Michael Beale Side Laboured To A Narrow Win Over Motherwell
Rangers 1 : 0 Motherwell
Rangers “got away with one” said Michael Beale as his side laboured to a narrow win over Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership to make it three wins from three since the international break.
Rabbi Matondo’s first-half shot took a huge deflection off Cyriel Dessers for what would be the winning goal to settle a nervy Ibrox.
The visitors, who began the day third in the table, started the game confidently, but failed to convert their play into goals or capitalise on intense late pressure.
“Our decision-making was really poor,” the Rangers manager told BBC Scotland.
“They say it’s a good sign when you win when you’re not playing well. I’m not taking much comfort from that. That performance concerned me.
“We gave them lots of opportunities to counter. We just about got away with it. I’m wanting and demanding more from my team.
“We need to decide what team we are. Are we the team that perform at that level on Thursday, or the team that played today?
“It’s a win today, but it doesn’t feel like one.”
Beale’s side, who beat St Johnstone last weekend and then Real Betis on Thursday, leapfrog the Fir Park side in the table.
Motherwell started very brightly with Sam Lammers close to gifting a glaring chance before Callum Slattery found space and tried to bend one to the far corner. It was off target with Jack Butland exposed.
Rangers knew then they were in a game as they struggled to connect in key areas. On the first occasion they did, it paid off.
Nice interplay outside the area led to a powerful Matondo strike. It seemed to be arrowing slightly off target but struck Dessers, who seemed to be trying to evade it, and the ball flew high past Liam Kelly.
A much-needed stroke of luck that proved decisive. For Motherwell, luck proved elusive.
Rangers did engineer one or two good chances in the second half with Lammers volleying wide and Kelly denied Dessers and Lammers in quick succession.
However, they were so close to conceding several times late on with Butland superbly denying Oli Shaw and Brodie Spencer when a goal seemed certain.
James Tavernier then somehow bailed his side out, getting back on the line to knock Blair Spittal’s shot away as Motherwell pushed on in an impressive display that deserved more.
