner.

The end to end theme of the game continued with half an hour on the clock, a Cowdenbeath ball down the centre played in Sean Higgins. The Number 10 found himself through one on one with Simonsen but his final shot was weak and the stopper palmed it away on to the post, allowing the Gers defence to clear their lines.

Gers began the second half with the same spirit they had started the first, with just a couple of minutes played Darren McGregor got his head on the end of a whipped ball into the Cowdenbeath box. The defender’s effort though was directly at Thomson who managed to make a save from close range.

Rangers pressure told and the hosts undid their positive first half work when, with 52 minutes on the clock, an own goal gave the Light Blues a two goal lead. Kyle Miller headed a Gers cross from the right against his own crossbar, only to see the ball bounce back down on the wrong side of the white line and into the back of Cowden’s net.

Chances were far and few between as the game reached its final stages, both teams failed to threaten after Rangers had pulled two goals clear. McCoist brought on Jon Daly and David Templeton to give the forward line fresh legs but Gers struggled to create too many openings as Cowdenbeath frustrated them in a similar way to the first 45 minutes.

With nine minutes left to play McGregor burst into action. The defender rose in the air to meet a cross from the right, only to be denied once again, this time by a clearance on the line.

But Rangers were to make it three after all as Templeton secured the win in the 85th minute. The winger latched onto Ian Black’s through ball and raced clear to slot the ball away in calm fashion.
 

RANGERS: Simonsen, Foster, McCulloch, McGregor, Wallace, Smith (Templeton 70â€), Law, Black, Macleod, Boyd (Daly 70â€), Miller.

SUBS: Robinson, Moshni, Daly, Templeton, Clark, Faure, Shiels

GOALS: Law 3â€, Miller o.g 52â€, Templeton 85â€

YELLOW CARDS: Macleod

COWDENBEATH: Thomson, Wedderburn, Robertson, Milne, Higgins, Brett (Sutherland 67â€), Miller, Oyenuga, Marshall (Johnston 82â€), Fraser, Hughes (Kane 36â€).

SUBS: Sneddon, Campbell, O’Brien, Brownlie

Attendance: 3919