By Dundeefc.net
April 24 2002

SAT 2ND OCTOBER

Dundee 2 (McSkimming 58, Falconer 70)
Rangers 3 (Kanchelskis 29, Wallace 81, Amato 85)
Att:10,494

Douglas Van Eijs, Smith, Tweed, Wilkie, Maddison Rae, McSkimming, Boyack Annand, Falconer

Subs: Grady (for Annand 38), Matute (for Falconer 82), Sharp (for Boyack 88), Slater, Langfield

The late goal curse hit Dundee at Dens again as champions Rangers snatched the points. Goals from McSkimming, after keeper Charbonnier had made a mess of a punched clearance, and Falconer, who ran onto a Grady through ball to poke the ball under the keeper, had put Dundee ahead with twenty minutes to go, but Rangers always looked dangerous with Albertz in particularly impressive form.

Rangers had taken a first half lead through Kanchelskis who fired home after being sent clear by Ferguson and at times in that first period Dundee were being stretched by the Ibrox machine. The game however burst into life in controversial fashion five minutes from half time when Lee Wilkie tackles on Ferguson and Van Bronckhurst incensed the Dutch midfielder so much that he kicked the grounded young Dundee defender. The ensuing melee more or less determined that someone was going to walk, although Wilkie perhaps fearing the worst made himself scarce as half the teams squared up to each other. When the dust settled referee Stuart Dougal showed the red card to Wilkie and after a discussion with his linesman to Van Bronckhurst as well. Grady and Numan then saw yellow for their part before the game resumed.

The second half saw a much more open game as both teams used the space provided by ten a side football and with twelve minutes played of the period Boyack swung over a fine cross which was knocked back in by Falconer, the keeper came to punch but under the challenge of Grady made a mess of his effort and McSkimming gratefully swept the ball home from ten yards. 'Can you hear the Rangers sing' chorused the Bobby Cox stand as Dundee began to take the game to the champs and the volume went up a notch on seventy minutes as Rae's through ball found Falconer racing in behind the Rangers defence, as the keeper came out 'Ooh Ahh Falconer' poked the ball off the post and into the net to give the Dees the lead.

Rangers had to change something and as they piled forward Dick Advocaat introduced Vidmar, Amato and then former Dens hero Dariusz Adamczuk, who got a rousing round of applause from the home fans before being booed on his first touch of the ball. Albertz was suddenly finding acres of space in midfield and Rangers piled bodies into Dundee's box on a regular basis. There is no doubt that they are by far the best team in Scotland and only a series of heroic last ditch tackles from Barry Smith and several fine blocks by Rab' Douglas kept them out. It couldn't last however and with nine minutes to go Albetz broke forward and released Mols who whipped the ball into Wallace who fired home from eight yards. Ironically Dundee had a good scoring chances seconds before the goal but had squandered the opportunity and then seen Rangers race upfield to score.

Almost inevitably the roof fell in as the Light Blues continued to pour forward and with five minutes to go Amato glanced a header from Albertz corner past Douglas. It was a sore blow and left Jocky Scott 'Sick' while Steven Boyack admitted to being 'Gutted' but Dundee had shown something of the spirit of last season and had played some decent football at times.